Known for his savage trash-talking skills, Gary Payton has never shied away from expressing his opinions about his beloved sport. He recently voiced his disdain for today's NBA players overreacting to physical contact during games just to convince the referees.
According to "The Glove," this theatrical display blatantly dilutes the spirit of competition, which is supposedly the brand of basketball the NBA should uphold. Unsurprisingly, Payton reiterated that it was the complete opposite of how they played back then.
"Soft. These kids are in a different generation," the Hall of Fame point guard said of today's NBA on The Players Club podcast. "And then this crazy mess where you gotta go to a monitor and see if you got hit in the head and everything. In our era, if you went to the basket, we wouldn't let nobody dunk and we gonna put you in the third row. And then you just come on back."
"Nowadays, they be like, 'Hold on, hold on, hold on. Let's check it. Let's see what happens.' And then you put an ice pack on your head and all that stuff, and you're looking crazy like you done got shot or something," he continued. "Then they get the ball back, and then they're laughing at you because they fooled you."
Everybody wants to shoot treys
Payton made a good point, as the NBA has undeniably seen a dramatic transformation over the past few decades. The game has evolved in terms of style, pace, and the rules surrounding physical play.
Apart from how the game is being played, "The Glove" also acknowledged how three-point shooting largely impacted these drastic changes. For GP, the physicality of the game significantly decreased because everybody has been reliant on outside shooting.
Payton believed that, though arguably more entertaining, this shift watered down the NBA as most players no longer banged bodies inside the paint. "The Glove reckoned that the dominant and talented big men were ultimately replaced by three-point shooters, which resulted in less action.
"When we played, it was inside-outside," Payton explained. "You give it to the big man… And then if you had a great player, he could create whatever he wants to. Nowadays, their weapon is a three-point."
Related: “He’s never with the same girl twice. None of them over twenty-five” - Former Lakers head coach on Jerry Buss's promiscuous lifestyle
Physical basketball is over
Payton's perspective is rooted in his own experiences on the court during his time in the NBA. Despite the physicality of the game back then, GP established himself not only as a lockdown defender but also as a mentally and physically tough player.
The Seattle Supersonics legend also pointed out that in his era, players were often lauded for their resilience, and being tough was a badge of honor. Unlike today, players during Payton's time were expected to endure rough play without demonstrating excessive emotion.
According to Payton, physical basketball has been completely erased and will never exist again in the NBA.
"You won't see physical basketball again. That's over," the nine-time All-Star concluded. "I just think it comes from an era in the league changing. The league wants to see more entertaining. And then you look at these kids, these kids go out here, and I think the NBA is more about, you know, the social thing around. They don't want kids to be thinking that they can go on the basketball court and do the same thing that their hero do in the NBA. So, they eliminate that."
Payton only sees two players who played tough like him in this era
GP has valued toughness and an unyielding competitive spirit throughout his entire NBA career. This philosophy has become a hallmark of his success, and it's also what he wants to see in a player. Even though "The Glove" criticizes the modern NBA as a whole, he has made a profound exemption for two specific players of the current era.
Based on Payton's assessment, he sees himself in Ja Morant and Marcus Smart as far as being relentless and fearless on the court.
"There's only one I like, really, really tough, and that's Ja. I like him a lot. I think he's got a lot of dawg like me. I think he doesn't back down to nobody, and he get it, he get the game," Payton once said . "And it's only one defensive dude that really think that models me, and that's Marcus Smart. I think he got that dawg in him, too, on that end, and he causes havoc. He causes problems."
In conclusion, while the modern NBA has embraced a more skillful and dynamic style of play, the decline in physicality raises important questions about the game's future.
Though debatable, some old-timers like Payton see this apparent softness as a potentially alarming trend in the NBA. They believe players should be able to find the perfect balance between entertainment and the true essence of competition.
Related: "Kids want to see guys get dunks" - Gary Payton believes nobody gives importance to defense in today's NBA
Local News
Comments / 0