Culture in the NBA is perhaps the least talked about aspect when comparing era to era. Outside of the natural bias that comes with superstars believing they played in the best period of league history, the NBA's culture is what dictated their approach and sometimes even their success. When it came to Michael Jordan , the Chicago Bulls legend believes his era should be the standard by which players today build their culture.
In his book "Driven From Within," Jordan discussed his concerns about the modern NBA and why he thinks players today need other role models to reach their potential.
"Tomorrow's kids will have to see someone playing hurt and see someone practicing the day after winning a championship. We have to provide examples so they can relate to that ideal. Otherwise, they will get bad habits. If we lose that gap, then it starts to fade away, and 20 years from now, you will never see someone play sick or get out on the floor with a sore ankle," Mike said in the book.
Culture issues
As the years have passed, more and more scrutiny has been cast on the new generations of NBA players, who often prioritize the luxuries of having millions of dollars instead of the trajectory of their professional careers.
As social media has also become a daily part of the league, there is nothing that flies under the radar. This indirectly puts pressure on players' performances and magnifies the microscope on where the league is going.
Needless to say, most of the players from Jordan's era look down on today's Association and feel that the fundamentals that made their NBA great have been lost.
Related: Mike Krzyzewski on how Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant approached Team USA practices: "They were all business"
Removing bad habits
One of the more underrated losses in the league, which has undoubtedly faded over time, is the lack of veteran leadership.
Jordan emphasized the need for guys to have examples for them to follow, but as the league has become younger and younger with each passing generation, naturally steady veterans on the end of the bench have faded out.
As a result, MJ and others feel bad habits have now run rampant throughout the NBA, to the point that professional players don't understand the fundamentals of the game at all.
One could argue that the product on the floor is a byproduct of the culture inside the locker room and away from the arena. That said, Jordan could see the culture shifting as he left the league as a player and transitioned into the front office.
Since leaving the association, MJ has remained outspoken about the problems with the modern NBA. The Bulls legend has also been a big advocate for change, as he fears the game will continue to trend towards a certain direction.
Related: Former Sixers owner said he had a deal to trade Julius Erving for Michael Jordan before the '84 Draft: "Rod Thorn killed that one"
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