Gilbert Arenas has tried to shut down the comparisons between the 80s era and the defense NBA players used to play. According to the former Washington Wizards guard, that can’t be used today.
Arenas went on a lengthy explanation about this, and former player Bill Laimbeer caught a stray in the process.
“(The) 80s cannot compete with 90s, 2000s, and now. It is a pointless argument. Bill Laimbeer cannot play basketball today. His defense does not work today. The thing that you guys (veteran NBA players) keep glorifying, which is hard fouls – not better defense. If you look at the people who were brutally hurting people, they were not all defensive players. A defensive player is playing within the rules, stopping you.”
“80s cannot compete with 90s, 2000s and now. It is a pointless argument. Bill Laimbeer cannot play basketball today.”
Gilbert Arenas | @fuboSports
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 23, 2023
Arenas has a point when he differentiates hard fouls from good, intense defense, which seems to be the biggest talking point of fans when talking about the differences between today’s league and the one we had in the 80s.
During that decade, the ‘Bad Boys’ Pistons adopted a very physical defense that was considered dirty by their rivals. The NBA wouldn’t allow any of that today. So, even if that somehow stops modern-day players, the league would make sure to shut that down as quickly as possible.
The Jordan rules wouldn’t exist in today’s game, and that’s something many fans tend to forget. Not only are players quicker and more athletic now, but they also have different tools to score points and, more importantly, are more protected by the league.
Gilbert Arenas Claims LeBron James Is Officially The GOAT Over Michael Jordan
Arenas has been very active recently, as he usually is, but this time, he’s been comparing eras and accolades more than ever, even explaining why LeBron James surpassed Michael Jordan as the GOAT after breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record.
Arenas explained that LeBron had high expectations coming into the league, as he was compared not only to Jordan but to Magic Johnson, and he surpassed both players in the eyes of the retired guard.
The GOAT debate remains a hot topic around the league, and while Arenas is firm in his belief, a former Jordan rival claimed that there’s no debate as MJ dominated the competition during his best years and would have won eight consecutive championships if he never retired.
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