Warning: This is a long and very intense article. However, I highly recommend that you take some spare time to carefully go through the information for greater comprehension. For those thirsty for knowledge, this will keep you pretty busy.
If I had a dime for every time that I heard someone say that today's athletes (ex: LeBron James) are "bigger, stronger, faster", I would be a retired billionaire right now. Now if you think that is bad, get a load of this:
"Michael Jordan skated by in an easier era".
"Players today have it much harder" (Kobetard argument).
"Jordan played against midgets in his era".
"The defenses MJ faced were much weaker than what Kobe sees"
"If LeBron was in that era, he would destroy everyone".
"Players back then were too slow".
"If you think players don't hand check today you don't own a television"
"In terms of strictly pure basketball ability, give me LeBron over MJ.
"MJ and Kobe are Top 2 all-time. Respect is mandatory."
"LeBron will never catch Kobe or MJ's rings, but may still end up a better basketball player".
"The advancements in skill and athleticism can't be ignored. Too much for '92 to overcome"
"Dream Team can't guard speed. And there's no Easter Bunny. Sorry you're finding out like this"
These idiotic comments are from a combination of Kobetards, LeBrontards, and even fanboy ESPN analyst Chris Palmer. Yes, I said ESPN ANALYST! Much of this trash comes from a guy who works for the alleged "Worldwide Leader in Sports". As a basketball fan, it is downright criminally insulting to see someone getting paid to diminish what legends like Michael Jordan and others have done, just to blow smoke up the butt of today's players. Here, I will dissect these foolish ideas, and myths that are thrown out that today's players are more advanced. Follow me, as I take a journey like Marty McFly, as I go back to the 1980's and 1990's. During this journey, I will show you how that era was superior in every major category:
- Athleticism-Size (Height/Weight)
- Talent/Competition Level
- Achievements
- Basketball IQ/Chemistry
- Ratings
I will also explain the recent regression of the game.
First off, players back then were excellent athletes.
Athleticism
To those who deny that fact, here are some of the great athletic perimeter players that Michael Jordan has played with, and against:
Dominique Wilkins
Clyde Drexler
Julius Erving
Scottie Pippen
James Worthy
Penny Hardaway
Glen Rice
Mitch Richmond
Here are a number of big athletic guys that played in that era:
Charles Barkley (in-between, because of height)
Karl Malone
Hakeem Olajuwon
David Robinson
Shawn Kemp
Larry Johnson
Shaquille O'Neal
Patrick Ewing
Alonzo Mourning
Larry Nance
Drexler, Pippen, Barkley, Malone, Robinson, and Ewing played with Jordan on the 1992 Dream Team. Olajuwon, Richmond, Shaq, The Admiral, Pippen, and Barkley were all on the 1996 Dream Team. Many of these players were great at getting up and down the court, and could dominate on each side. David Robinson was built like a terminator, and could run the floor like a guard. When you look at the 2012 US Olympic Team, there were NO dominant big men on that team. It was a purely small ball team. Speaking of the Dream Team, Kobe was another person who fed into the myth that players back then were "too old, and slow". Now, time to dispel this garbage. Here are the ages of the Dream Team players:
Michael Jordan (29)
Charles Barkley (29)
Karl Malone (29)
Clyde Drexler (30)
David Robinson (26 going on 27)
Scottie Pippen (26 going on 27)
Patrick Ewing (29 going on 30)
John Stockton (30)
Chris Mullin (29)
Magic Johnson (32 going on 33)
Larry Bird (35)
Christian Laettner (22)
Larry Bird was the only player from the 92 Dream Team that was older than Kobe (33-34). Magic's career was cut short, and he still had 5 solid years left in him. That is another myth busted.
As far as today's players being "stronger" and "more advanced", that is so far from the truth. When you look at the different growth hormones in today's food and nutrition, naturally they will have more mass. Society as a whole is larger than before. Farmers, and meat producers all across the United States inject these same hormones in their animals, and meat, which impacts the weight of this country. They have also used high-volume ways to produce more crops with chemistry methods that are unheard of. The end result is a food supply that has been distorted, and tainted by toxic, disease-causing chemicals. Unfortunately, the NBA's drug testing policy is an absolute joke. Human Growth Hormones (HGH) have been completely running wild in all areas of sports (high school, college, and pros). Studies have shown, that although HGH can increase muscle size, it does not increase strength. There is also a "Who's Who?" of performance enhancers that help the recovery rate, and endurance of players today. In fact, the very best players could be using these enhancers, but it is often swept under the carpet. Chicago Bulls 2011 MVP Derrick Rose even came out publicly, and admitted in ESPN magazine that PED's were a huge issue in the NBA. I believe there is more than enough evidence.
