Stephen A. Smith disagrees with JJ Redick's take that Michael Jordan's era was watered down: "Did y'all watch the Pistons? The Celtics?"
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The era basketball legend and Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan dominated, the late 1980s and 90s saw some of the toughest and roughest basketball played. Today’s NBA features cordial relationships between players from different teams. However, that bygone era had some bad blood between teams and players, which was evident on the court and still endures today.
However, former NBA player turned analyst JJ Redick apparently lost sight of this, asserting that MJ’s era was “watered down” due to the six expansion teams that the NBA welcomed then. Upon hearing of Redick’s statement, renowned commentator Stephen A. Smith blew his top and refuted the former’s take, saying Redick must be “off his rocker” for saying such things.
Respect the past
There is no doubt how much the NBA game has changed since Jordan last stepped on the court. The game is quicker, players may be more skilled and athletic, and how games are officiated has changed significantly. However, to claim that the past era was “watered down” is disrespectful to the players who gave their all and paved the way for future generations.
After all, Jordan had to endure hellfire and brimstone in the form of the legendary Boston Celtics, the rough Detroit Pistons, and the equally ferocious New York Knicks to reach the promised land; his Airness’ path to greatness certainly wasn’t lined with roses.
“JJ is one of those guys that’s looking at the athleticism that exists, the pace of play, how it’s quickened, how more is required physically of talent today compared to what it was. But did you watch the Bad Boy Pistons? Did you watch the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics in the early 80s, even with the Twin Towers in Houston?” Stephen A stressed.
“Do you remember when Mark McGuire and those boys were on the Dallas Mavericks back in the day with Rolando Blackman and Derek Harper? Do you remember San Antonio with Artis Gilmore? Do you remember Milwaukee with Bob Lanier?” the audacious commentator continued, rattling off names of those who ran the league then.
While Redick was right that the league welcomed several teams when MJ was playing, this didn’t mean that these teams were employing civilians, as 20-year veteran Udonis Haslem emphasized.
“You’re still getting NBA players. You weren’t getting 90 civilians. You were still bringing in guys that had skill sets and NBA talent. So you can say today, we got the two-way contracts where guys go to the G-league and come in. So, does that mean the league watered down now?” Haslem said.
A bruising era
When discussing NBA basketball in the 1980s and 1990s, one can’t gloss over how brutal the game’s physicality was. MJ certainly remembers the “Jordan Rules” the Pistons employed, where every move to the basket was met with a force that bordered on dirty and unsportsmanlike.
“The game was far more physical back in the day than it is today. You could, you could foul out for having bad breath today,” the boisterous talking head said.
“Them was grown men back then, and you had to guard your yard. It wasn’t 50 pick and roll. If they saw a mismatch on the court, they were going at you every time, and they had to take you out. You couldn’t play that night because they were going to go at you and embarrass you every night,” UD stated.
Fierce competitiveness defined Jordan’s era, where players and teams scratched and clawed for every win. While most players did not have the athleticism or skills they have today, they made up for it with grit and determination.