I’m unbiased. Players today are stronger, bigger, more athletic. Shoot better. However, being able to take 1.5 more steps than the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s….and being able to carry the ball now versus those decades…makes it a different game. And they do not pass better
OT: Death, Taxes and Lebron James
- Thread starter raulduke_007
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I think certain positions shoot better than yesteryear, but overall, shooting is a skill honed w/ repetition, it really has nothing to do w/ players being bigger stronger faster. The skill of shooting & passing is not necessarily better now because they don’t have anything to do w/ bigger stronger faster. The rest of the game is better now because the players are bigger stronger faster, but I’d take a more skilled less athletic player (as long as he’s not a total stiff out there) than the opposite. Also, put today’s players in yesteryear’s game & they wouldn’t be producing as much as they do today. They carry & travel virtually every play. They couldn’t get away w/ that back then.
Nothing is clouding my judgement. These are the facts:
Jordan played when a clothesline was a simple foul and dominated...
Kobe played when the biggest amount of talent influxed into the league and assassinated...
Leflop plays when theres flopping, euro steps, traveling is called gathering and stat chasing makes you somehow "great" and got dominated.
You state that todays players are better skilled, maybe, but the fact is they don't have basic fundamentals down, defense has taken a back seat to offense with rule changes, fouls are called for the tiniest contact and even non-contact if a player is able to flop well enough and get away with it which is more often than not.
The crybaby's in the NBA can't even play an entire season without having to take breaks (load balancing)
So yea maybe todays players could be more skilled, but they lack fundamentals, are weak which makes the overall product actually suck compared to players in previous era's.
Most of Michael Jordan's career he was guarded by guys like Joe Dumars and John Starks etc.... Miss me with that mess. Kobe can do everything that that Jordan did except he did it going against guys the same size or bigger than him with crazy athleticism. Have y'all really watched Clyde Drexler? He was a great athlete but skills wise he was trash. He had no left hand whatsoever. He was one of Jordan's peers ( In which Jordan would never guard), who was a superstar at the time.
Jordan lived at the free throw line and every call you see players get these days, Jordan got as well.
Michael Jordan is the greatest NBA player I have ever watched.
Maybe im worng but I thought you said you dont watch the NBA which begs the question how do you know how the game is called or what players are doing? I have always watched it and I havent seen a major difference in the way refs call fouls. Its like any sport some refs ruin the gameflow some refs let them play. These playoffs the refs are letting hand checks, holding and contact at the rim go. The carrying and "euro steps" is worse than before but not as dramatic as you make it seems. Refs also rarely call illegal defense which could be called on almost every possession, dudes are camping in the lane and the refs are letting teams run traditional zones.
I watch it enough whenever I need a good laugh. NBA is a shell of what it used to be. The traveling is insane unless you are blind.I count guys taking 4-6 steps and it not being called. It's so obvious.
They let guys drive down the paint unchallenged 80% of the time. Yet these guys are supposedly bigger stronger, better, yet they need days off to the tune of almost a third of the season. 😂
The purity of the sport has been replaced by the entertainment value of the sport
People act like playing basketball in the 80sand 90s was like playing football. That it was so physical. It is so overplayed. Yes they got away with more hard fouls but the guys were also much weaker. Players didn't even start lifting weights until the late 80s. Lebron outweighed most of the centers from that era. It was physical but nothing crazy like people make out out to be
Kobe played in the same era as Lebron and Lebron was better
Today's players aren't just more skilled and athletic, they are much more skilled and athletic. Ball handling and shooting is so much better now than it was in the 80s and 90s.
Flopping started in the 80sand just kept increasing.
They actually had to move the 3 point line in during the mid 90s because the shooting was so bad and they wanted more scoring
You may not enjoy the product because the way it looks but there is no doubt the players today are better
And this is why you can't talk to people about the past vs the present. They got all in their feelings.
This is why people from the 50s think Bob Cousy was better than magic. And Oscar was better than Jordan. And etc etc.
People want to talk about the past vs the present but don't go back and watch the games and compare it. They feel how they want to feel and talk out of their ass.
You have people who say they don't watch the nba now but yet they know how the game is played and everything about it. Yet they say they don't watch.
Lebron has played over 20,000 more minutes than Mike so that kind of shits on your argument
What a stupid post. I guess you never watched the Detroit Pistons or NY Knicks in late 80's to early 90s.
So every team played like the Knicks and Pistons? Isiah's Pistons wouldn't make the playoffs in any year past 98. They were good for their time and that is ok.