Size (Height/Weight):
The last 20 years alone have seen a major inflation in weight: (1991-2011)
Ideal weight: 171-181
Actual weight: 180-196
Weight of Perimeter Players (Jordan Era)
Michael Jordan: 195-215
Clyde Drexler: 215-222
James Worthy: 220-225
Magic Johnson: 215-220
Larry Bird: 220-230
Dominique Wilkins: 215-230
Michael Cooper: 175
John Stockton: 175
Weight of Perimeter Players (Modern Era):
Kobe Bryant: 200-210
Dwyane Wade: 212-220
Kevin Durant: 215-230
Carmelo Anthony: 220-235
LeBron James: 240-250
Danny Granger: 225
James Harden: 220
Derrick Rose: 190
Russell Westbrook: 187
Weight of Big Men (Jordan Era):
Shaquille O'Neal: 300-325
Hakeem Olajuwon: 250-255
David Robinson: 240-255
Patrick Ewing: 240-255
Karl Malone: 250-265
Alonzo Mourning: 240-250
Weight of Big Men (Modern Era):
Tyson Chandler: 240
Roy Hibbert: 278
Dwight Howard: 250-260
Andrew Bynum: 285
Marc Gasol: 265
Pau Gasol: 240-250
The lighter weights are what they were measure at during draft time.
Now, that I have explained the weight of today's athletes, let's move on to the height. During the Jordan era, there were many taller players at the time. In fact, 1987 is considered the tallest year in NBA history. (Average height: 6'8")
Here are a list of players at the time who were within that range:
Interior Defenders (Big Men) 6'9"-above:
Manute Bol (7'6")
Ralph Sampson (7'4")
Mark Eaton (7'4")
Artis Gilmore (7'4")
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (7'2")
Robert Parrish (7'1")
Bill Cartwright (7'1")
Sam Bowie (7'1")
Patrick Ewing (7'0")
Brad Daugherty (7'0")
Alton Lister (7'0")
Brad Sellers (7'0")
Kevin Willis (7'0")
Kevin Duckworth (7'0")
Joe Barry Carroll (7'0")
Hakeem Olajuwon (7'0") (Closer to 6'11")
Jack Sikma (6'11")
Caldwell Jones (6'11")
Bill Lambeer (6'11")
John Salley (6'11")
Rick Mahorn (6'10")
Tom Chambers (6'10")
Moses Malone (6'10")
Larry Nance (6'10")
Otis Thorpe (6'10")
Karl Malone (6'9")
Charles Oakley (6'9")
Terry Cummings (6'9")
Players 6'7"-above:
Larry Bird (6'9")
Magic Johnson (6'9")
James Worthy (6'9")
Dominique Wilkins (6'8")
Jerome Kersey (6'8")
Chuck Person (6'8")
Julius Erving (6'7")
Clyde Drexler (6'7")
Alex English (6'7")
Dennis Rodman (6'7")
Jerome Kersey (6'7")
Xavier McDaniel (6'7")
Chris Mullin (6'7")
Reggie Theus (6'7")
Players within Jordan's range (6'6"-under):
Mark Aguirre (6'6")
Gerald Wilkins (6'6")
Rolando Blackmon (6'6")
Michael Cooper (6'5")
Charles Barkley (6'5") (Barkley was a hybrid PF)
Michael Ray Richardson (6'5")
Joe Dumars (6'4")
Terry Porter (6'3")
John Stockton (6'1")
Here are the players to come since that time:
Shawn Bradley (7'6")
Rik Smits (7'4")
Dikembe Mutombo (7'2")
David Robinson (7'1")
Shaquille O'Neal (7'1")
Vlade Divac (7'1")
Tim Duncan (7'0")
Dirk Nowitzki (7'0")
Kevin Garnett (6'11")
Marcus Camby (6'11")
Alonzo Mourning (6'10")
Shawn Kemp (6'10")
Chris Webber (6'9")
Cliff Robinson (6'9")
Sean Elliott (6'8")
Grant Hill (6'8")
Jamal Mashburn (6'8")
Glen Rice (6'7")
Shawn Marion (6'7")
Calbert Chaney (6'7")
Steve Smith (6'7")
Dale Ellis (6'7")
Anthony Mason (6'7")
Larry Johnson (6'7") (Hybrid PF like Barkley)
Penny Hardaway (6'7")
Reggie Miller (6'7")
Bryon Russell (6'7")
Bruce Bowen (6'7")
Reggie Lewis (6'7")
Nick Anderson (6'6")
Dan Majerle (6'6")
Eddie Jones (6'6")
Mitch Richmond (6'5")
Ray Allen (6'5")
Adrian Dantley (6'5")
Gary Payton (6'4")
Vernon Maxwell (6'4")
Dennis Johnson (6'4")
Hersey Hawkins (6'3")
Kevin Johnson (6'1")
Allen Iverson (6'0")
Tim Hardaway (6'0")
*Note: Not everyone on this list necessarily played in the Jordan Era, but they are at least honorable mention.
