"Times have changed" - Rod Strickland gets brutally honest on New York no longer being the mecca of basketball

For a time, New York was a hot spot for up-and-coming basketball players. With a budding streetball scene, players from NY had a certain flair in their game, and it wasn't surprising to see a crew of guys representing the city in the NBA.

One such player from the Big Apple who made it to the NBA was Rod Strickland . While Hot Rod was part of a large group of New York players who made it to the league, he noted how things aren't the same for the city as they once were.

Strickland keeps it real on NY basketball

The 6'3" guard was part of a group of strong guards, such as Mark Jackson and Kenny Smith, who were from New York and starred during their time in the NBA. It wasn't much of a surprise that these guys had similar styles of play, considering they were from the same city.

Nowadays, though, it's tough to see the NY style of basketball in the NBA. According to Strickland, that's mainly because basketball is a global game now, which has resulted in all these different styles of play meshing together.

"Times have changed," Rod said on The Mark Jackshow Show. "I feel like we were the mecca. It originated, that style that we watch now, New York. We know back in the day when you walked out of New York, there was just something about a New York player, point guard, there was a flair to it."

"And it's like the NBA, it's so global now. It started here, and now it's all over. I think it started at the mecca in New York, and now, you go everywhere and there's guys who are playing like New York ballplayers. Is it the same? I don't know if I want to say we're down, but everyone's up. The world has changed. You got any city, any playground, any gym, and you can see identical things," he added.

Rod highlights the big change the NBA has faced

Over the years, there have been many changes when it comes to developing basketball players. AAU and prep teams are all the rage in the United States currently, which means that where players come from doesn't really matter as much anymore.

The one area where that isn't true is Europe, where players are developed entirely differently than in America. It's not a surprise that guys like Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic have brought unique play styles to the NBA that have completely changed the game.

As Strickland notes, it's OK that New York isn't really the mecca of the basketball world anymore because no single place has replaced it. That's just a testament to how many different people are playing basketball.

Maybe one day, developmental programs will change, and The City That Never Sleeps will be on the rise again, but for the time being, the city a player comes from doesn't really matter anymore. It may be tough for Strickland and other NY guys to admit, but that's simply how the game has evolved.

Related: Rod Strickland breaks down the difference between young US and European players: "Europeans just wanted to hoop"