With the debate over Jordan's remarks regarding the players of this era and the commentary of many who grew up watching him (myself included) I figured I would find out what players of the 60's and 70's were saying about the league in the late 80's and 90's. It never fails. There is always this "back in my day" syndrome.
In this
1990 video, there is a claim that Wilt would dominate the 90's more than he dominated the 60's potentially averaging even 70ppg in a season.
In
this video from 1997, Bob Costas is interviewing Russell and Chamberlain. Costas asks Wilt what a 25 year old Wilt would do in 1997 (the end of the Jordan era). He replies by saying, "
You see with the new rules, which are all slanted to help the offense...Now when I get the ball instead of having two and three people and Russ all (?) me at the same time, I'm by myself with one guy. I would love it. 50 points, maybe 60 points, maybe 70 points a game... It's easier now [in 1997]."
Costas then asks Russell how the best of his Celtics' teams would compete with the best teams of the 80's and 90's. Russell replies by saying, that if they were playing in the 80's and 90's "
We'd still win 11 championships. I hadn't seen a team in the last 10 years or 15 years that could beat us." That 15 year period would include the '83 Sixers, '86 Celtics, '87 Lakers, Bad Boy Pistons, and all Bulls champions from '91 to '97.
Here
Walt Frazier is asked how players of his era would do in today's game, and he blatantly says that Wilt would probably average 75 points a game today. Then he proceeds to explain why he said that. So in his view the 60's and 70's had tougher rules.
Just as an added bonus
in this video from the 1996 Finals Magic, Bird, Dr. J, and even the interviewer Bob Costas each insinuate that while the '96 Bulls were an all time great team, the level of competition that Jordan and the 90's Bulls faced was slightly less than the level of competition during the 80's.
In 2035, 50+ year old Kobe, Lebron, Wade, and CP3 will be telling everyone how tough it was to play "back in their day", and how they would dominate the new league.