Today's Average NBA Height: (6'6")
Big Men/Interior Defenders (6'9-above):
Roy Hibbert (7'2")
Tyson Chandler (7'1")
Marc Gasol (7'1")
Javale McGee (7'0")
Andrew Bynum (7'0")
Pau Gasol (7'0")
Brook Lopez (7'0")
Joakim Noah (6'11")
Nene Hilario (6'11")
LaMarcus Aldridge (6'11")
Andray Blatche (6'11")
Jeff Foster (6'11")
Chris Bosh (6'11")
Dwight Howard (6'10")
Al Jefferson (6'10")
Amare Stoudemire (6'10")
Kevin Love (6'10")
Serge Ibaka (6'10")
Kendrick Perkins (6'10")
Al Horford (6'10")
Blake Griffin (6'9")
David West (6'9")
Joel Anthony (6'9")
Perimeter Players:
Kevin Durant (6'10")
LeBron James (6'8")
Danny Granger (6'8")
Paul George (6'8")
Carmelo Anthony (6'7")
Kobe Bryant (6'6")
James Harden (6'5")
Dwyane Wade (6'4")
Derrick Rose (6'3")
Russell Westbrook (6'3")
Deron Williams (6'3")
Tony Parker (6'2")
Rajon Rondo (6'1")
Chris Paul (6'0")
Players at the time were very balanced in athleticism, and size. There were fewer hormones in the food and milk during the 1980s/1990s. Many players were leaner during that time, because there weren't so many different instant, fast food options during the time. Weight training was different, but not that much different from today's time. It is not like these players were from the George Mikan 40s/50s. Even though society has gotten taller, the NBA itself has gotten shorter and heavier than before. That is definitely not a good thing if you are a basketball player. With that said, the lack of height further negates that today's players are "bigger". Shaq was the one exception from that time, and you know how things went down when it came to his weight. (Side note: Add in the beating that Shaq took during that time) If LeBron was born in 1959, and was drafted in 1979, he would be at least an inch shorter and at least 25 pounds heavier. He would be built like Clyde Drexler. These advancements in medicine, weight training, etc HAVE NOT guaranteed today's players to be more athletic.
Talent/Competition Level:
The competition level was second to none at the time, with teams such as Magic & Kareem's Showtime Lakers, Bird's Celtics, Jordan's Bulls, and the Sixers of Dr. J & Moses leading the way. You also had blue collar teams in the East such as The Bad Boy Pistons, Ewing's Knicks, Shaq's Orlando Magic, and the Cleveland Cavaliers who were strong threats at the time. In the West, you had Hakeem's Rockets, David Robinson's Spurs, Payton's Supersonics, Drexler's Trailblazers, Stockton & Malone's Jazz, and the Suns led by Charles Barkley to name a few. Both conferences were loaded with contenders. The games were exciting, and left you with anticipation every single night that they were on. The talent pool was much deeper, with Hall of Fame talent all across the board. There were many more marquee players, whose production speaks for itself.
Production/Achievements:
Here are just a few to name, with their accomplishments:
Michael Jordan: 14-time NBA All-Star, 6-time Finals MVP for 6 championship teams, 10-time Scoring Champ, 5-time NBA MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, 1985 NBA Rookie of the Year, 10-time All-NBA 1st Team, 9-time All-Defensive 1st Team, 3rd All-Time in Career Total Points: 32,292, 1st All-Time in Career PPG: 30.12, 1st All-Time in Career Playoff PPG: 33.45. 2-time Olympic Gold Medal Winner (1984, 1992). Hall of Fame: Class of 2009.
