Kevin Durant is widely considered the best player in the world right now, and one of the best scorers the NBA has ever seen. The Brooklyn Nets superstar has only gotten better since he entered the league, becoming one of the most exciting athletes in the world.
With his handles, ability to score from any point on the court, Durant has become the idol of many young players. He is a one-of-a-kind player, which often makes people wonder how he would have fared if he had played in a different era.
These hypothetical scenarios are pretty common in the NBA nowadays. Still, former players aren’t convinced that modern-day stars would do well if they played in the 90s or 2000s.
For instance, Rasheed Wallace recently claimed that Durant wouldn’t succeed if he played in a different era. The game has drastically changed in the last decade, which would make things difficult for Durantula. Talking on Million Dollaz Worth of Game, Sheed said:
“In that era? No, I don’t think he [Durant] would’ve had too much success. Now, he’s a monster. You have to look at it this way, back then, there were a lot of post-ups. Back then, the game was inside-out. Now, it’s outside-in.”
KD wasn’t the only one that received these comments. Wallace doesn’t think LeBron James can be dominant if he went against more brutal defenders 20 or 30 years ago.
“He probably would’ve done good with his physical stature, with him being bigger than the majority of the rest of the players. So he probably would’ve held his own, but I don’t think he would be as successful as he is now. It’s a whole different era back then. I couldn’t necessarily say that he would’ve been a beast but I think he would’ve held his own.”
It’s pretty common seeing old stars making these claims. The game has evolved, and some of them don’t like that. Recently, Dennis Rodman criticized modern-day NBA and the use of the 3-pointer, even saying that fifty-footers aren’t basketball.
Styles, players, and strategies are different now. The game is constantly evolving, and for most fans, players like James and Durant would thrive in whatever era they play.
