LeBron James and Stephen Curry are two of this generation’s greatest players, having won Championships and many accolades over their careers.
But, on social media, fans took things a step further, theorizing that modern stars like James and Curry could dominate in the 1980s even more so than they have in modern times. According to one fan, James or Curry would win a Championship every year.
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Naturally, the comment led to some debates throughout the NBA community. And, despite how physical the NBA used to be, many agreed with the idea they’d crush their opponents.
For others, the idea that Steph and Bron would thrive in an era of physicality, size, and toughness, is just flat-out wrong.
No doubt, today’s rules prioritize shooting and small-ball. There’s really no telling how today’s players would shape up in the past era.
On one hand, the case can be made that both Curry and LeBron have shown enough to earn the benefit of the doubt. Is their talent alone not enough to make them successful in any era? Greatness has a way of adapting, after-all.
On the other hand, success is often dependent on the conditions of the time period, and different eras have favored different players. Curry thrives now, especially, because of the modern rules and the revolution of the three-pointer. Would he be as good with the way defense was played back then? LeBron, meanwhile, is using his bigger, stronger body in a time period that has gone smaller and faster. Would he be as effective against bigger, stronger lineups that were much more physical?
Ultimately, there’s no real way of knowing the answer — the best we can do is just appreciate what James and Curry are doing, right here and right now.
