re: Watch this video, and tell me NBA superstars didn't have it easier in the '90's

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Yeah we've come along way in just the last ten years... Let alone 30 years?

BRB eating 6-11 servings of grains per day. fricking lol

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I don't take anonymous internet posters seriously about exercise or nutrition unless they post a shirtless picture.

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eating 6-11 servings of grains per day

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I'll bet you are.

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I never said the game is better today. I like both versions of the game.

I would just like to educate people on the differences between the game and why things that were done in the past are not done anymore.

I don't think people understand how big of a change the rules made in how the game looks today compared to the past.

Like I said, I'm not saying one is better than the other... I just want people to understand the difference.

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I'm on this same stance, obviously it is an internet message board and there are a lot of folks just trying to win an argument.


I just think there is a large number of casual sports fans who automatically assume "more points" is "better" in every sport, which is laughable.

There are rules as to how far off your man you can be in any given situation. Offensive players knew that. (For example.. if an offensive player is above the 3-point line, the defensive player can sag no lower than the free throw line. Even if that offensive player is a terrible shooter who will never shoot a 3. They still have to follow him out past the free throw line).

Offensive players knew when they were "safe" because they knew that a particular player could not cheat over and defend unless he was going to double hard.

This causes "pockets" of space in the defense that just aren't available today.

Those pockets of space close much quicker today because the defenders can cheat over enough to be in better position to help in time. Back then, the help came slower due to the illegal defense rules, and these pockets of space stayed open slightly longer... enough time to get off an uncontested shot or catch the big man too deep under the basket.

It only takes a fraction of a second between the big man being caught too deep under the basket on a rotation and meeting the offensive player outside of the paint. The rules now allowing players to cheat off their man more is the difference between getting caught under the rim and contesting a shot on the block.

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Watching an NBA shoot around is one of the most astonishing things I have ever witnessed.

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I agree.
I remember a Rockets game where they realized the goal was like 2 inches off in pregame, and they all realized it b/c they were missing more often than normal.

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PrimeTime Money

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I'm just saying that the game seems very similar to today's game except instead the bigs are slow as shite compared to the jump shooting hybrids we have now. Using an MJ highlight reel is almost unfair as half the time the person guarding him isn't within 5 feet of him either.

Also, it being illegal and it getting called are completely different ballparks. Again though, there is a ton of hand checking and Jordan shooting through body contact in that video.

I'm not disagreeing with your argument that it sucked for the bigs back then. I'm arguing that today's bigs would make that video look much different.

And all I'm trying to argue is that the game hasn't undergone some massive revolution in every single aspect ranging from nutrition to athleticism since 1999, and people who think that tend to believe 1999 was an eternity ago (and it was if you're 20 years old). For Christ's sake, some people here talk about the '90s as if they're the '50s.

I do think the style of play is better now and the talent is comparable if not slightly better compared with the '90s. I also happen to think the league has been at its all-time best over the past few years.

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Yeah, 40-second clips from YouTube from which kids like you base their "knowledge."

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You're not even trying to search for anything legit on YT if you're being serious here.

Okay I watched the first few minutes of the video. I understand the point you're trying to make but you highlight two specific plays (2:04 and 2:58). That's fine. But the rest of those plays are either Jordan beating his man one on one and then blowing by one or two more defenders, or him just making incredible shots against otherwise solid defense.

I'm not sure this video is a good example at all of your spacing argument, for several reasons. Firstly, Jordan was just so good that it didn't really matter what defense was played against him. There are a LOT of clips even in the first few minutes of that where there are one, two, even three defenders against him. And he still scores. shite, there is one drive where he dunks it after flying by two people with almost no space in the lane and at the rim, and several where he finishes in the lane after beating more than half of the defense. Another thing is that you act like there simply weren't double teams back then, and how Jordan would've been met at the lane in today's game and all that. My argument is that none of that matters much against a player like Jordan. He's gonna get his and go off anyway. Like Dan Patrick always said, you can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him.

So while you may have a good argument, this particular video (and possibly the fact that you chose Jordan) doesn't really back up your claims all too well.

And I'm not overly biased toward older ball either...players like Kobe or Lebron would've gone off back then just like they do today. IMO truly "great" players can eclipse defenses in any eras. Jordan scoring 50 today is a bit ridiculous obviously, but I think he'd do really well today. His assists and FTs would go way up, and he'd still get his scores because he's that fricking good.

Just my $0.02.

Please do. You've added absolutely nothing.