was the NBA stronger 20 years ago or weaker?

[OG Hack Wilson]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/110120&sportCat=nba



Chamilly is a famous sports writer apparently lol

[Chamillitary Click]

Bill Simmons is a fucking genius.

& pshhhhhhh, Stockton. He couldn't guard Russell Westbrook, let alone Rondo, Rose & Deron Williams.

You guys are arguing whose got more legends. Obviously a team who all members (besides Shaq) are retired is going to have more legends. Most of the players on todays team aren't even 28 yet, haven't won rings because the league is so spread out outside of like three teams who have a legitimate chance of winning. Fuck all that "legacy" shit, we simply could not be guarded.

[OG Hack Wilson]

Stockton was better than any guard today...EVEN RONDO :d

[M Dogg™]

Shaq wasn't drafted until the 92 draft. He was in a very good draft class, the 91 draft class wasn't as bad either. But that 90-91 season, other than the Bulls, there was really no one. The team looks good on paper but looking really at it, an older Magic, Bird, and Isiah is not going to cut it.

[IRAN iz Gangsta!]

Bill Simmons is a fucking genius.

& pshhhhhhh, Stockton. He couldn't guard Russell Westbrook, let alone Rondo, Rose & Deron Williams.

You guys are arguing whose got more legends. Obviously a team who all members (besides Shaq) are retired is going to have more legends. Most of the players on todays team aren't even 28 yet, haven't won rings because the league is so spread out outside of like three teams who have a legitimate chance of winning. Fuck all that "legacy" shit, we simply could not be guarded.

 

[Chamillitary Click]

Bill Simmons is a fucking genius.

& pshhhhhhh, Stockton. He couldn't guard Russell Westbrook, let alone Rondo, Rose & Deron Williams.

You guys are arguing whose got more legends. Obviously a team who all members (besides Shaq) are retired is going to have more legends. Most of the players on todays team aren't even 28 yet, haven't won rings because the league is so spread out outside of like three teams who have a legitimate chance of winning. Fuck all that "legacy" shit, we simply could not be guarded.

 

Solid response.

[IRAN iz Gangsta!]

Bill Simmons is a fucking genius.

& pshhhhhhh, Stockton. He couldn't guard Russell Westbrook, let alone Rondo, Rose & Deron Williams.

You guys are arguing whose got more legends. Obviously a team who all members (besides Shaq) are retired is going to have more legends. Most of the players on todays team aren't even 28 yet, haven't won rings because the league is so spread out outside of like three teams who have a legitimate chance of winning. Fuck all that "legacy" shit, we simply could not be guarded.

 

Solid response.

how old are?  the thing is everyone thinks their generation is better and they dont wanna believe it was better back in the day.  I was like that in 90s when people said 80s were better but now that im older i dont disagree....

[M Dogg™]

Bill Simmons is a fucking genius.

& pshhhhhhh, Stockton. He couldn't guard Russell Westbrook, let alone Rondo, Rose & Deron Williams.

You guys are arguing whose got more legends. Obviously a team who all members (besides Shaq) are retired is going to have more legends. Most of the players on todays team aren't even 28 yet, haven't won rings because the league is so spread out outside of like three teams who have a legitimate chance of winning. Fuck all that "legacy" shit, we simply could not be guarded.

 

Solid response.

how old are?  the thing is everyone thinks their generation is better and they dont wanna believe it was better back in the day.  I was like that in 90s when people said 80s were better but now that im older i dont disagree....

I just want to know, what are we comparing. Because I hear 20 years ago, and 20 years ago exactly the NBA sucked. It was Michael Jordan, the Bulls and a bunch of scrub teams for MJ to beat on. The 90-91 season was not exactly the shinning example of strong basketball. Most the players were aging and getting ready to retire. Were the 80's better than today, absolutely. I started watching basketball in the 80's, loved every minute of it. Was it better in the 90's, absolutely, once those great draft classes in the early 90's started getting in the league, Alonzo, Shaq, Weber, Hardaway, I can go on and on. But 20 years ago, the 90-91 season, was it better than the 2010-2011, I want you to honestly look at these seasons and tell me honestly that the 1990-1991 season was better than the 2010-2011 season. Using the Sports Guy's roster (since the all-star game is not played yet) lets compare using all star teams.

