The game of basketball is constantly evolving, and tendencies change from year to year. Still, one thing that players from the older generation constantly tend to comment on is their lack of the physicality of the modern NBA.
Even though the league changed the officiating rules mid-season and allowed much more contact than it did in recent years, old-school players still think that the game is much less physical and easier.
"It was a lot more physical back in our day, going back to our day, but it was way more physical," stated Shaq.
Shaq is baffled by players saying they get tired
The legendary center did not stop there; he also commented on the players talking about getting tired during the season and, especially, during the playoffs. Big Aristotle has a point when discussing the physicality of the game as he made his name on the low block, and his opponents threw everything at him as they tried to stop him.
"I hate going back to our day's way more physically. I don't see how you can be tired from running pick and roll all day. You know, they really have no hard flagrant fouls. You know, so, you know, like I heard a couple guys talking about physical game is, but that's not really. I don't see how they can be tired."
Shaq was an imposing player, and during his peak, he was in pristine form and endured the grueling NBA season, but the game was a bit slower during his time in the league. Basketball today is played at a much higher pace than it was during O'Neal's time, as teams don't play inside-out basketball with big men playing in pain; today, it is three-pointers and spread-out offense.
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O'Neal is not alone
His comments are not something fans and modern-day NBA players haven't heard. Even the guards from the '90s think that the game today is played and that today's guards would not survive while playing through contact. John Stockton , the Utah Jazz legend and one of the toughest players ever to play in the league, attested to that.
I'm a believer if you're a player, you need to be able to play through a certain amount of contact, period," he shared. "When I first got in the league, we were averaging 115 points a game, which was pretty legit, it was up and down and running, and it was physical. I think you need to find those balances. I think the series that kind of hurt everything was New York and Houston, where I think…85-to-84 was the average score."
With the new rule changes and a whole offseason to prepare for the coaches and players, we are certainly in for new versions of the beautiful game. Now we just need to see if the change will be for the better or worse for everybody watching and playing.
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