Somehow, you just know there?s a critic out there in Medialand who still continues to doubt Tim Duncan?s place in NBA lore.  

 Inexplicably, even after Duncan played an instrumental role in San Antonio?s third NBA Championship in seven years, there will still be so-called pundits who?ll attempt to find a chink in his armor.

 Will the Tim Duncan doubters please stand up, already and admit the error of their foolish ways.  

 Yes, we?re talking about those of you who referred to Duncan at various points of these Finals as ?Tiny Tim? and ?Tim the Timid? and a ?choker,? and who was nothing without mentor David Robinson playing by his side, and as a player who every other game had to defend some kind of legacy as if his reputation in the league had seemingly been tarnished.  

 Duncan didn?t need to prove himself to anyone in this year?s Finals.  Not only because he doesn?t particularly care what any of us in the media have to say about him, but more importantly because he quite frankly shouldn?t have had his legacy questioned to begin with.

 Yet it was throughout the last two weeks.

 Duncan is an NBA all-time great.  He is a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer, and arguably ? if there is a debate - the greatest power forward in league history.  Charles Barkley and Karl Malone, as great as they were, would trade resumes with The Stoic One in a heartbeat if they could.  

 He was even before capturing his third Finals MVP in as many attempts.  He was even before missing six consecutive free throw attempts down the stretch in Game 5, when some of you had the audacity to actually jump off the Duncan bandwagon (let?s not forget that the Spurs probably do not head back home up 3-2 if it were not for most of Duncan?s 26 points and 19 rebounds in Game 5).  He was even before his heroic performance in the Finals finale.  

 Yet still, Duncan?s legacy was questioned.

 Duncan, by his own admission (the true greats are always their harshest critic and are constantly striving for perfection), needed to have a better outing in Game 7, and he did.  

 While his 10-for-27 shooting performance was less than legendary, Duncan made the plays ? on both ends of the floor ? when they counted the most, particularly down the stretch, when Duncan simply took over the game after his Spurs found themselves in a nine-point hole midway through the third quarter.  

 Duncan?s stat line, for the most part (25 points and 11 rebounds), looked nice, but as usual, his play went beyond stats.  He simply did all the little things (diving for loose balls, setting up teammates) necessary to win a championship.  Heck, Duncan even made his free throws, hitting on 5-of-6 attempts from the charity stripe.  

 What else can you ask for?

 ?He put his team on his shoulders and carried them to a championship,? Pistons center Ben Wallace said.  ?That?s what the great players do.?

 ?You follow your leader,? added point guard Tony Parker.   ?Timmy is the leader of this team, and he just carried us.?

 ?His complete game is so sound, so fundamental, so unnoticed at times, because if he didn?t score, people think, ?Well, he didn?t do anything,?? Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said.  ?But he was incredible and he was the force that got it done for us.?

 "He was great the whole series," Pistons head coach Larry Brown said. "Sometimes, I don't think numbers reflect the contribution a guy makes. But a lot of the shots they made, open shots, came as a result of us having a hard time guarding him. That's why he's such a great player."

 Duncan?s biggest attribute, unfortunately (because it shouldn?t be), is also his biggest flaw.  His game is as complete as one?s can be, yet because he isn?t flashy and doesn?t run his mouth a la Rasheed Wallace - another terrific talent, but unfortunately someone whose play on the court in these Finals did not come remotely close to the amount of talking he did off of it ? he will never truly garner the respect he deserves.

 Let?s face it: there are many who are back on the Duncan bandwagon today ? but you know that will change once the Spurs find themselves in a must-win playoff game a year from now, when the same detractors, the ones who doubted Duncan in this year?s Finals (and you know who you are), will once again be all over him should San Antonio find themselves with their backs against the wall, because, sadly, in our what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world, you are only as good as your last accomplishment.

 Duncan has slowly but surely been carving his legacy for the last several seasons as arguably the best player of his generation.   He certainly didn?t tarnish it with his performance in these Finals, win or lose.  

 Duncan only solidified his status, and he will continue to do so in the years to come as the Spurs figure to be an NBA powerhouse for quite some time.  With a nucleus including the 29-year-old Duncan, the 27-year-old emerging superstar Manu Ginobili and the 23-year-old Tony Parker, and one of best managerial tandems in the league in Popovich and GM R.C. Buford, San Antonio?s future is bright.  

 In other words, you haven?t heard the last of Tim Duncan.  

 So for all of you who questioned the man?s legacy, shame on you.  

 It was never up for debate.

 Kostas.Bolos@realgm.com