Consecutive nonsense posts from Mrs James. I still watch the nba today. Not like I used to, but I still watch it enough to garner an opinion. And you can jam the “they get all in their feelings” bullshit, whatever that means. Are you “in your feelings” about this discussion? Sure seems like it. Once again, golson has an opinion and if everyone doesn’t bow down to it, they’re crazy old timers. Stfu already w/ that BS.
I was referring to Mels(golson) comment that they didn't play physical or were not as strong as they were today. I would love to see Rodman or Lambeer play defense against Labronny. He would be crying like the little biotch he is
I am a lifelong Laker fan. Drop Magic Johnson into the Lakers today. He'd be just as good or better.
Yes I have. I grew up watching it. And more importantly Ive gone back and watched ganes from that era, have you?
Drop Larry Bird onto the Boston Celtics today.
Larry is just as good on the Celtics, or better.
Rodman was 6'7" and 220 lbs. Laimbeer was 6'11" 245 lbs
Lebron is 6'9" 260lbs
I mean Reggie Miller was 6'7" 190lbs and he survived that era, I think the 260 lb freak will be okay 🤣🤣
I'm a Celtics fan, thats my guy. But no he wouldn't.
He would get more open 3s, but he would really struggle to get by the athletes of today off the bounce and he wouldnt be able to guard anyone.
He really struggled guarding Dominique back in the day and Dominique didn't really have a left hand. He was just athletic. They're a lot of Dominiques in today's game and they also can handle
It would be a difficult transition for him
Drop Kevin McHale onto the Celtics, as underrated a big as I ever watched.
Just as good or better.
You are the type of person that if they didnt have a stopwatch, you'd be saying Carl Lewis is faster than Usain Bolt. And that Mark Spitz swam faster than Michael Phelps.
Look up 99% of athletic events in the Olympics and strength numbers and they all get broken
Every sport advances and gets better but in basketball, there is no advancement and it is backwards. The evolution of the athlete doesnt happen in basketball lol
And let me guess the 265lb offensive lineman of the past can block the 310lb defensive lineman of today
“I'm a Celtics fan, thats my guy. But no he wouldn't.
He would get more open 3s, but he would really struggle to get by the athletes of today off the bounce and he wouldnt be able to guard anyone.
He really struggled guarding Dominique back in the day and Dominique didn't really have a left hand. He was just athletic. They're a lot of Dominiques in today's game and they also can handle
It would be a difficult transition for him”
Other than you maybe being a Celtics fan, there isn’t anything in this post I agree w/.
He would get more open 3s, but he would really struggle to get by the athletes of today off the bounce and he wouldnt be able to guard anyone.
He really struggled guarding Dominique back in the day and Dominique didn't really have a left hand. He was just athletic. They're a lot of Dominiques in today's game and they also can handle
It would be a difficult transition for him”
Other than you maybe being a Celtics fan, there isn’t anything in this post I agree w/.
Ugh no, I have better things to do with my time then watch 35 year old basketball games. It sure doesn't seem like you grew up watching it.
OK until you are 1-8 playing Denver in the Playoffs the last 2 seasons.
Again. 1-8. With Anthony Davis as a teammate.
Each generation has a dominant player or two that stand above the rest. We would likely have different opinions over just the best player at each position for each generation, but the whole notion of a single GOAT across positions and across generations is crazy in my opinion.
Michael Jordan at age 38 and 39 didnt even make the Playoffs in the lesser Eastern Conference
Again. Didnt even make the Playoffs in the lesser Eastern Conference
Lebron & AD were awesome this series & played Joker and Murray to a draw. Michael Porter Jr was the game changer. His scoring and critical 3 pointers in game 2 & 5 were what put Denver over the top. Denver not as good as last year their bench isnt as good and 3pt shooting not as elite as it was last year. I dont think they have enough to repeat. Lakers series took alot of them physically as well.
He didn't play for the LA Lakers. Nor was an all star like Anthony Davis on his team.
LeBron, playing for the LA Lakers, with all star Anthony Davis as a teammate, getting his ass handed to him two seasons in a row by the Nuggets is surprising.
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What does who they played for matter.
He also could have played better, that is one main thing that he could have done. Lebron was much better at the later stage of his career
Lebron got his ass handed to him? Are you sure you watched these series? Denver was #1 seed and odds on fav to win it last year & is the 2 seed this year. All but 1 game in the last 2 years came down to the wire. Lebron was great in both series.
Really? It doesn't matter how good you are if your team sucks. One guy isn't going to carry a team into the playoffs.
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