1960s NBA. Look at this backboard.

[eliteballer]

Look at the floor.

[ArbitraryWater]

That backboard amost makes me think that bankshots from an ange woud be harder on them.

[AlternativeAcc.]

Those old-school guys were way more physically active in their everyday lives; from the day that they were born, really. Modern humans - athletes included - have grown up in a more sedentary time. I wonder if this has had an effect on skeletal robustness. Maybe it might help explain the lack of durability in today's players.

Have you seen Mickey Mantles forearms? Willie Mays? Josh Gibson?

These guys were doing manual labor out the ass. 60 years really isn't that long ago.

Huge skill deficits in ball though. Plumbers, mechanics, and landscapers ran the NBA. But they were certainly athletic and strong

[plowking]

don't think players are any less durable. They used to play through injuries that they don't play through now

Wear and tear is a thing. Rest for athletes is huge. Guys back in the 50s-70s were active throughout their day to day activities, because there was less money in the sport. As money started to flow in, less and less stuff was acceptable for these million and multi million dollar investments to be doing outside of their job.

Less durable now? Nah, the game is quicker, more turning and stopping than ever before. A physical game is a slower game. The 90's and early 00's had more guys playing more games because they were slower. Nowadays its run and gun, you have bigger and stronger athletes now for better power production throughout a game, and it wears on the joints and muscles = more injuries. A physical game makes you sore, and high paced up and down one is what kills your body/joints/muscles.

[Im Still Ballin]

Wear and tear is a thing. Rest for athletes is huge. Guys back in the 50s-70s were active throughout their day to day activities, because there was less money in the sport. As money started to flow in, less and less stuff was acceptable for these million and multi million dollar investments to be doing outside of their job.

Less durable now? Nah, the game is quicker, more turning and stopping than ever before. A physical game is a slower game. The 90's and early 00's had more guys playing more games because they were slower. Nowadays its run and gun, you have bigger and stronger athletes now for better power production throughout a game, and it wears on the joints and muscles = more injuries. A physical game makes you sore, and high paced up and down one is what kills your body/joints/muscles.

The guys in the '60s, '70s, and '80s played at a faster pace than today's era. Those old school guys went at it like a track meet.

[AlternativeAcc.]

The guys in the '60s, '70s, and '80s played at a faster pace than today's era. Those old school guys went at it like a track meet.

In straight lines with tons of iso ball and no switching. The court wasn't spread nearly as much

Pitchers used to throw far more innings, because they had better bodies? More durable because of manual labor? Hell no, cause they didn't throw nearly as fast and didn't exert themselves like modern ones do. Similar concept. players were not more durable, they played a less exerting game

Weights have also made athletes even more explosive so athletes today generate more force, ans put more stress on ligaments and tendons. It's undeniably true

[L.Kizzle]

Another thing I notice, Ottawa in the top right corner on one of the photos. Was this game in Canada, or at a local college or high school?

[90sgoat]

It reminds me of an interview I saw with an old player talking about their shooting numbers and how nobody understands the conditions they played under. How you might get to a city only to find out the rodeo extended for another day because of strong sales now you gotta play at a local high school that isn’t quite regulation. Bent rim or something. They might have the old hand stitched balls that were a little warped.

Even the “good” arenas had no heat or air much of the time and dead spots or wet floor from uninsulated hockey ice under the floor. Nothing between it. Just wood laid on top of ice so it was cold as **** and the ball would shrink over the course of the game. Different grip panels on different balls. They didn’t mandate consistent balls or equipment for a long time. Part of the reason it was so important back then to switch ends at halftime. So both teams have to use the ****ed up rim.

The backboard might be wood at one place then metal another….glass at another. One rim higher or lower than it should be. You gotta give them a bit of a pass for what we consider poor shooting.

As finely tuned as these guys are? They would freak out facing any of those issues.

That sounds like a movie should be made about it.

I enjoyed Semi-Pro a lot, maybe Will Ferrell can make a new one and focus on the early NBA up until Wilt (take some creative freedoms).