The ongoing debate between basketball eras took a sharp and hilarious turn this week when former Brooklyn Nets guard Mike James chimed in on LeBron James’ bold Giannis Antetokounmpo take. During his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, LeBron confidently claimed that Giannis would drop 250 points in a game if he were magically dropped into the 1970s.
“You trying to tell me Giannis wouldn’t be able to play an NBA game in the 70s? … Giannis Antetokounmpo would have 250 points in a game in the 70s.”
While most fans understood the exaggeration behind the number, the sentiment was clear, LeBron was saying that today’s elite athletes would dominate in a past era. But Mike James wasn’t buying the fantasy. The European and NBA vet fired back with a hilarious and brutally honest tweet:
“The problem with stuff like this is. Every player now would get called for travel, carry and double dribble every play back then. End up with 30 TO’s.”
Mike’s’ point wasn’t about talent—it was about rules. Back in the 70s, the game was officiated in a vastly different way. Things that are now normal—like extended gathers, hesitations, and flashy dribble combos—would’ve been immediate violations 50 years ago.
The palm-and-go moves that modern players thrive on would be considered blatant carries. Even eurosteps and long strides like Giannis’ could be flagged as travels.
In other words, if you played like today’s NBA stars in the 70s, you might not even last a full quarter without racking up a turnover column that looks like a malfunctioning scoreboard.
This debate isn’t new. Every few months, someone throws fuel on the “Who would dominate in what era?” fire, and the basketball world erupts into arguments. Giannis has long been seen as a physical marvel who’d tower over old-school competition, and LeBron himself has been at the center of the “could he survive the 80s and 90s” debate for years.
But Mike James’ tweet speaks to a deeper truth: it’s impossible to transplant players between eras without considering context. A
Athletes today are more skilled, stronger, and faster—but they also operate in a league that prioritizes freedom of movement, spacing, and offensive explosion. The game is officiated differently, coached differently, and consumed differently.
A player like Giannis could absolutely dominate in any era if given time to adjust. But dropped into 1975 with no prep, he might be stunned when referees blow the whistle after every spin move or hesitation dribble.
That’s the point Mike James was making—not that Giannis isn’t great, but that basketball’s evolution means rules and styles matter just as much as talent.
Still, it’s fun to imagine. Would Giannis be running through defenders who smoked at halftime? Maybe. Would LeBron have dunked Wilt Chamberlain into retirement? Possibly.
But would they be called for traveling 30 times before halftime? According to Mike James—absolutely.
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