90-91 all stars:

East:                                                                                               West:
G   Michael Jordan                                                                          G    Magic Johnson
G   Joe Dumars                                                                                 G   Kevin Johnson
F   Charles Barkley                                                                          F    Chris Mullin
F   Bernard King                                                                             F           Karl Malone
C   Patrick Ewing                                                                           C    David Robinson
Reserves                                                                                         Reserves
F/G   Dominique Wilkins                                                                     F           James Worthy
F/G   Ricky Pierce                                                                             F/G   Clyde Drexler
G   Hersey Hawkins (alternative for Larry Bird)                                    C     Kevin Duckworth
F/C   Kevin McHale                                                                           F/C   Tom Chambers
C   Brad Daugherty                                                                        G     Terry Porter
G   Alvin Robertson                                                                        G           Tim Hardaway
C   Robert Parish                                                                           G           John Stockton
F   Larry Bird (DNP)
F   Isiah Thomas (DNP)

10-11 all stars:

East:
G     Derrick Rose                                                                            G         Chris Paul
G     Dwayne Wade                                                                         G         Kobe Bryant
F     LeBron James                                                                           F         Kevin Durant
F     Amare Stoudemire                                                                    F         Carmelo Anthony
C     Dwight Howard                                                                        C         Pau Gasol
Reserves                                                                                        Reserves
F     Kevin Garrent                                                                           F         Dirk Nowitzki
F     Paul Pierce                                                                               F        Manu Ginobili
G    Rajon Rondo                                                                            G        Russell Westbrook
F    Chris Bosh                                                                                G        Deron Williams
C    Al Horford                                                                                F        Kevin Love
G    Joe Johnson                                                                             F        Blake Griffin
G    Raymond Felton                                                                       F/C      Tim Duncan

Which all star teams do you think are deep, look at their season of that year.

[IRAN iz Gangsta!]

I just want to know, what are we comparing. Because I hear 20 years ago, and 20 years ago exactly the NBA sucked. It was Michael Jordan, the Bulls and a bunch of scrub teams for MJ to beat on. The 90-91 season was not exactly the shinning example of strong basketball.

true 90-91 wasnt the best year and by 20 years ago i assumed he meant the old generation, so really im comparing 80s to 96
97 was the half season where they were on strike and after that it started going down

im just not impressed with the guys today...u literally have guys that do not shoot the ball...clock is running out and they're just holding the ball to give to that one shooter on the team...i know its part of the game plan and he's prob listening to the coach but thats super lame...to me its lame that we actually have so called professional basketball players who cant shoot jump shots

[Tha A]

I just want to know, what are we comparing. Because I hear 20 years ago, and 20 years ago exactly the NBA sucked. It was Michael Jordan, the Bulls and a bunch of scrub teams for MJ to beat on. The 90-91 season was not exactly the shinning example of strong basketball. Most the players were aging and getting ready to retire. Were the 80's better than today, absolutely. I started watching basketball in the 80's, loved every minute of it. Was it better in the 90's, absolutely, once those great draft classes in the early 90's started getting in the league, Alonzo, Shaq, Weber, Hardaway, I can go on and on. But 20 years ago, the 90-91 season, was it better than the 2010-2011, I want you to honestly look at these seasons and tell me honestly that the 1990-1991 season was better than the 2010-2011 season.                     

no doubt, the, let's call it, years of transition between the 80's era and the 90's era were weak.

Bill Simmons is a fucking genius.

& pshhhhhhh, Stockton. He couldn't guard Russell Westbrook, let alone Rondo, Rose & Deron Williams.

You guys are arguing whose got more legends. Obviously a team who all members (besides Shaq) are retired is going to have more legends. Most of the players on todays team aren't even 28 yet, haven't won rings because the league is so spread out outside of like three teams who have a legitimate chance of winning. Fuck all that "legacy" shit, we simply could not be guarded.

I'm not arguing whose got more legends, some of the players playing today are my all time favorites, and legends to be no doubt, I'm judging talent, time and season wise. if we're talking about the 90/91 season or a few season that preceded or succeed that one, today wins, now against 80's or the 90's primes, I don't think so. I don't give a damn about legacy here, and who is "we"? do you play in the nba right now? did I play 20 years ago? or am I not alive today and don't belong in the present? I was a kid in the 80's and early 90's, of course I saw some of the major games, players and so on, again, on tape or whatever, right now, so I can have a better judgment now that I have more knowledge. and I still enjoy just as much and give credit to the players right now excluding the lack of fundamentals and defensive awareness and not wanting to improve, wanting to be flashy as oppose to effective, but hey, that's the game right now, what can we do. it's really the organization, the bullshit rules, the stealing, the star treatment, the poor refs, the lack of passion and of aggressivity, some plays not being called as irregular too many times, and so on, is what I can't cope with, I still watch it though, in terms of overall talent the nba is really good right now.

