Dein erstes Forum » Tuesday.After reviewing the situation

First Kobe Bryant, now Tim Duncan. A two-decade chapter of NBA history has closed.Two giants of their generation retired within months of each other, and their exits, just like their personalities and their games, couldnt have been much different.The destination is certainly the same. They will be headed to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame together in five years.Duncan ended his career Monday after 19 years with the San Antonio Spurs, three months after Bryant played the last game of his 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.Youve got probably two of the best at their position. To see them go, its kind of sad, but it comes at some point, said Grizzlies assistant Nick Van Exel, a former teammate of both.Both retirements seemed possible going into the season after injuries and sometimes even ineffectiveness had creeped in late in their careers, but the absence of a familiar silver and black jersey, and one purple and gold one, is a jolt, just like when Oscar Robertson and Jerry West retired in 1974 after the same season.For now, the NBA moves on without a pair of players most responsible for carrying the league forward after Michael Jordan, two who stood as the best examples of what the league long aspired to be.Its like when Michael passed the torch to Kobe and Tim, and now them passing it to LeBron. Its a natural progression, Houston coach Mike DAntoni said. The NBA keeps thriving because we keep having great players and those two exemplified two of the best.Bryant proved a basketball player could not only be one of the brightest stars in Hollywood, but also Europe, Asia, or anywhere else his games were seen around the globe.Duncan will always stand as the model that players dont need to be backed by the big spenders in Bryants Los Angeles or Jordans Chicago to win, that small markets can soar with the right combination of skill and sacrifice.Duncan embodied both, a player who for years could either dominate offensively, defensively, or both, without the desire for praise or paycheck that came with it. He took far below market value to give the Spurs the means to fortify the team around him, so much so that his salary had he continued playing would have appeared puny at a time when dollars are flying around to players -- and not even All-Star ones -- like never before.His equivalent of a quiet exit out the back door Monday came via press release from the team, not much different than the dozens that have been sent out in recent days by NBA clubs announcing minor free-agent or draft-pick signings.Thats all Duncan deserved?More likely its all he wanted, which is what made him and the Spurs so perfect together. They dont care for wasting time on words, and sure enough there wasnt even a quote in Duncans announcement.Bryant always did things differently, from his much-flashier wardrobe to his much larger bank account last season as the NBAs highest-paid player, which prevented the Lakers from the building options that Duncans salary afforded the Spurs.Bryant at first said he wanted no part of a farewell tour, no gifts from teams he was trying to beat, yet thats exactly what his exit became. He announced early in the season that it would be his last, allowing him a long and lengthy goodbye.And when it ended with his scintillating 60-point throwback in the final game of the season, somehow turning Golden States record-setting 73rd victory into the nights second story, it was a final reminder that even when there were better teams and better players, he was never far from the spotlight.He arrived in 1996 when high school players were far from a sure thing, one of the reasons he slipped to what seems now an unfathomable No. 13 in the draft. Duncan arrived the following June as one of the surest things ever, a four-year player at Wake Forest with NBA-ready skills and smarts.Duncan got to the top first in 1999, Bryants Lakers won the next three titles before the Spurs ended their run, and the pattern stayed that way for years. One or the other appeared in 13 of the 16 NBA Finals from 1999-2014, and both Bryant and Duncan finished their careers with five championships.Their playing days are over, but the debate over who had the better career -- or perhaps, who was the best player of his generation -- might continue many more years. Bryant scored far more but also lost more, unable to match Duncans amazing consistency during 19 straight playoff seasons and an NBA-record 17 consecutive 50-win seasons.For us as players, we just enjoy and appreciate each other, Bryant said earlier this season. Its not a matter of whos better or whos greater. You just accept the careers that youve had. I appreciate his career, and vice versa.And sometime in 2021 in Springfield, Massachusetts, there will be a night to appreciate them together.---Freelance writer Willie Ramirez in Las Vegas contributed to this report.---Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney Scarpe Asics Scontate . The Montreal Canadiens announced on Friday that the veteran forward will return to the teams line-up on Saturday night when the Habs visit the Nashville Predators. Scarpe Asics Uomo Scontate . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. http://www.asicsscontate.it/ . Spiller left Week 3s 27-20 loss to the New York Jets with a thigh injury, but fully practiced with the team all week and expects to be ready to go on Sunday. Scarpe Asics Saldi . Varlamov made 33 saves and Ryan OReilly had a goal and scored in the shootout as the Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Thursday night. Scarpe Asics Italia . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J. NEWARK, N.J. -- A TV analyst for Major League Soccers Philadelphia Union pleaded guilty Tuesday to receiving nearly $500,000 in kickbacks for filling unneeded prescriptions for himself and recruiting others to the scheme.Peter Pappas, of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court in Newark to conspiracy to commit health fraud. Hours later, the Union announced that Pappas contract had been terminated. The pharmaceutical salesman admitted he was recruited by a marketing company that was paid by pharmacies to refer people whose insurance paid for compounded medication including pain creams, scar creams and vitamins.Pappas admitted that he recruited others to join the scheme, including people using a health benefit program for service members and their families managed by the U.S. Department of Defense. He admitted that he attempted to recruit beneficiaries from TRICARE because they gave high reimbursements for compounded medication and cream, federal prosecutors said.Prosecutors said that while he received $481,773 from the marketing company, his employer, TRICARE and other insurance companies lost at least $3.dddddddddddd69 million. Pappas faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on Oct. 25.The former goalkeeper on the defunct Philadelphia Kixx indoor soccer team has been the Unions TV analyst since 2014. He is a district sales manager for New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company Celgene, according to his LinkedIn page.On Twitter, he described himself as a Canadian former soccer pro turned Rx slinger.Pappas LinkedIn and Twitter pages were no longer available online late Tuesday afternoon.Pappas signed the plea deal in May, but Tim McDermott, the chief business officer for the Union, said that the team didnt find out about it until Tuesday.After reviewing the situation, we have decided to part ways with Peter Pappas, McDermott said in a statement. We want to thank him for his hard work and service to the club.Neither Celgene nor Pappas attorneys returned messages seeking comment. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '