For years, the question of who is better has been argued between the NBA legends of the past and the stars of the present. However, the former Sacramento Kings point guard Jason Williams believes that Oscar Robertson will struggle if he plays the modern game.
Old School vs. New School: The NBA Debate
Normally, players from the past claim that their generations are better than all the rest. Luckily, an old-school player rarely gives kudos to the new generation.
Jason Williams was one of the few voices, Sports Illustrated describes. In a recent podcast appearance with former player Stephen Jackson, Williams confessed on the mic that today's game has evolved beyond those playing in the old generation.
"All these older players were great but to me, the game has evolved. I think it's hard to compare these players. They were all great in their own way," the White Chocolate said.
Williams Admits the Game Has Changed
Jason Williams played in the NBA from 1998 through 2011. He was part of the Miami Heat team that captured the championship in 2006. Jason is on the side of the contention that players who play today are bigger, faster, and stronger than their contemporaries of yesteryears.
"It's not a knock on all-time greats of my generation, but the game's different," the former NBA champion said.
According to Williams, it's a tough comparison of players from different generations with increasing athleticism and physicality. "It's not the same game anymore," he said while noting today's athletes are conditioned at a different level.
Are Yesterday's Stars Out of Their Depth Today?
Williams took it a step further by saying that players like John Stockton, Muggsy Bogues, and Steve Kerr wouldn't be able to survive in today's highly furious and more physically demanding NBA.
Even though the names he's mentioning are legendary for their reasons, Williams feels like the competition has tightened up so much nowadays that players of that style can't handle it.
Williams's comment should not be directed against former players. One of the most prominent figures of the league in the best 75 was Oscar Robertson, dubbed as the first player who managed to master the triple-double feat. It is hard to imagine someone like Robertson not to shine today. Still, Williams's point of view brings a new perspective while giving due credit to the modern generation of NBA stars.
"Oscar Robertson is one of the greatest ever," Williams said. "He can't play today."
Is It Time to Let Go of the Comparisons?
For such a thin margin of observation, comparing present-day NBA players with the legends of old will always be a contentious and perhaps endemic debate; Williams is right. Instead of growing old like some philosophers discussing which era was better, maybe it is time to embrace that the game has evolved: something comes into the court from a generation.
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