NBA Finals Stars Are Poles apart

When the Cleveland Cavaliers go up against the San Antonio Spurs in game 1 of the NBA Finals this Thursday, the spotlight will be shining brightest on each team's respective stars: Lebron James and Tim Duncan. With these two All-NBA first team members, however, there’s about as much similarity as between the tortoise and the hare.

The way James and Duncan each play the game is admirable, yet at the same time couldn't be more disparate. Duncan establishes himself in the low post, using a myriad of post moves impressive enough to garner him the nickname the "Big Fundamental." The best of his offensive game is brought out by Greg Popovich's system, which utilizes Duncan in the post and takes advantage of his exceptional passing skills and basketball IQ.

James is lauded for his equally impressive, but entirely different way of playing the game. King James attacks from the perimeter, using his freakish combination of speed and power to attack the rim for a ferocious jam or an impossible-seeming shot plus the foul. His ability to adjust in midair, absorb contact, and muscle in an attempt at the basket is the stuff for slow-motion replays. Many times, the opportunities he creates for himself and his teammates are made up on the fly (literally).

On defense, Duncan is a pillar guarding the basket. The offense knows he's there, sees him, and has to adjust how they're going to get their shot off against a player who has been selected ten times to the NBA All-Defensive team. His mere presence on the defensive end alters the way the game is played in his teams' favor. When Duncan blocks a shot, he usually does so in a way that keeps the ball in play and earns his team a defensive stop and the possession.

While James isn't exactly known as a defensive ace, he does manage to make plays that give his team a boost and momentum, many times during crucial parts of the game. A steal in the passing lane ignites a fast break, which usually ends with James himself on the end of an alley-oop flush. An opposing player thinking he's wide open for an easy basket is demoralized when James seemingly appears out of nowhere, flying in to reject the shot resoundingly into the stands.

The contrast between the two superstars goes beyond their immediate contributions on the basketball court. Duncan played in college all four years and came into the NBA a polished and prepared product. James was one of the last to make the jump straight from high school. Before basketball, Duncan was a renowned swimmer in the Pacific Islands, while Lebron was an Allstate football player in Ohio his sophomore year of high school.

Their demeanor is probably the biggest giveaway to their styles on and off the court. James is outgoing, marketable, and charismatic. His birthday is the same as Tiger Woods, and he wants to be the first billionaire athlete. Duncan is quiet, often appearing serious, and heads several charities and foundations that receive no front page coverage. Remarkable as it may seem, the seven foot Duncan is afraid of heights, which might explain his well-grounded play on the court. James looks to make the heights his own personal airspace during the game.

Rarely have such two different players been on opposite sides of the same goal: an NBA championship. For James, the only discrepancy he cares about is that of championship rings; Duncan has three and is going for his fourth, while James himself has yet to win one. Both he and Duncan will leave their own distinctive imprints on this series. The only question is which style will prove to be the winning one.

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