God I hate how the NBA meta is such a church lady “he said, he said” thing.
Everyone is is all bad ass until someone says something and then they’re the softest media whore possible.
TmizzleFOShizle
The game has evolved a ton since the KG days, not all for the better.
This topic comes up so often and I think it’s the most over blown of any major sport debate. Elite players in both eras could evolve to fit the game after one season
DrWolves
LeBron is 6’7 , 260 lmao. I absolutely love KG but these old heads gotta stop being so delusional. If LeBron played in the 50s, 60, 70s, 80s, whatever the dude would have like 60,000 career points.
skolaen
Love kg but i completely disagree. Nba players are some of the best ahletes in the world. Old players would figure out how to adapt to the new game and same thing vice versa
ZealousidealStrain58
The skill level was different then and it’s different now.
Garrus
This is the consequence of players and former players all having a podcast. This is just perfect content for a dead part of the year.
bennyboy13134
lol KG wouldn’t have been as successful now either though. It’s a different game doesn’t mean it’s better or worse just more focused on offense
fleeting_lucidity
from what I took from the comments (KG) is that the level of physicality and how defense was more handsy back then would not allow for the type of offense we see today in the NBA. There was some early-stage boomer comments about locker room culture and manliness too, but that is indicative of “these kids today” mentality IMHO.
SnarfSniffsStardust
It’s not like if you put modern players in a 90’s 2000’s setting that NBA basketball would crumble. Talent is always there, just different dudes would be at the top because it’s a different game. Same the other way, some of the top guys before the shooting era would be very hard to keep on the floor with modern spacing.
Talent pool is as great as it’s ever been. The old guys just watch soft calls and more leeway given to offensive players and think if refs did that in their era then they’d be the best player of all time
irishace88
This is even dumber than what Ant said. The thing is Ant was just joking around while KG is actually being serious.
In general players are better today than they were 5, 10, 15, 20 years ago. That’s just facts. The skill nowadays is absurd. That doesn’t mean that the top players from past generations couldn’t play now, but it does mean that a lot of players from previous generations couldn’t play now.
Competitive_Set_893
While this may or may not be true depending on your view of it, Ant absolutely would be an all star 20 years ago lmao. He would make it over both Sam Cassel and Steve Francis, who averaged 16 and 6 and 19 and 7 in 2004. Furthermore, what is often missed in the argument that today’s era cannot survive a more physical nba is that the supposed soft players would also be allowed to be more physical lol. I don’t think Ant at 6’4 230 and increased physicality is gonna be at much of a disadvantage honestly.
Formal_Junket_1585
Ant woulda fried them dudes
mylifeisasadmeme
To imply that ant wouldnt have been good in the league 20 years ago is crazy i wouldve assumed he meant role players if he didnt direct it at ant
WrestleBox
Why are basketball players like this?
Edception_
Players are more offensively talented than they’ve ever been. It’s just sour grapes from old dudes who don’t want to be out of the spotlight.
ImDeputyDurland
I’ve yet to hear anyone explain how/why talent gets worse over time. It’s just old heads thinking they could still hack it in the league.
Kind_Government_9620
Ant would have been even better if he was allowed to be more physical on defense, and he’d be strong enough to still thrive offensively.
JayServo
Every person thinks that when they played it was the most skilled/ hardest time to play. Just watching old clips, the NBA use to be fucking BRUTAL. It’s basically touch football with a ton of flopping now. Things change and evolve. Even as a Twolves fan, Edwards would be schooled by Michael and Kobe and get knocked around by Shaq and Rodman.
justanothersurly
I love how he took offense at what ANT said, but then basically flipped the statement to be 100% the opposite. Just glad that everyone is approaching this with measured and without hyperbole.
PickleNick1987
If you built a time machine and sent some of today’s players back 30 years, they would be transcendent. You go the other way around and guys from the 90’s would be in the g-league. League has evolved, 7’ is the new 6’6”, 3 points is the new 2 etc.
KickerofTale
Christ this off season non topic is the main topic because fuck all is going on in the league atm.
MaloneShimmy13
Kg out of everyone should know that he’s fucking around. Ant is this generations trash talker. Larry bird and kobe talked shit to guys on the court, ant is talking shit to everyone who’s ever touched a basketball, and I love him for it.
roentgen_nos
They would have to relearn how to dribble without placing their hands below the ball’s equator. They would have to shed the Euro-step. They would have to learn to play through a clothesline. It would be a tough transition.
AlohaReddit49
Did you guys know old NBA players feel the constant need to shit on the modern league. If they don’t people might realize they were just slightly less good than we think!?
Just shut up KG, love you but this is an L take. Even if it’s true, it’s not though, what are you gaining from doing this? You’re just diminishing the new players accomplishments. You’re retired now, you don’t need to be big dog on campus anymore! The game has evolved, a player like Andre Roberson was getting playoff minutes a decade ago, he wouldn’t today.
Era arguments are stupid, the great players would adapt to the era. You don’t think Steph would find a way to get open still? You don’t think Jokic would find a way to pass to an open teammate? You think Giannis would actually be stopped in the 90’s? In return though, guys like KG would be viewed as better in the modern league.
Cleopatra2001
I think it’s the opposite. Maybe 10-30 guys could play today
FreeIreland2024
Jamal Crawford said this months ago
cronoes
Mercury retrograde is slapping Ant in the face pretty hard right now.
ProductiveFriend
People should watch the full video before hating on KG. He gives respect to the current game and players but he just says it’s a whole different game they’d have to adjust to, between the physicality, the league’s balance between defense and offense, there’d be no days off for rest, and they were raised on ISO scoring in AAU.
