Gary Payton, known as “The Glove” for his defensive prowess, didn’t mince words when discussing the current state of the NBA with Joy De’Angela.
“Soft. These kids are in a different generation. When we played, it was inside outside. You give it to the big man, you get it out there, and then if you had a great player, he could create whatever he wants to.”
“Nowadays, their weapon is a three-point. They’re running to the basketball, and then this crazy mess where you gotta go to a monitor and see if you got hit in the head or nothing.”
“In our era, if you went to the basket, we wouldn’t let nobody dunk and we gonna put you in the third row. And then you just come on back. Nowadays, you get hit and you do this. They be like, hold on, hold on, hold on. Let’s check it. Let’s see what happens.”
“And then you put an ice pack on your head and all that stuff and you’re looking crazy like you done got shot or something. Then they get the ball back and then they laughing at you because they fooled you, you know what I’m saying? So it’s crazy. You won’t see physical basketball again.”
“That’s over. I just think it comes from an era in the league changing. The league wants to see more entertaining. And then you look at these kids, these kids go out here and I think the NBA is more about, you know, the social thing around. They don’t want kids to be thinking that they can go on the basketball court and do the same thing that their hero do in the NBA. So they eliminate that.”
Gary Payton says the league has gone SOFT and we’ll NEVER see physical basketball ever again..
Thoughts? 👀 pic.twitter.com/7P7uyqIlMf
— Joy De’Angela (@joydeangela) July 31, 2024
Payton criticized today’s NBA for its lack of physicality and increasing reliance on three-point shooting, labeling the game as “soft” compared to his era. Payton’s frustration extended to the officiating and game management in today’s NBA. He lamented the frequent use of video reviews to determine whether fouls were flagrant, contrasting it with the tougher approach during his playing days.
Payton’s critique didn’t stop at the gameplay but also touched on the broader culture surrounding the NBA. He suggested that the league’s shift towards a less physical style was part of a larger effort to make the game more entertaining and socially acceptable. He further argued that the NBA’s changes were influenced by concerns over the example set for young fans.
In summary, Payton’s comments reflect a deep-seated belief that the NBA has moved away from the physical, inside-out style of play that characterized his era, towards a game focused more on perimeter shooting and entertainment, a change he views as a loss for the sport.
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