Gary Payton: LeBron wouldn't be as good in our era

[Segatti]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKNodRa71Cg

[BlueandGold]

Eh, the same "soft, not as physical" complaints people have about the league now, people had back in the '90s. I saw old timers from the '70s on half time segments making fun of how you couldn't guard Jordan because of all the favorable rules for him (isolation, lack of physicality etc). I'll gladly upload video of couple of them talking about this because I think I saved it somewhere. And the same "hand-checking" complaints were going on in 1993, in fact here's an NY Times article:


Published: March 28, 1993

that's a good point, thanks for posting that quote.

[Living Being]

Saying he wouldn't be as good in Payton's era is pointless, because EVERYONE wouldn't be/wasn't as good. He would still be better than everyone. He would just have a harder time moving around. It's all relative.

[eurobum]

Eh, the same "soft, not as physical" complaints people have about the league now, people had back in the '90s. I saw old timers from the '70s on half time segments making fun of how you couldn't guard Jordan because of all the favorable rules for him (isolation, lack of physicality etc). I'll gladly upload video of couple of them talking about this because I think I saved it somewhere. And the same "hand-checking" complaints were going on in 1993, in fact here's an NY Times article:


Published: March 28, 1993

Maybe on paper, but what did it actually look like? How many times does it have to be reiterated; look at how Jordan was being guarded by late 1980s Pistons and early 1990s Knicks. The images don't lie. Imagine today's superstars (any, not just James) facing those defenses. From 2000s it's been too much pampering and softness. Too easily called flagrants, ejections, suspensions, etc.

[ripthekik]

gary payton spitting the truth.

[eurobum]

Saying he wouldn't be as good in Payton's era is pointless, because EVERYONE wouldn't be/wasn't as good. He would still be better than everyone. He would just have a harder time moving around. It's all relative.

This. Except for one player, of course.

[Haymaker]

Maybe on paper, but what did it actually look like? How many times does it have to be reiterated; look at how Jordan was being guarded by late 1980s Pistons and early 1990s Knicks. The images don't lie. Imagine today's superstars (any, not just James) facing those defenses. From 2000s it's been too much pampering and softness. Too easily called flagrants, ejections, suspensions, etc.

This. They just have to WATCH the games, and picture James or Durant getting mauled by 12 angry men on every possession.

[KingBeasley08]

Gary Payton's at the age where the only thing he can do is golf. Nostalgia is speaking for him

[DCL]

lebron would dominate in any era, even 50 years from now.

[Segatti]

This. They just have to WATCH the games, and picture James or Durant getting mauled by 12 angry men on every possession.

For me both would do even better than now, and the funny thing is that my guess is as hypothetical (and worthless) as yours.

[Living Being]

This. Except for one player, of course.

[Ne 1]

Maybe on paper, but what did it actually look like? How many times does it have to be reiterated; look at how Jordan was being guarded by late 1980s Pistons and early 1990s Knicks. The images don't lie. Imagine today's superstars (any, not just James) facing those defenses. From 2000s it's been too much pampering and softness. Too easily called flagrants, ejections, suspensions, etc.

It's hilarious that some people will look at a few cherry picked/selective clips on YouTube and then come to the conclusion that the league was no blood, no foul straight up prison ball in the 80s and 90s. Seriously, anyone can dig up random pictures/YouTube clips. Just watch the games man, these nostalgic 90s kids wearing rose-tinted glasses point to specific edited sequences they've spotted and act like every possession was like that. They don't even help their case at this point, people are so sick of hearing these myths.












^ People will be using pictures like that to manipulate kids who watch ball in 2020's. Yeah, the late 80s Pistons were dirty/scrappy as hell but lets not act like the whole era was like that.

[kaiteng]

I believe if they are talented enough they would adapt in any situations like the era Glove talked about.

[eurobum]

C'mon, those are outstanding events. Kobe Bryant hasn't faced a defense that REGULARLY guarded him with these tactics. These tactics don't exist in modern times, they did in previous eras.

[kNicKz]

Gary Payton said he would still be a good player, but he wouldn't be as unstoppable because of different rules and a lot more bigs in the league....not a stretch at all