Earlier this week, NBA legend Dominique Wilkins put JJ Redick on blast over his comments on physicality in the modern NBA vs physicality in the 80s and 90s.
According to JJ the modern NBA is just as physical and difficult as it was in Wilkins’ day, and he took it upon himself to defend his take in a response to Dominique’s strong disapproval.
“The question to Dominque centered around the idea that I disrespected Larry Bird. How? I didn’t disrespect Larry Bird. I questioned the narrative around physicality,” said Redick. “I said for every montage video you can show me of Larry Bird being in a headlock underneath the basket, I can show you a montage video of him shooting open jumpers, of him coming off pindowns. I can show Steph the same way. … The idea that I’m disrespecting older players for questioning media narratives around that era, that’s not disrespect.”
.@jj_redick on Dominique Wilkins's comments and the narrative around physicality 👇 pic.twitter.com/jHTjZDoWoH
— TheYoungManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) February 24, 2023
Players today are often criticized for being soft, especially on the defensive end. But is today’s game that much different when it comes to physicality and rough play? According to guys like Dominique, the changes to hand-checking rules and others factors have made life a lot easier for scorers.
“Redick doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about,” said Wilkins. “What basketball was you watching? To say something as idiotic as that is ridiculous. When you can put your hand on a guy’s hip and make him go a certain way… how many guys can deal with that kind of pressure? And for JJ Redick, who has played this game, I’m very disappointed that he said something so stupid.”
No matter which side you’re on in this debate, the subject of old school vs new school will always be divisive, especially as the years fly by.
Is Recent Scoring Surge A Problem For The NBA?
This season has seen a ridiculous number of record-breaking performances and it has caused some to question if the NBA has become too easy on the offensive end. This season alone, we’ve seen 40, 50, 60, and even a 70-point game from various stars and nobody knows when it will slow down.
For now, though, you can’t blame the player for taking advantage of the modern-day system.
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