Magic Johnson: 12-time NBA All-Star, 3-time Finals MVP on 5 championship teams, 3-time NBA MVP, 9-time All-NBA 1st Team, 2-time NBA All-Star MVP. Retired as All-Time Leader in Assists (10,141). Olympic Gold Medal Winner (1992), Hall of Fame: Class of 2002.
Larry Bird: 12-time NBA All-Star, 2-time Finals MVP on 3 championship teams, 3-time NBA MVP, 9-time All-NBA 1st Team, 1-time All-NBA 2nd Team, 3-time NBA All-Defensive 2nd Team. Career PPG: 24.3, 10.0 rpg, 6.3 apg. Olympic Gold Medal Winner (1992), Hall of Fame: Class of 1998
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 19-time NBA All-Star, 6-time NBA MVP, 2-time Finals MVP on 6 championship teams, 10-time All-NBA 1st Team, 5-time All-Defensive 1st Team, 6-time All-Defensive 2nd Team. NBA All-Time Leading Scorer, 3rd All-Time in Blocks, 4th All-Time in Rebounds. (Kareem was slightly past his prime, but still effective). Hall of Fame: Class of 1995
Shaquille O'Neal: 15-time NBA All-Star, 3-time Finals MVP on 4 championship teams, 1-time NBA MVP, 2-time NBA Scoring Champion, 8-time All-NBA 1st Team, 1-time All-NBA 2nd Team, 4-time All-NBA 3rd Team, 3-time All-Defensive 2nd Team. Olympic Gold Medal Winner (1996)
Hakeem Olajuwon: 12-time NBA All-Star, 2-time Finals MVP on 2 championship teams, 1-time NBA MVP, 2-time Defensive Player of the Year. 2-time Leader in Rebounds, 3-time Leader in Blocks. 6-time All-NBA 1st Team, 3-time All-NBA 2nd Team, 3-time All-NBA 3rd Team, 5-time All-Defensive 1st Team, 4-time All-Defensive 2nd Team. 1st All-Time in Blocks, 9th in Steals, 11th in Points, 13th in Rebounds. Olympic Gold Medal Winner (1996), Hall of Fame: Class of 2008.
Moses Malone: 13-time NBA All-Star, 3-time NBA MVP, 1-time Finals MVP, 6-time Rebounding Champ, 4-time All-NBA 1st Team, 4-time All-NBA 2nd Team, 1-time All-Defensive 1st Team, 1-time All-Defensive 2nd Team. 7th All-Time in Career Total Points, 1st All-Time in Offensive Rebounds, 3rd All-Time in Total Rebounds. Hall of Fame: Class of 2001.
David Robinson: 10-time NBA All-Star, 1990 Rookie of the Year, Leader in Rebounds (1991), Leader in Blocks (1992), Defensive Player of the Year (1992), 2-time Olympic Gold Medal Winner (1992, 1996) Scoring Champion (1994), NBA MVP (1995), 2nd Best Player on 2 championship teams, 4-time All-NBA 1st Team, 2-time All-NBA 2nd Team, 4-time All-NBA 3rd Team. 4-time All-Defensive 1st Team, 4-time All-Defensive 2nd Team. Hall of Fame: Class of 2009.
Karl Malone: 14-time NBA All-Star, 2-time NBA MVP, 11-time All-NBA 1st Team, 2-time All-NBA 2nd Team, 1-time All-NBA 3rd Team. 2nd All-Time in Career Points. 2-time Olympic Gold Medal Winner (1992, 1996). Hall of Fame: Class of 2010.
Charles Barkley: 11-time NBA All-Star, 1-time NBA MVP, 5-time All-NBA 1st Team, 5-time All-NBA 2nd Team, 1-time All-NBA 3rd Team. Rebounding Champ (1987). 2-time Olympic Gold Medal Winner (1992, 1996). Hall of Fame Class of 2006.
Julius Erving: 16-time All-Star (11-time NBA), 4-time MVP (1-time NBA MVP), 5-time All-NBA 1st Team, 2-time All-NBA 2nd Team. Member of 1 NBA championship team. Hall of Fame: Class of 1993.