Whether or not you agree or disagree, whatever, but he’s not saying they’re straight up not talented enough to play. And you sound goofy arguing against that when it’s not what he’s saying
28 Comments
God I hate how the NBA meta is such a church lady “he said, he said” thing.
Everyone is is all bad ass until someone says something and then they’re the softest media whore possible.
The game has evolved a ton since the KG days, not all for the better.
This topic comes up so often and I think it’s the most over blown of any major sport debate. Elite players in both eras could evolve to fit the game after one season
LeBron is 6’7 , 260 lmao. I absolutely love KG but these old heads gotta stop being so delusional. If LeBron played in the 50s, 60, 70s, 80s, whatever the dude would have like 60,000 career points.
Love kg but i completely disagree. Nba players are some of the best ahletes in the world. Old players would figure out how to adapt to the new game and same thing vice versa
The skill level was different then and it’s different now.
This is the consequence of players and former players all having a podcast. This is just perfect content for a dead part of the year.
lol KG wouldn’t have been as successful now either though. It’s a different game doesn’t mean it’s better or worse just more focused on offense
from what I took from the comments (KG) is that the level of physicality and how defense was more handsy back then would not allow for the type of offense we see today in the NBA. There was some early-stage boomer comments about locker room culture and manliness too, but that is indicative of “these kids today” mentality IMHO.
It’s not like if you put modern players in a 90’s 2000’s setting that NBA basketball would crumble. Talent is always there, just different dudes would be at the top because it’s a different game. Same the other way, some of the top guys before the shooting era would be very hard to keep on the floor with modern spacing.
Talent pool is as great as it’s ever been. The old guys just watch soft calls and more leeway given to offensive players and think if refs did that in their era then they’d be the best player of all time
This is even dumber than what Ant said. The thing is Ant was just joking around while KG is actually being serious.
In general players are better today than they were 5, 10, 15, 20 years ago. That’s just facts. The skill nowadays is absurd. That doesn’t mean that the top players from past generations couldn’t play now, but it does mean that a lot of players from previous generations couldn’t play now.
While this may or may not be true depending on your view of it, Ant absolutely would be an all star 20 years ago lmao. He would make it over both Sam Cassel and Steve Francis, who averaged 16 and 6 and 19 and 7 in 2004. Furthermore, what is often missed in the argument that today’s era cannot survive a more physical nba is that the supposed soft players would also be allowed to be more physical lol. I don’t think Ant at 6’4 230 and increased physicality is gonna be at much of a disadvantage honestly.
Ant woulda fried them dudes
To imply that ant wouldnt have been good in the league 20 years ago is crazy i wouldve assumed he meant role players if he didnt direct it at ant
Why are basketball players like this?
Players are more offensively talented than they’ve ever been. It’s just sour grapes from old dudes who don’t want to be out of the spotlight.
I’ve yet to hear anyone explain how/why talent gets worse over time. It’s just old heads thinking they could still hack it in the league.
Ant would have been even better if he was allowed to be more physical on defense, and he’d be strong enough to still thrive offensively.
Every person thinks that when they played it was the most skilled/ hardest time to play. Just watching old clips, the NBA use to be fucking BRUTAL. It’s basically touch football with a ton of flopping now. Things change and evolve. Even as a Twolves fan, Edwards would be schooled by Michael and Kobe and get knocked around by Shaq and Rodman.
I love how he took offense at what ANT said, but then basically flipped the statement to be 100% the opposite. Just glad that everyone is approaching this with measured and without hyperbole.
If you built a time machine and sent some of today’s players back 30 years, they would be transcendent. You go the other way around and guys from the 90’s would be in the g-league. League has evolved, 7’ is the new 6’6”, 3 points is the new 2 etc.
Christ this off season non topic is the main topic because fuck all is going on in the league atm.
Kg out of everyone should know that he’s fucking around. Ant is this generations trash talker. Larry bird and kobe talked shit to guys on the court, ant is talking shit to everyone who’s ever touched a basketball, and I love him for it.
They would have to relearn how to dribble without placing their hands below the ball’s equator. They would have to shed the Euro-step. They would have to learn to play through a clothesline. It would be a tough transition.
Did you guys know old NBA players feel the constant need to shit on the modern league. If they don’t people might realize they were just slightly less good than we think!?
Just shut up KG, love you but this is an L take. Even if it’s true, it’s not though, what are you gaining from doing this? You’re just diminishing the new players accomplishments. You’re retired now, you don’t need to be big dog on campus anymore! The game has evolved, a player like Andre Roberson was getting playoff minutes a decade ago, he wouldn’t today.
Era arguments are stupid, the great players would adapt to the era. You don’t think Steph would find a way to get open still? You don’t think Jokic would find a way to pass to an open teammate? You think Giannis would actually be stopped in the 90’s? In return though, guys like KG would be viewed as better in the modern league.
I think it’s the opposite. Maybe 10-30 guys could play today
Jamal Crawford said this months ago
Mercury retrograde is slapping Ant in the face pretty hard right now.
People should watch the full video before hating on KG. He gives respect to the current game and players but he just says it’s a whole different game they’d have to adjust to, between the physicality, the league’s balance between defense and offense, there’d be no days off for rest, and they were raised on ISO scoring in AAU.
Whether or not you agree or disagree, whatever, but he’s not saying they’re straight up not talented enough to play. And you sound goofy arguing against that when it’s not what he’s saying