Paul George has called Anthony Edwards ' recent comments about Michael Jordan being the only skilled player from the '80s and '90s 'disrespectful,' stressing the importance of giving dues to the people who paved the way for players like him and Edwards.
“I thought it was kind of disrespectful to the game. I thought it was a very immature comment. Obviously, Anthony Edwards is super talented, but just how much the game has grown, you gotta pay dues to those dudes who did it before us.
George also made it clear that players from every generation should be familiar with the games of legends like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird .
I think that's where the transition or the translation between that era and his era (comes). They don't really know too much about Magic, Bird, etc. As players, you gotta know these guys.”
Edwards' comments came after the Paris Olympics. On a panel hosted by Jalen Rose alongside Team USA teammate Kevin Durant, Edwards openly dissed the skill level of older players in favor of promoting Jordan as the only one with any real skill in that era.
"I didn't watch it back in the day, so I can't speak on it. They say it was tougher back then than it is now, but I don't think anybody had skill back then. Michael Jordan was the only one who really had skill, you know what I mean? So that's why when they saw Kobe, they were like, 'Oh, my God.' But now everybody has skill."
This is incorrect on almost every level and seems like a biased take that Edwards didn't think too deeply about. Obviously, there were a lot of skilled players in that era, though we can agree with Edwards that the overall skill level in the NBA now is much higher. That wouldn't have been possible without the older players who paved the way for someone like Edwards to develop his skillset enough to make a comment like this.
Anthony Edwards Was Flamed By Two Former Finals MVPs
Edwards' comments didn't go under the radar for even a day before the disrespected legends started weighing into what he had to say. Two-time NBA Champion Isiah Thomas was the first to criticize Edwards, placing the blame on propaganda about the older generation being unskilled .
"Propaganda works, so be careful what you choose to believe."
Magic Johnson is a five-time NBA Champion and had a much more confrontational response, openly saying that Edwards' opinion won't matter to him until he wins an NBA Championship .
“I never respond to a guy who's never won a championship. There's not nothing to really say. He didn't win a college championship, I don't even know if he won a high school championship.”
Edwards will have a golden chance to compete for a title next season, making the Western Conference Finals in 2024. He averaged 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds. and 5.1 assists and is unquestionably one of the hottest young stars in the NBA right now.
Related: Naming The 10 Most Skilled Players Of The Old Generation To Debunk Anthony Edwards' Disrespectful Statement
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