Today's Players:
LeBron James: 9-time NBA All-Star, 3-time NBA MVP, 1-time Finals MVP, leader of 2012 championship team. 1-time Scoring Champion. 6-time All-NBA 1st Team, 2-time All-NBA 2nd Team, 4-time All-Defensive 1st Team. 2-time Olympic Gold Medal Winner (2008, 2012)
Kobe Bryant: 15-time NBA All-Star, 1-time NBA MVP, 2-time Finals MVP on 5 championship teams, 2-time Scoring Champion, 10-time All-NBA 1st Team, 9-time All-Defensive 1st Team. 2-time Olympic Gold Medal Winner (2008, 2012)
Dwyane Wade: 9-time NBA All-Star, 1-time Finals MVP on 2 championship teams, 1-time Scoring Champion. 2-time All-NBA 1st Team, 3-time All-NBA 2nd Team, 2-time All-NBA 3rd Team. Olympic Gold Medal (2008)
Kevin Durant: 5-time NBA All-Star. 3-time NBA Scoring Champion, 3-time All-NBA 1st Team. Olympic Gold Medal (2012)
Dwight Howard: 7-time NBA All-Star, 3-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. 5-time All-NBA 1st Team, 4-time All-Defensive 1st Team, 1-time All-Defensive 2nd Team, 1-time All-NBA 3rd Team. Olympic Gold Medal Winner (2008)
Basketball IQ/Chemistry:
You had a league with players, who took their craft seriously, and created their own brand without the media giving them things that they did not deserve. The 1992 Dream Team alone had 11 Hall of Famers. When you include Olajuwon from the '96 team, that makes 12, because players such as The Admiral, Barkley, Malone, Stockton and Pippen returned for that team. Reggie Miller was just inducted as well. Players like Shaq, Gary Payton, and Mitch Richmond are future HOF'ers. That is more than both the 2008, and 2012 teams together. When you consider Players had much more discipline, because of the systems that molded them in college. With that said, the game was built with great basketball IQ to match. Not only was there style, but there was plenty of substance to match. I highly doubt that teams like the Heat, and the Thunder would survive, with their one-on-one smallball style. Teams with great chemistry, perimeter defense, physicality, and interior players will eat them alive. Teams like the Portland Trailblazers, Seattle Supersonics, and Phoenix Suns would destroy them before they could even think of playing teams like Chicago, LA or Boston. During that era, you had teams and players shooting on average, between the mid-late 40s to the 50s from the floor. The only exceptions were the really sub-par teams. They never had to rely on the three-point shot as much, because at the time it was considered a "bail-out" shot. As far as crossovers, players from that time used them as well. (Look at Isiah Thomas & Tim Hardaway as examples) However, they knew when to keep it under control. Now, you have players with a deeper sense of entitlement, who think that the NBA owes them something, without even proving themselves. For crying out loud, today's dunk contests are full of nobodies! The prima donna mentality has clearly polluted the NBA. Today's game has gone from a game from men to a game for boys.
Ratings:
To further cement how superior this era was, the ratings tell even more of a story:
1980 NBA Finals- Lakers vs. Sixers (Rating- 8.0) (Plot line- Magic saving the series in Game 6)
1981 NBA Finals- Celtics vs. Rockets (Rating- 6.7)
1982 NBA Finals- Lakers vs. Sixers II (Rating- 13.0)
1983 NBA Finals- Sixers vs. Lakers III (Rating-1 2.3) (Plot line-Redemption)
1984 NBA Finals- Lakers vs. Celtics (Rating- 12.1) (Plot line-Magic vs. Bird I)
1985 NBA Finals- Lakers vs. Celtics II (Rating- 13.7) (Plot line- Lakers finally defeat Celtics)
1986 NBA Finals- Celtics vs. Rockets (Rating- 14.1)
1987 NBA Finals- Lakers vs. Celtics III (Rating- 15.9) (Plot line- Magic vs. Larry- Final Showdown)
1988 NBA Finals- Lakers vs. Pistons I (Rating- 15.4) (Plot line- Lakers win back-to-back)
1989 NBA Finals- Lakers vs. Pistons II (Rating- 15.1) (Plot line- Rise of the Bad Boys)
1990 NBA Finals- Pistons vs. Blazers (Rating- 12.3) (Plot line- Motor City Madness)
1991 NBA Finals- Bulls vs. Lakers (Rating- 15.8) (Plot line- Bulls win 1st Title)
1992 NBA Finals- Bulls vs. Blazers (Rating- 14.2) (Plot line- Bulls win back-to-back)
1993 NBA Finals- Bulls vs. Suns (Rating- 17.9) (Plot line- Three-peat)
1994 NBA Finals- Rockets vs. Knicks (Rating- 12.4) (Plot line- Clutch City in Houston)
