For whatever reason, players from the 1980s and 90s love to share their thoughts on which current NBA players could play in their era. In a disingenuous attempt to put their eras above all others that came after them, former players such as Larry Johnson have been culprits in casting judgment on the modern Association and its players. According to him, only a handful of players come to mind that could succeed in his era.
Johnson, a two-time All-Star in 1993 and 1995, appeared on the Knuckleheads podcast and was asked to name stars who could have succeeded during his playing days.
"Well, we gotta get physical, and there is not a lot of that going on, you know. I always thought like, we look at these youngsters, and I go, okay, who could have played with us? You know, Leonard, of course, I think cause he plays defense first. So, I think Kawhi definitely would've fit in. Of course, LeBron because he got the big body. He can play. I don't think he'd be as dominant as with us as he is with these youngsters, you know. He would get into some fights," he said.
"It was a challenge; you know what I mean? You don't see a lot of physical play down low. I think even the center play is not there anymore. You got Joel Embiid. Embiid is just dominating everybody cause he is willing to go down low and do it," he added.
Refusing science
It's bizarre to think about, but it seems as though NBA fans and former players are the only cohort involved in sports that can never accept or acknowledge that the game naturally evolves over time.
The game hasn't regressed since Johnson suited up for the Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks in the late 90s and early 2000s, and superstars are not worse than they were two decades ago.
Related: "We might be talking about the greatest player who ever played" - Larry Brown said he could've made Allen Iverson the GOAT
Everyone could succeed
To earlier points, the reality is that all players playing today could have succeeded in earlier eras. People often mistake the game's being more physical in previous generations for being better, and it's a trap Johnson and other great players from previous decades find themselves falling into.
Bringing up the names of LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, and Joel Embiid is an easy choice, considering they are some of the more physically imposing and dominant players in the modern era. However, saying Bron wouldn't have been as dominant in the '90s is laughable, considering he was significantly bigger and stronger than every elite wing at that time.
At the end of the day, Johnson would be wise to credit the eras that came after them as the new generation of stars continues to carry the game forward despite all the criticism.
Related: Stephen A. Smith claps back at Kevin Garnett saying today's players couldn't play in the 90s: "LeBron would've been hurting people"
Local News
