What NBA Era WASN'T a "Weak, Watered-Down" Era?

[SpecialQue]

I keep seeing this crap pop up when people try to discredit older players. So I want to get some kind of consensus here so we all know what kind of people we're dealing with. What era in basketball history WASN'T "weak" or "watered-down"?

[Eric Cartman]

They athleticism that we see today in the NBA is superior of that of the 80's & 90's. Atheles today are bigger, stronger, quicker. 20, 30 years ago the advantage was it was much more of a team concept of playing the game. Not this 1 on 1 streeball stuff you see some of the time here. I think the weakest era was that early 70's basketball. When Wilt slowed his GOAT role he had.

It is said that Larry Bird & Magic Johnson saved a dying sport, while raising it's popularity through the roof. True Story.

[Deuce Bigalow]

1979-80 to present

[StateOfMind12]

They athleticism that we see today in the NBA is superior of that of the 80's & 90's. Atheles today are bigger, stronger, quicker. 20, 30 years ago the advantage was it was much more of a team concept of playing the game. Not this 1 on 1 streeball stuff you see some of the time here. I think the weakest era was that early 70's basketball. When Wilt slowed his GOAT role he had.

It is said that Larry Bird & Magic Johnson saved a dying sport, while raising it's popularity through the roof. True Story.

Athletes are bigger and stronger these days because they don't play as fast as a pace as they did back in the days such as the 80s. You had to be in better running shaped or conditioned to play in NBA games and seasons back then than in today's game. That is why players were lighter back then and that is why they weren't as strong as they are now.

It has nothing to do with the evolution of the game or athleticism, that is garbage.

[jlauber]

In the '67 NBA season, the Lakers fielded a team that had Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, who were in their near-primes, and who averaged 29 ppg and 27 ppg respectively. They also had HOFer Gail Goodrich. Then they had Archie Clark, who would average 20 ppg and be an all-star guard the very next season. At PF, they had Rudy Larusso, who would average 22 ppg the very next season. On their bench, they had Walt Hazzard (Abdul-Rahman) who was lost to the expansion draft the next season, and would average 24 ppg that season. And, in addition to 6-10 journeyman center Darrell Imhoff, who averaged a 10-13 that season, they had TWO seven-footers, Mel Counts (who was a good outside shooter and could also play PF), and Henry Finkel.


With all of that talent, they could only go 36-45. Now, Baylor and West were the "Lebron and Wade" of their era. Can you imagine a PRIME Lebron and Wade, with a boatload of surrounding talent...going 36-45????

[STATUTORY]

In the '67 NBA season, the Lakers fielded a team that had Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, who were in their near-primes, and who averaged 29 ppg and 27 ppg respectively. They also had HOFer Gail Goodrich. Then they had Archie Clark, who would average 20 ppg and be an all-star guard the very next season. At PF, they had Rudy Larusso, who would average 22 ppg the very next season. On their bench, they had Walt Hazzard (Abdul-Rahman) who was lost to the expansion draft the next season, and would average 24 ppg that season. And, in addition to 6-10 journeyman center Darrell Imhoff, who averaged a 10-13 that season, they had TWO seven-footers, Mel Counts (who was a good outside shooter and could also play PF), and Henry Finkel.


With all of that talent, they could only go 36-45. Now, Baylor and West were the "Lebron and Wade" of their era. Can you imagine a PRIME Lebron and Wade, with a boatload of surrounding talent...going 36-45????

no era more watered down than the non ABA NBA merged, still not fully racially integrated 60s era

[Deuce Bigalow]

no era more watered down than the non ABA NBA merged, still not fully racially integrated 60s era

"Bbbbu bbbut bbut but my father...I mean Wilt played in that era!" - jlauber

[AMISTILLILL]

In the '67 NBA season, the Lakers fielded a team that had Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, who were in their near-primes, and who averaged 29 ppg and 27 ppg respectively. They also had HOFer Gail Goodrich. Then they had Archie Clark, who would average 20 ppg and be an all-star guard the very next season. At PF, they had Rudy Larusso, who would average 22 ppg the very next season. On their bench, they had Walt Hazzard (Abdul-Rahman) who was lost to the expansion draft the next season, and would average 24 ppg that season. And, in addition to 6-10 journeyman center Darrell Imhoff, who averaged a 10-13 that season, they had TWO seven-footers, Mel Counts (who was a good outside shooter and could also play PF), and Henry Finkel.


With all of that talent, they could only go 36-45. Now, Baylor and West were the "Lebron and Wade" of their era. Can you imagine a PRIME Lebron and Wade, with a boatload of surrounding talent...going 36-45????

This dude is ****ing shameless. Get a hobby.

[bwink23]

They athleticism that we see today in the NBA is superior of that of the 80's & 90's. Atheles today are bigger, stronger, quicker. 20, 30 years ago the advantage was it was much more of a team concept of playing the game. Not this 1 on 1 streeball stuff you see some of the time here. I think the weakest era was that early 70's basketball. When Wilt slowed his GOAT role he had.

It is said that Larry Bird & Magic Johnson saved a dying sport, while raising it's popularity through the roof. True Story.

Even if that were the case, that still wouldn't apply, since everyone for their own era was on a equal plane..

[jlauber]

In a recent interview by David Feherty, Bill Russell recalled the story of a conversation he had with Michael Jordan a few years ago. He told Jordan that MJ's series winning assist to John Paxson in the '93 Finals would not have happened in the 60's. When Jordan asked him why, Russell responded, that Paxson would have been watching the game from the stands. When MJ continued to question Russell, Russell said, no offense to Paxson, but he would not have been the 100th best player in the league in the 60's, and therefore would not have made an NBA roster back then.

[Asukal]

LOL! This pervert gaylauber.....

[STATUTORY]

In a recent interview by David Feherty, Bill Russell recalled the story of a conversation he had with Michael Jordan a few years ago. He told Jordan that MJ's series winning assist to John Paxson in the '93 Finals would not have happened in the 60's. When Jordan asked him why, Russell responded, that Paxson would have been watching the game from the stands. When MJ continued to question Russell, Russell said, no offense to Paxson, but he would not have been the 100th best player in the league in the 60's, and therefore would not have made an NBA roster back then.

can we stop being delusional about the past?

this was bob cousy who was putting up 20 points and 18 points in the 60s and he was dribbling like this:

John Paxson along with any decent 90s guard would have ShIetted on him

[bwink23]

In a recent interview by David Feherty, Bill Russell recalled the story of a conversation he had with Michael Jordan a few years ago. He told Jordan that MJ's series winning assist to John Paxson in the '93 Finals would not have happened in the 60's. When Jordan asked him why, Russell responded, that Paxson would have been watching the game from the stands. When MJ continued to question Russell, Russell said, no offense to Paxson, but he would not have been the 100th best player in the league in the 60's, and therefore would not have made an NBA roster back then.

That problem with this J, is that many of those 60's players wouldn't even make a roster in the 80's or 90's.

[Deuce Bigalow]

can we stop being delusional about the past?

this was bob cousy who was putting up 20 and 18 points in the 60s and he was dribbling like this:

John Paxson along with any decent 90s guard would have ShIetted on him

a simple stop juked the defender and made him fall, then went right through them like they weren't even there

[bwink23]

"weak and watered down" is just some B.S. made up by detractors of Jordnan's reign....League expansion only hurts if there isn't enough talent to fill the spots. Obviously, 23 teams vs. 30, the talent will get spread a little thin. But this is the United States, and there is no shortage of basketball talent here.