During the offseason, NBA players have a lot of free time. They sometimes use it to take part in popular debates and whatnot. The Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is someone who has taken part in these debates several times.
The number has increased since his own podcast has grown popular among fans. Anyway, Green recently claimed that the 2017 Warriors would defeat the two teams from the 1998 NBA Finals – the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz.
This claim by Green has given birth to many debates. Obviously, the 2017 Warriors were one of the best teams to ever play in the league. But comparisons between teams of different eras have always been a sensitive topic.
Keeping that in mind, NBA legend Charles Barkley shared his views about the same in a recent interview. Barkley revealed that even though he believes the Warriors are a great team, they won’t last during the rugged era of the 1970s and 1980s.
(Starts at 0:34):
I don’t get into those discussions because I think when guys get on radio and TV and say who’s better LeBron or Michael, that’s just lazy journalism. They’re just trying to get stroke fires out there to get idiots and fools to call on your radio show. The Warriors, I love what they do but them little bodies they got, they wouldn’t last in the 70s and the 80s. No disrespect. Let’s be realistic. You know how much I love Steph Curry, you think he can take that beating Michael got against the Bad Boys Pistons? Please stop it. The game was just so much more physical.
Comparing two teams from different eras is not an easy task for anyone. So the best thing to do is keep yourself away from such debates.
But the points that Chuck made seem pretty valid. Although the NBA players today might be more skilled than the previous generations, they aren’t anywhere close to being as physical as the older guys were. Thus, the 2017 Warriors might not even stay healthy enough to compete in a best-of-seven games series during the 70s and the 80s.