1995 NBA Finals- Rockets vs. Magic (Rating- 13.9) (Plot line- Dream leads repeat)
1996 NBA Finals- Bulls vs. Sonics (Rating- 16.7) (Plot line- Jordan returns to the throne)
1997 NBA Finals- Bulls vs. Jazz I (Rating- 16.8) (Plot line- Flu Game Series)
1998 NBA Finals- Bulls vs. Jazz II (Rating- 18.7) (Plot line- Jordan's Final Dance)
Each series was exciting not just because of the quality of play, but also because of the amazing story lines surrounding them. The initial story lines going on during those seasons built even more anticipation (Jordan's arrival & scoring, rise to MVP level, 1st 3-peat, retirement, 2nd 3-peat). Barkley leaving for Phoenix, and winning MVP. Chicago's 72-win season Unfortunately, Jordan's 1998 retirement and the 1999 lockout wounded the ratings. The Finals ratings dropped by seven points, from 18.7 in 1998 to 11.3 in 1999. In spite of how great Duncan's Spurs and Shaq's Lakers played during this time, fan interest was lost because of how David Stern curtailed the rules, taking away the integrity, and over-promoting singular players for the sake of a "Like Mike" figure. Even a LeBron vs Durant Finals series was only able to pull in a 10.1 rating.
As far as the rigging goes, you don't have to look any further than these examples:
2002 WCF- Lakers vs. Kings
2006 NBA Finals- Heat vs. Mavericks (Perfect example: Game 6)
2010 NBA Finals- Lakers vs. Celtics (Perfect example: Game 7)
Regression:
Once upon a time, the NBA stood for "No Boys Allowed". Now, David Stern has corrupted the game, and turned it into a soft, freestyle, skills circus show. Stern stripped away the ability to play real, physical defense, as well as the impact of the big men in the paint. Now, you don't have enforcers in the paint ready to knock you on your butt. Instead, you have a league full of cream puffs. Stern and the media have dumbed down the game. The game is no longer about team, but about singular players. How many times must we put up with "Kobe", "LeBron", "Carmelo", "Durant" being over saturated by ESPN? How many more times do I have to put up with the cherry picking that they do with today's players, by taking single games or streaks to compare them with the likes of Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Wilt Chamberlain? (Ex: In 2012, ESPN said LeBron was the 1st player since Wilt in 1964 to have a 45/15 game in the playoffs) Fortunately, the smart fans like myself see through the phoniness like glass. The smoke and mirror act does not fool us, which is why the NBA has lost so many viewers.
Conclusion:
In Conclusion, the evolution theory does not work for the NBA. In fact, things also have a tendency to devolve, and regress over time. That is exactly the case with the NBA. Over time since the Era of Jordan/Magic/Bird, the game has devolved. (The Shaq/Duncan era in between was the only bright spot) The devolution of the game has become dramatically worse even since then, with the changes in the rules to favor one specific area of the game (perimeter). I am not here to come across as a hater or cynic, but as a passionate NBA fan who has been exposed to the very best that the game has ever seen. As I have said before, their production speaks for itself. The work they put in to put up those numbers while playing the game the way that it should be played. If you have watched the game for as long as I have, and have studied the history of it the way that I have, you will understand with a better sense of appreciation. However, naive new school fans will believe what they want to, and make excuses to diminish what players like Jordan have done. Whatever. I do this for educated, hardcore fans that care. This is not just about Old School, but about real recognizing real, and game recognizing game. Check the games for yourselves, and it is clearly obvious how drastic the change has been. Players from the past earned their keep. The game had the perfect balance between perimeter players and interior players. It was a much more even game. (Interior players were just that good)
Greatness is EARNED, not given!
(Special thanks to Internet Sports legend Mr. Bruce Blitz, along with Clutch 23 Productions):
Here are glimpses of the great athleticism from that Golden Era (80s/90s):
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