What was the reaction when he sat out the tourney game against the USVI?
I'd imagine that he was already a national hero, but he reached mythical status after that.
*TD was as skilled at his position as Kobe was at his. What Shaq called him as a joke, really applied to him "The Big Fundamental"
I was living stateside at the time(I met/saw him play in 93/94) but my understandings was that there were a lot of jealousy for him. He gets a lot lot more love now as he should, but I wouldn't say he was highly favored "in the trenches" of the island (at that time) if you get what I'm saying.
Mainstream and headlines will always post the positive articles and appraisals of its most accomplished athlete ever by default and the people did/do love him but I would hear stuff like they didn't care when he came to town unless he was spending. So it was sometimes mixed.
I would say he's more than earned his respect and he's probably revered as something similar to"Mythical" status now.
Especially after his support and contributions with the hurricanes and other natural disasters that had happened over the recent years.
But I honestly want to say he say out that game out of respect and the backlash it would have caused (him) down there.
As skilled as Duncan was, I just feel that Kobe displayed his longer throughout the duration of their careers.
I believe that KG was more skilled than Duncan too but I do not think neither was better.
Duncan was skilled but he also had like a Draymond Green effect, an attribute that's hard to quantify.
where he did and fit in where he needed to be to make the right plays for his team.