The battle between eras in basketball is one that will never be solved. Players and coaches from different eras always skew towards the challenge of playing during their time, as only they know how tough it was to play when they played.
Older players and fans often cite the challenge of the ’90s as far more significant than the challenge of the modern day due to rule changes and spacing. Similarly, newer fans believe harder defensive rules and the growing skill of players mean that this era is much harder to compete in.
George Karl, who coached in the ’90s and through the new century often refers to the ’90s era as a harder one, the same era where he coached the Seattle SuperSonics to the 1996 NBA Finals. To illustrate his point, he says Michael Jordan would average a 40-point triple-double in the modern era, irking the ire of fans.
HOF Coach George Karl says Michael Jordan would average a 40-point triple double in today’s game.
Agree? pic.twitter.com/l8tZFweVhO
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 11, 2023
That’s the most asinine thing I’ve ever heard. These old heads love to say this kind of stuff. No, it’s not true.
— Kaleb Earls (@K_Earls32) January 11, 2023
Could he shoot the 3 like that? 🧐
— Bobby (@BobbySolez) January 11, 2023
Hell nah! This era may not play as much defense as the past but this era of players are more athletic & there is more zone/double team defenses!!
— Van (@vanman_1000) January 12, 2023
And Lebron would average a 60 point triple double in MJ’s era.
— 🦌 (@L0VETOG0LDEN) January 11, 2023
https://twitter.com/HoodiGuWop/status/1613308134210117632
He'd have less 3 point % than Austin Reaves
— Russ' TD ⚡ (@RussFcb) January 11, 2023
https://twitter.com/bl4nkasallhell/status/1613355685768749057
Does MJ even have 30 CAREER triple doubles?? People love glorifying mj to the point of making anything up
— tricky23 (@Trickyleg234) January 11, 2023
Obviously no, there are much more talented scorers that aren’t even close to 40 PPG
— Rolin 💰 (@RolininBucks) January 11, 2023
https://twitter.com/DanDownUnder_/status/1613321770605613057
I don’t understand where this misconception started, but the skill of basketball has gotten higher, not the other way around.
If he didn’t back then he for damn sure isn’t today.
— Mo (@MeauxsWorld) January 12, 2023
No. The amount of court that needs to be covered defensively along with the switching will add a tax to his offensive returns and rebounds.
He's also not a natural pass first player so I don't see why he's magically average double digit assists when better passers today aren't
— isojoe (@joepej) January 11, 2023
How come? He was a terrible 3 point shooter (apart from those year when 3 point line was shortened). pic.twitter.com/qp1ciTDbSD
— Cemm (@cmztrk22) January 11, 2023
hell nah, I‘ll give Peak MJ if he‘s put in the right system and allat something like 35, 6 and 6 on +8.5 tho
— We are cooked. (@AdebayoPlsWin) January 11, 2023
Karl’s coaching philosophies got outdated in the modern era and he never replicated his success of the ’90s in the 2000s, being criticized heavily for his coaching of the Denver Nuggets. He alienated his players and built rocky relationships. An easier era should be one where you have more success, but Karl’s career stands as proof to the point that anything can happen due to different circumstances.
Michael Jordan In The Modern Era
Michael Jordan is the greatest and there’s no doubt his numbers would look incredible now. If he was carrying the Bulls as he did in the ’80s and how Luka Doncic is carrying the Mavericks now, he would easily replicate his incredible averages, especially with the faster pace of the modern era.
Eras are different for a reason. There’s no way to conclusively determine stuff like whether MJ would be a good 3-point shooter. Assuming he’d be bad is as asinine as assuming he’d be good. His playmaking might not have been as solid to average over 10 assists, especially in an NBA with far quicker and more athletic defenders where MJ’s physical tools wouldn’t be as prominent as they were in his era.
The differences are far too many for a conclusive argument. All we know is that Jordan became the greatest player of all time without a shadow of a doubt during his era. He should be celebrated for that rather than have his legacy dissected because of comments that put him in a time where basketball has changed and evolved.
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