When you bring up the debate of MJ vs Lebron, it always turns into a debate between this era and the past. This brings up the question, “are basketball players better today?”. In this blog post we will dive into the multiple points of view and try to come to a conclusion.
To do this we will dive into all the different aspects of skill, size, athleticism, etc.
Dribbling Skills
The first skill we will be going over is dribbling. Let’s take a look at some of the very first basketball game highlights below and see how the dribbling fares to today’s players.
(Enter Old Ball Handling Video Here)
As you could see, the first players were pretty limited in their dribbling skills and the moves they did have were basic. As time has gone on, players have gotten better and evolved from a dribbling standpoint and as we got into Michael Jordans era, primarily point guards and eventually shooting guards started to develop their ball handling and make it more creative.
(Enter Jordan Ball Handling Video Here)
Now if you take today’s players. Of course you have Kyrie and Steph Curry who are arguable the best ball handlers in the league and have some of the most creative dribbling skills. But you also have guys like Kevin Durant who is 7 feet tall but can still handle the ball like a guard. So this has really taken it to a whole new level of dribbling and skill.
(Enter Modern Video Of Durant)
Winner When It Comes To Dribbling: New Era
Shooting
This aspect to me shouldn’t even be a debate. Steph Curry is the best shooter ever by far. Not only that, but 2020-21 is the year the most 3 point shots have ever been taken. Not only is it the most, but teams shot the highest percentage ever at .367%. The only year comparable was 95-96 where they shot the same percentage, but the difference is that teams only took 16 3’s per game.
Now let’s talk about the style of the three’s. Players in the 90’s took significantly more catch and shoot threes in comparison to today.
In today’s game players shoot more off the dribble. Pay attention to Steph, Kyrie, Damian Lillard, and James Harden. They all shoot primarily off the dribble which is much hard to do than be a catch and shoot specialist.
Shooting Goes To The New Era
Passing
Passing is a tough thing to compare because of the difference in style of play. Back in the 80’s and 90’s point guards were primarily passers because of the fact that the big men did a lot of the scoring.
The one thing that you could say has changed, is that big men and forwards have become significantly better at passing. Players like Jokic, Lebron, Durant, and others are all good passers.
With the exception of a few people (Scottie Pippen) passing was not a huge asset in the 80’s and 90’s for players other than the point guard.
That’s Why I’m Going To Go With The New ERA For Passing
Dunking
Think about the dunk contest is the 80’s, 90’s, and early 2000’s. When Michael Jordan dunked from the free throw line, it was one of the most amazing dunks anyone has ever seen. But if you look at the dunk contest today, it’s a completely different level.
Zach Laving for example, has don’t a windmill and has gone under the legs from the free throw line. Players in college are easily dunking from the free throw line and are doing crazy dunks that you never thought were possible.
The Winner Of Dunking Is CLEARLY The New Era.
Post Game
This is one for the older era. The post game of the big men was significantly better back in the 80’s and 90’s. Think of guys like Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Shaq, etc. These players all had great footwork and were dominant down low.
In today’s game, that level of footwork isn’t as prevalent due to the fact that big men really don’t have to use that style of play as much.
When you think of big men like Anthony Davis, they are able to shoot threes and play on the perimeter more.
Don’t get me wrong there are still a few big men in the league who can dominate the post like Giannis Antetokounmpo, but that level of play isn’t as common.
Post Game Goes To The Old Era.
Physicality
The average height in the NBA has pretty much stayed the same from the 80’s and 90’s. However, the players are much bigger and stronger. On average players across the board are 7 pounds heaver all together. This may not sound like much, but when you take into consideration the fact that centers have slimmed down to become more mobile, the extra 7 pounds for a shooting guard or small forward is significant.
When you want to talk about the rules, that’s a different story. But we can only compare the actual players.
The Winner Of Physicality Is CLEARLY The New Era.
Pressure
Something that hasn’t been taken into consideration is the pressure the newer players face. They have cameras following them around all day long and can see all the negative things people have to say about them. Despite all of this, they still have to go out and perform at their best every single day.
Lebron has had a level of coverage combined with expectations that no player ever has had, and he still is able to perform at a high level.
The Winner Of Pressure Is The New ERA.
So Why Are Players So Much Better Today?
The key reason why basketball players seem to be better today is for a couple reasons. The first reason is that they have built on top of what the past has done.
Without The Originals We Wouldn Be Here
The influence of the original greats have made a huge impact on today’s players. They all read books, watched footage, and studied the game to understand what it takes to be successful in basketball. This has allowed them to build on top of those who came before them and continue to get better. Dribbling got more creative, so did dunking, and other aspects of the game.
Advancements In Technology and Training
Newer facilities have created an environment where athletes could reach their full potential. Sports science and different analytics have helped trainers understand how to best prepare athletes for the game.
When you look at Lebron and see how he spends $1 million per year on his body, half the things he does to maintain his body probably wasn’t even an option back in the 80’s and 90’s.
Conclusion
Now that we dove into every aspect of the game, it’s clear that the new players are much more evolved than those from the 80’s and 90’s. That’s not to say the players from those times aren’t appreciated, because without them there wouldn’t be the game we know today.
If you’ve managed to read the article all the way through, I want to hear your opinion in the comment section below. What do you think are some of the key differences between old and new basketball?
