Remember when the NBA introduced MULTIPLE expansion teams?

[3ball]

No, its not. And its not even close.

I suppose you think it's the era where the league's very best [COLOR="Red"]1st-Team All-NBA talent[/COLOR] - including lebron, wade, melo, cp3, dwight, and bosh - was defeated 7 times on the biggest stage by [COLOR="Blue"]Euroleague talent[/COLOR]?
.

[LEFT4DEAD]

And thay's why I said top heavy. If you wanted to win a ring, the 80's was the toughest era to do so because you had to compete against other all time great teams. Just look at who played in the finals during that time. It was all Lakers, Celtics, 76ers and Pistons. Houston got in there once. But the point is, to win in all in the 80's, you had to beat another all time great team or two.

There is more parity in today's game and it's competitive as hell. But how many of them are all time great level teams? Not all championship winning teams are the same. Some are greater than others and it's a fact that the 80's had 4 of the better/best teams ever. Most will argue the 1986 Celts or 1987 Lakers are the greatest team ever. And the 1989 Pistons has to be right up there too along with the 1983 76ers.

I can somehow agree with that. But looking as a whole, the league back then was ****ing boring as hell. And thats why I would chose the league as it is today 10 times of 10.
You had to wait till the conference finals and finals to see a competitive series with no clear favourite.
This season and many more in the last couple of years will give yor at least 4 classic 1st round matchups that will be very entertaining.

[Im Still Ballin]

This is why I stay in the OTC these days

Troll infestation

[navy]

I suppose you think it's the era where the league's very best [COLOR="Red"]1st-Team All-NBA talent[/COLOR] - including lebron, wade, melo, cp3, dwight, and bosh - was defeated 7 times on the biggest stage by [COLOR="Blue"]Euroleague talent[/COLOR]?
.

How many of those players were in their prime or 1st team those years?

[LEFT4DEAD]

I suppose you think it's the era where the league's very best 1st-Team All-NBA talent - including lebron, wade, melo, cp3, dwight, and bosh - was defeated 7 times on the biggest stage by Euroleague talent?
.

Not sure what does that have to do with anything. Basketball is a team game, and international rules are much different than NBA rules, and at the beggining when these players were young it was a big problem for them. Even though the euro players are worse individualy they could beat them playing a team game. And Euroleauge talent is very underrated these days too.

[3ball]

Not sure what does that have to do with anything.

The NBA had the best talent (1st Team All-NBA > Euroleague), so the reason they repeatedly lost is because the brand of basketball learned and played by American players was THAT much inferior, that it sufficiently offset the massive talent gap.

This inferior brand of basketball proved that era was the weakest the NBA has ever seen, by far.. Accordingly, all players and stats from that era should be looked upon through this appropriate lense (i.e. the competition, players, and brand of basketball was super-weak.. weaker than Euroleague).
.

[LEFT4DEAD]

The NBA had the best talent (1st Team All-NBA > Euroleague), so the reason they repeatedly lost is because the brand of basketball learned and played by American players was THAT much inferior, that it sufficiently offset the massive talent gap.

This inferior brand of basketball proved that era was the weakest the NBA has ever seen, by far.. Accordingly, all players and stats from that era should be looked upon through this appropriate lense (i.e. the competition, players, and brand of basketball was super-weak.. weaker than Euroleague).
.

[Im Still Ballin]

The problem is you're focusing on the things in life that don't really matter. When I was a kid I had hopes and dreams. We all did. But over time, the daily grind gets in the way and you miss the things that really matter, even though they are right in front of you, staring you in the face. I think the next time you should ask yourself "Am I on the right track here?". I don't mean to be rude but people like you I really pity. So maybe you could use the few brain cells you have and take advantage of the knowledge I have given you now. Good luck

[fourkicks44]

30 teams then.. 30 teams now.

What's the difference? Same number of players in the league, or less.. There's never been MORE than 30 teams in the league - then it would be more diluted - the more teams, the more diluted the league is.

When was there 30 teams in the 90's?

[dubeta]

Smh such a weak era.

[Showtime80']

First of all, today's East is the MOST pathetic conference of all time in the NBA, just bad teams and bad basketball all around. Second is amazing how many people here really didn't see basketball in the 80's, from 1981 to 1988 it was a 23 team league with the obvious big four in the Lakers, Celtics, Sixers and Pistons but dig deeper and you'll find a plethora of teams in the East and West with multiple all-stars and hall of famers:

Rockets- Hakeem, Sampson and Malone (early to mid 80's)
Blazers- Drexler, Kiki V, Kersey and Porter (mid to late 80's)
Bulls- Jordan, Oakley, Pippen (mid to late 80's)
Cavs- Price, Daugherty, Harper (mid to late 80's)
Hawks- Wilkins, Rivers, Malone (mid to late 80's)
Jazz- Dantley, Malone, Griffith, Stockton (mid to late 80's)
Sonics- DJ, Chambers, Xman, Gus Johnson (early to late 80's)
Nuggets- English, Lever, Issel (early to mid 80's)
Spurs- Gervin, Mitchell, Gilmore, Moore (early 80's)
Knicks- Ewing, King, Jackson (mid to late 80's)
Bucks- Moncrief, Lanier, Presey, Cummings (early to late 80's)
Suns- Larry Nance, Walter Davis (early to mid 80's)
Mavs- Blackman, Aguirre, Donaldson, Harper (mid to late 80's)

That's 17 out 23 teams with multiple all-star and hall of famers in BOTH conferences with basketball being played THE RIGHT WAY with fundamentals before athleticism!

What's the big deal with having a larger talent pool if the game is being learned without fundamentals, physicality or overall IQ. The 80's talent pool produced a way better product.

[Showtime80']

And before I forget, NO RIVALRIES today that can compare to ANY of the 80's!

[christian1923]

the 10's suck man lol Miami had to go through Kemba Walker, Joe Johnson, and Paul George to make the finals

[ninephive]

Diluting the talent, effectively weakening the competition?

The 90's

Yah I remember. Right after the days when the Jordan Bulls were making the playoffs with a 30-52 record, lol.

[Showtime80']

Don't blame the Bulls for that, blame the powers that be that expanded the playoffs teams from 12 to 16 teams before the 1984 season which was ridiculous in a 23 team league. Look at the teams that made the playoffs from 1980 to 1983, virtually ALL OF THEM had winning records in East and West. Adjust the 1985 playoffs to 12 teams and the Bulls are not sniffing the post season.

This years east is probably going to field 3 teams with losing records!