- Aug 6, 2012
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I don't know if it was the best era, the 80s, most of which I missed, was very exciting and extremely competitive. Without question though, 90s Bball was FAR better than todays game. Watching guys run up and down the court and float the ball in unimpeded from centre court, isn't exciting to me.
Payton was definitely one of my favourite guards, though I wasn't a Seattle fan per se. He was a complete guard who was tireless on the court, a fierce competitor and a cerebral player. I believe he and John Stockton are overlooked by sports media in history, but whom their opponents and fans respected. Stockton, robbed of a ring against Jordan (I don't care, the pick and roll is legit), I think Payton found a ring later in his career. I'd take both of them if I were building a team.
For fans, I think the baseline drives and under the net battles are far more engaging than the 3 pointer. That was 90s Bball, though the Bad Boy Pistons had to be reigned in, they were sort of the Broad Street Bullies of basketball, and it worked when the league allowed it; the game didn't need to get away from some of the contact and beautiful drives of the Jordans and Hakeem and others.
Curry seems to have changed the game as everyone realizes now "hey, I don't even need to be a great athlete or even tall, as long as I can accurately throw a ball from half way across the court, I can make millions".
Good for them. Bad for the fans,
www.foxnews.com
There are two debates that will forever engulf NBA fans – who is the greatest basketball player of all time and which era of basketball was better?
Gary Payton recently weighed in on the latter.
The Basketball Hall of Famer and nine-time All-Star said in an interview with the Boardroom he believes the style of basketball played in the 1990s was the best era for the sport. He expressed how he wasn’t a big fan of the way the game has evolved into more fast breaks and long-distance shooting.
"It’s different because we were in a different era. Our era was us taking pride in more than one thing; this era is about scoring. Our era was about defense, being rough, getting out there, and getting it done," Payton said.
Payton was definitely one of my favourite guards, though I wasn't a Seattle fan per se. He was a complete guard who was tireless on the court, a fierce competitor and a cerebral player. I believe he and John Stockton are overlooked by sports media in history, but whom their opponents and fans respected. Stockton, robbed of a ring against Jordan (I don't care, the pick and roll is legit), I think Payton found a ring later in his career. I'd take both of them if I were building a team.
For fans, I think the baseline drives and under the net battles are far more engaging than the 3 pointer. That was 90s Bball, though the Bad Boy Pistons had to be reigned in, they were sort of the Broad Street Bullies of basketball, and it worked when the league allowed it; the game didn't need to get away from some of the contact and beautiful drives of the Jordans and Hakeem and others.
Curry seems to have changed the game as everyone realizes now "hey, I don't even need to be a great athlete or even tall, as long as I can accurately throw a ball from half way across the court, I can make millions".
Good for them. Bad for the fans,
NBA legend Gary Payton says his era of basketball was best
Gary Payton believes the era of basketball he played in was the best and dismissed the way the game is being played currently.
www.foxnews.com
There are two debates that will forever engulf NBA fans – who is the greatest basketball player of all time and which era of basketball was better?
Gary Payton recently weighed in on the latter.
The Basketball Hall of Famer and nine-time All-Star said in an interview with the Boardroom he believes the style of basketball played in the 1990s was the best era for the sport. He expressed how he wasn’t a big fan of the way the game has evolved into more fast breaks and long-distance shooting.
"It’s different because we were in a different era. Our era was us taking pride in more than one thing; this era is about scoring. Our era was about defense, being rough, getting out there, and getting it done," Payton said.
