The game of basketball as we know it has changed over the years for good or bad. Every few decades, a player, like LeBron James or Stephen Curry impacts the game in such a way that it leads to a change in the way the game is played going forward. There is no comparison of what was better or what is worse. All these changes were a step towards developing the beautiful game we have come to love.
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Both old and new generations are guilty of criticizing the game in the other era. The retired players call out the current generation for being too soft or shooting too many jumpers. The new-generation players criticize the previous generation for being too physical or lacking the skill to shoot the basketball.
However, players like Larry Bird realize the importance of today’s game and wants to appreciate the players for taking it forward. It was Magic Johnson and Bird that helped revive the league in the 1980s with their incredible play and budding rivalry.
When Larry Bird called out retired players in his speech by bringing up LeBron James’ greatness
In the 2019 NBA Awards, Larry Bird was presented with the Lifetime Achievement award for his contributions to the game of basketball. While accepting the award on the stage, he took the opportunity to appreciate the players and rebuked the retired colleagues for criticizing them. Here is what he said:
“These old, broken-down NBA players talking about their era and how great they were back then, and the players today are not as good as they were back then.”
The Celtics legend does have a point about some players appearing as guests on television or podcasts. There has been a lot of criticism about players complaining to the referees, settling for jump shots, displaying a lack of assertiveness on the floor, and so on. Though it may hold in some instances, a lot of it comes off as hateful or over-critical. Larry shows his support for the young crop and says:
“… You haven’t seen LeBron James in the last 17, 18 years? You haven’t seen Klay Thompson score 37 points in one quarter. You don’t see James Harden come down the lane and dunking on whoever’s standing there. It’s just amazing how these guys are playing the game today, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
These words of a legend, serve as great motivation for the active players as they continue to strive for success.
How have players changed the game through the years?
As in life, everything keeps evolving, and nothing remains constant, the same holds for the game of basketball. There have been multiple players whose actions on the floor have led to an impactful change in the rules.
Wilt Chamberlain’s physical prowess led to a widening of the lane and the introduction of offensive goal-tending. Magic Johnson taking on Larry Bird and Co introduced the world to ‘Showtime’ basketball. The level of physical play on Michael Jordan forced the league to limit hand-checking. Shaquille O’Neal’s dominance resulted in a new rule, restricting players to three seconds in the paint.
The most recent change, however, is due to Stephen Curry’s shooting ability from beyond the arc. It has eliminated the role of a typical big man and left no room for players who cannot shoot the basketball. The floor is now more spaced out than ever, and scoring from the three-point range is at an all-time high.
