Baller of the decade

We had a lively debate on our television Hardball for the New Year. Who are the most outstanding basketball players of the past decade?

Who has done the most damage, made the most difference?

We started with the NBA, where there seemed to be so many big names, big games, big changes the past years. And in a culture governed by the latest highlight, the flashing cameras, who remembers that far back, anyway? Nevertheless, somebody has to keep track. So who are the players who have molded the NBA in the last decade? There’s a lot of big names out there, but there will be room for a few on this list.

Shaquille O’Neal has been an MVP, media darling, mammoth trade bait, and icon. Though he has been a shadow, some say even a caricature of himself, he was something special just a few years ago. Remember, he took Los Angeles to three titles, then moved to Miami for another one with D-Wade. When you think about it, before Kobe Bryant matured and became the leader and all-around phenomenon he was benched for a while, then hit paydirt with the Big Diesel.

Of course, Shaq came with a lot of baggage, and an ego larger than his size 23 sneakers. There have always been a lot of distractions, of course. That’s why he moved to the Lakers in the first place, to be near Hollywood. But people so quickly forget what a monster he was. A respected authority like Eliot Kalb, NBA television statistician for over two decades, placed O’Neal at the top of his very own list of 50 greatest players of all time. He even placed him ahead of everybody else we consider the greatest of all time. And in the early part of this decade, Shaq was The Man.

Kobe Bryant has become the quintessential guard of his era, perhaps of all time. Kobe, after a period of incubation and suffering under a short-sighted Del Harris, he gradually blossomed into a great scorer.

But he wasn’t considered a winner, even when he had Shaq on his side.

And after they squabbled and Shaq left, he was branded a spoiled brat.

Then Bryant worked on his game. Boy, did he work. The former high school phenom has been doing things even Michael Jordan didn’t do.

He shot better from three-point range with his left hand, and became a leader. His new found unselfishness took the Lakers to a title, and he is the leader they have been waiting for him to be, no question.

The next question is not if Kobe will win more titles, but how many. Tim Duncan is not the most popular player in the NBA, never has been.

He may be the most respected, and a perfect universal ambassador for it, though. Formerly a swimmer, The Big Fundamental has been a winner, and that cannot be doubted. Duncan has been called slow and even admits he can’t jump. No matter what state his team is in, he carries them with a dignity and success that is beyond reproach. His numbers have gradually dipped over the last three seasons, and he may not be the same player he was, but many coaches would pick him first in a game of life and death.

LeBron James has been living up to the hype the past couple of seasons. The upside has always been big for LBJ, but now the clock is ticking. He has always had the numbers, better even than Bryant.

Often, he and Kobe have been considered the two titans alone at the top of the NBA’s zenith. He has done more for his team than almost any other player. They have defined the NBA for the last few seasons.

Given a few more breaks, King James may finally end up wearing a ring. There are many other players who have been spectacular, eye-catching and devastating. But only a few have also won.