A few weeks ago, Anthony Edwards sparked widespread debate with his bold claim that players from the ’80s and ’90s lacked the basketball skills of today’s athletes. Apart from Michael Jordan, he questioned the abilities of many iconic figures from that era. While his comments ignited controversy, Gilbert Arenas largely sided with the 23-year-old.
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Arenas took it up a notch. He referenced Ant’s comments to challenge the perceived dominance of MJ as a shooting guard. The 3x All-Star argued that Jordan’s attributes were unmatched by his peers in the 1990s. However, he said that it was no longer the case in the modern NBA.
“All we can off is just the metrics of their agility, speed, and then their jumping ability, height, and attributes. That’s all we can go off of. So, as a shooting guard… You’re talking about somebody like DeMar DeRozan, James Harden… PG [Paul George], Zach LaVine, f***ing [Malik] Monk can go up in there. It’s a normal thing. 40-inch vertical. That wasn’t a thing back then.”
The 42-year-old then named a few of the 6x champion’s greatest rivals to drive his point home. He argued that Joe Dumars, who faced Jordan four times in the playoffs, and Reggie Miller, who nearly derailed Michael Jordan’s second three-peat quest in the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals, were not worthy of being in the top five all-time shooting guards.
“If you really wanna have this discussion about Jordan’s competition, just go this, ‘Top Five Shooting Guards in History.’ He didn’t play against any of them.”
Michael Jordan DID NOT play against any Top 5 SG’s in history ️ pic.twitter.com/IRZU4dcZiH
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) August 28, 2024
Arenas‘ seemingly biased observations relied heavily on the players’ attributes and traits. It failed to account for their style of play, achievements, and legacy.
For instance, Miller transformed the game with his three-point shooting and even held the title of most career threes in the NBA for years with 2,560. His contributions earned him a place in the Hall of Fame and the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
Dumars was an equally important figure in this era. He was pivotal in the Detroit Pistons’ back-to-back championship wins in 1989 and 1990. His heroics in the first title win even earned him the NBA Finals MVP award. The 6-time All-Star was also inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.
Throughout the ’90s, MJ squared off against many Hall of Fame-caliber players at his position. Clyde Drexler and Mitch Richmond were among his standout rivals. This list also included emerging stars like Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant, both of whom later became MVPs and Hall of Famers.
Thus, MJ’s legacy in the game will continue to remain intact.