[Chamillitary Click]

All I know is if you ask someone from the ages of 13-20, he will tell you that Kobe is the best. You ask someone from 22-32 he'll tell you Jordan was the best & you ask anyone older then that, they'll tell you Bird or Magic were the best.

Everyone wants to hold the title to say they saw the best player ever.

You have to look at the facts though. 20+ years ago, kids didn't have the work ethic of today. These kids are hitting the gym at the ages of 12-13.

LeBron is 6'8'', 250, brolic as fuck & can dribble & pass & play the PG position better then most PG's lol. Never been seen in the NBA before (You can make the argument of Magic) & to me that's not a coincidence, it's just the direction the game is headed. 6'8'' players 20+ years ago were clumsy, centers; not even PFs lol.

[OG Hack Wilson]

the thing with Magic is he could EVER average in the upper 20's in points   - not that he needed to but LEbron can if he needs to

[Tha A]

All I know is if you ask someone from the ages of 13-20, he will tell you that Kobe is the best. You ask someone from 22-32 he'll tell you Jordan was the best & you ask anyone older then that, they'll tell you Bird or Magic were the best.

Everyone wants to hold the title to say they saw the best player ever.

I know plenty of people under 20 that say jordan's the best, people over 20 that say kobe's the best and even under 20 that say bird's the best. I saw all three of them, plus more and I can't say who's the best ever, I know I got players from today in my all time top.

You have to look at the facts though. 20+ years ago, kids didn't have theork ethic of today. These kids are hitting the gym at the ages of 12-13.

LeBron is 6'8'', 250, brolic as fuck & can dribble & pass & play the PG position better then most PG's lol. Never been seen in the NBA before (You can make the argument of Magic) & to me that's not a coincidence, it's just the direction the game is headed. 6'8'' players 20+ years ago were clumsy, centers; not even PFs lol.

I'm looking at the facts, I actually saw all these players play. yeah they're hitting the gym more, different times, different ethics, and don't act like back then they didn't work since high school, college or before lmao, if you brought back players from the 80's they would be all doing that on a regular basis, more players and more often. don't give me all that because it's not like top players nowadays are more athletic than the top from back then, the human body can't even develop that much in so little, it's true that the average player, more players, hit the gym more than back then, on the other hand you can also say they don't got the same fundamentals, basketball work ethic or competitiveness, even skill gets lost with the work they wanna put only in athleticism, so they can be seen as future players and can have all the highlights, trying to work on the skill later, most of the times that don't happen though, also all the glitter and flash they wanna show many times takes away from the rest. it's easier to develop into a great player a guy with average skill but great athleticism than a guy with good skill but no athleticism, no doubt, but that don't happen in most of the cases, the nba was/is turning shitty sometimes also because of that, the best is a combination of both of course.

lebron is a freak of nature with great skill, he would be great and never seen before no matter what era he played on, you're giving me one example. 6'8'' players 20 years ago were clumsy? don't give me that bullshit, it's the 80's/90's not the 50/60's, karl malone clumsy? dominique? magic? barkley? hakeem? bird? and even if centers or even pfs were clumsy they would actually get the job done, unlike today, where you can have them doing crossovers or shooting 3's and don't even come close to the inside players, and inside game, from back then, that's why the league don't even got a handful of good centers.

I don't even like to look at the past, except for when the knicks were winning and in the playoffs lol, and I don't give a damn about all that nostalgia stuff, yeah I got a picture of an old time celtics team, just because they were an amazing team with amazing players playing together, putting aside the rest, just wanting to win.

[Tha A]

the thing with Magic is he could EVER average in the upper 20's in points   - not that he needed to but LEbron can if he needs to

people like to compare them because they were/are big and can, or in magic's case he really played, point, but they're not all that similar, like people say they are, in their game. lebron can do that, no doubt, magic could average 13 apg though. magic was a pure pg, lebron can do it also but he's, you can call him, more of a point foward.

[Chamillitary Click]

All those 6'8'' people you named (outside of Magic, who I gave credit to), could not dribble like half as good as LeBron. They were athletic, but not LeBron. & you only mentioned the stars, not every team had a star. That's what separated the stars from the average player that most teams had, the athleticism.

& naturally, players will be better if they start conditioning themselves at a younger age.

& then you just started talking about "playing as a team". I'm not getting into the chemistry of this. I'm just saying todays all-stars would win this game.