12 reasons Tim Duncan can be considered as the greatest basketball player of all time

7) Tim Duncan vs Kevin Garnett

Both players were ejected in 2002 following this altercation

Kevin Garnett is the epitome of crazy in the NBA. Rarely have two superstars with such contrasting personalities clashed so often as Duncan and Garnett. The primeval yells attempted to weather the solid wall to no avail 44 times in the regular season, with Duncan winning 27-17.

Duncan averaged 19 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.9 blocks in those contests, while Garnett put up 19.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.9 blocks.

Of their matchup, Ron Artest, now Metta World Peace, recalled, "I remember one time Kevin Garnett was mushing him, and shoving him in the face; and Tim Duncan didn't do anything, he didn't react. He just kicked Kevin Garnett's a--, and won the damn championship. You know what I'm sayin'? That's gangsta. Everybody can show emotion, dunk on somebody, scream and be real cocky; but Tim Duncan is a ... he's a pimp."

Contrasting their styles, Tim Duncan was ejected once in 2002 in a game vs the Timberwolves when he responded to Kevin Garnett talking trash. But later the league rescinded his ejection. Duncan's only ejection over a 19-year career was for laughing on the bench, for which referee Joey Crawford was banned for the rest of the season and sent to anger management classes.

Go figure. Duncan gets ejected, and as a result, the referee earns a ban for the rest of the season and learns to process his own emotions better.

In the playoffs, Duncan battled Garnett 8 times and came up on top 6 times. Duncan averaged 20.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.5 blocks per game, while Garnett put up 21.4 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.8 blocks per game.

Advantage: Duncan.