Kobe Bryant or Tim Duncan? Wemby Makes His All-Time Pick
Has San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama, AKA Wemby, angered a large portion of his team’s fanbase? When asked to choose between Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan on his all-time rankings list, Wemby boldly chose the Los Angeles Lakers icon over his Spurs predecessor.
“Tim Duncan or Kobe? Tough question. Probably Kobe All-Time… Eh, actually, I don’t know,” Wemby responded to a fan question.
It was rather wise on Wemby’s part to express doubt about his initial pick, considering the wrath he may endure from a rabid Spurs fanbase.
One user argued that Wemby, who was born in 2004, likely never watched a prime Duncan in action, and therefore leaned towards the more popular choice. Duncan won both his MVP awards (2002, 2003) before Wemby was born, and won his third NBA Finals MVP award by 2005, when the Frenchman was an infant. Wemby was a 10-year-old basketball fan when Duncan captured his fifth and final NBA title in 2014.
“He never watched Tim lets be honest,” wrote SOLtan.
Lakers Fans Rally Behind Wemby
Lakers fans widely praised the 7-foot-4 Frenchman for choosing Bryant over Duncan, despite the potential backlash he could endure.
A few fans argued that although Bryant and Duncan each won five NBA championships, the latter was not the overall gifted basketball player that the “Black Mamba” was.
“Wemby is not wrong. Kobe can will a team to a W. Duncan was not quite in the same level,” wrote Kurt Nimphius’ Hair.
“Nah he knows. I’ve never understood why that was a question,” wrote KDM.
Another fan felt that it was hard to separate Bryant and Duncan, two all-time great players, but he gave the slight edge to the Spurs legend.
“It’s close,” wrote Chris Reilly. “I have Tim 7 Kobe 8.”
Kobe, Duncan Had Mutual Respect
The comparisons from fans and analysts aside, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan shared a lot of mutual respect after going to war numerous times in the playoffs.
When Bryant (posthumously), Duncan and Kevin Garnett all went into the Hall of Fame in 2021, Duncan explained how Bryant helped him become a better player.
“Your greatest competition brings the best out of you. That’s what he always did,” Duncan said of sharing the court with Bryant, via LA Times.
“You always had to be at your best and bring your best from start to finish if you were playing against him or any of his teams. And I think that’s what I appreciate about and remember about playing against him and being on the court with him — a fierce competitor. And always demanding more of his team and his teammates than probably was possible.
“But he wanted to win that much. He wanted it that much. And it was an honor to share the court with him.”
When Duncan led the Spurs to their first two NBA titles in 1999 and 2003, they had to go through Bryant and the Lakers.
“The intensity was always that much higher because of the level of competitor he was, the teams that he brought with him, coaching on down,” Duncan said of Bryant.
Ultimately, Bryant held an 18-12 head-to-head postseason record against Duncan’s Spurs, with Bryant winning four out of the six series.
How Much ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Winners Make Revealed
“Bachelor in Paradise” added a twist to season 10, introducing a cash element alongside the search for love.
Host Jesse Palmer revealed during Week 6 in Costa Rica that contestants would face a new kind of relationship test. At the end, couples were separated and asked to choose between “love or money.”
How Much Did ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Finalists Win?
“Paradise is, and always has been, about finding love and creating relationships people can take outside of paradise,” Palmer told the cast during Week 6 in Costa Rica. “And this year, we’re raising the stakes.”
In a shocking reveal, the remaining couples were separated and faced with a choice: love or money. If both partners chose love, they would forgo the cash and reunite in the VIP suite. But if one chose money, that contestant would leave with $250,000 — ending the relationship on the spot.
Ultimately, both couples chose love and were surprised to learn they would still walk away with cash. Each pair selected from three envelopes containing different amounts, with Alexe and Andrew receiving $125,000 and Jess and Spencer taking home $190,000.
‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Contestant Reactions
While some contestants welcomed the opportunity, others worried the money would complicate the process. Former “Golden Bachelorette” contestant Gary Levingston voiced his concerns, saying, “I’m here for love, but it’s now a game, and when money is involved, people do stupid things. People do things just for the money.”
Allyshia Gupta echoed that sentiment, noting the prize could “corrupt” relationships. Still, she admitted she was “excited to see the phony ones start ripping apart at the seams.”
Two weeks after the announcement, contestant Sean McLaughlin faced criticism from others who believed he was strategizing more for the prize than his relationship.
Fellow contestant Bailey Taylor Brown summed up the concern, saying, “I think if you’re only focused on the money, then you’ve lost the plot. You’ll stop caring about your relationship and why you want to get to know your partner. Is it because you actually really like your partner, or is it because you want the money?”
How the Cash Prize Fits Into Bachelor Nation History
While this marks the first time “Bachelor in Paradise” has included a prize, it’s not the franchise’s first attempt to combine love with money. In 2010, ABC launched “Bachelor Pad,” a spin-off where former “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” contestants competed for love and a $250,000 cash prize. The show ran for three seasons before ending in 2012.
Palmer said the addition of money in “Paradise” was intended to build on the excitement of past formats while giving contestants a new reason to prove their relationships were real. “In the end, the strongest and the most deserving couples are going to be faced with a life-changing opportunity,” he explained.
As season 10 closed, one couple made history as the first to claim the half-million-dollar prize, proving that on “Bachelor in Paradise,” love and money can go hand in hand — at least for now.
