The NBA has been around for over 75 years and during this time, the league has gone through some major changes. Be it the way that players play or simply the rules of the game being tweaked to make the game fairer.
Of course, with the changes in rules, it makes it difficult to compare players from different eras, something that fans like to do a lot. But it’s not always the fans who debate about these topics, sometimes former NBA superstars also engage in these talks.
On that note, former Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas once sat down for an interview where he revealed that he believes the players from the 80s and 90s wouldn’t be able to guard today’s NBA stars.
(Starts at 1:20):
“80s people think fouling was defense. ‘Oh yeah we’re just gonna wrestle them…’ that’s not defense. That’s not actual defense. He’s just fouling me and hoping that I don’t wanna do it anymore. You didn’t actually stop me, you just f*cking fouled me until I wanted to give up. I laugh at it because I watched the game evolve. Some of you can evolve, the way you play the game was better, it was more advanced than what you guys were at. Like Toni Kukoc, a Scottie Pippen. Those guys can actually play because their attributes transcended. you guys were the prototypes that moved forward. Dennis Rodman undersized four who could guard any position. Okay, you’re Draymond Green, okay. You guys are prototype ones. These guys, they’ve evolved. They’ve made that position better.”
During the 80s and 90s, the game of basketball was very physical. Hence, if the players from that generation tried the same tactics in the modern era, they will simply end up racking up numerous fouls and ultimately getting thrown out of the game.
So next time, when someone is discussing the greatest players of all time, we should keep this amazing point made by Arenas in mind, before we tarnish any current player’s legacy in the league.
