(Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
Many people see the decade of the 1990s as a golden era for the NBA in which the game was played the way it was supposed to be and players wanted to compete against and defeat each other rather than team up with each other.
While that assessment is hyperbolic, it was a good era for the NBA, as it continued to grow and saw high ratings and attendance across the land.
On the other hand, the league had issues in the 1990s, including a declining talent pool and a plunge in the quality of play, and today, the “we’re done with the ’90s” social media meme has reminded people of those issues.
Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves offered some hyperbole to counter those who look at the 1990s through rose-colored glasses when he said Michael Jordan “was the only one that really had skill” during that decade.
Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, whose career extended into the early 1990s, clapped back at Edwards’ claim.
Propaganda works, so be careful what you choose to believe. https://t.co/A2fJvxDlmd
— Isiah Thomas (@IsiahThomas) August 20, 2024
Thomas’ Detroit Pistons had some memorable and fierce battles with Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the late 1980s and early 1990s, so Thomas would know better than most how skilled Jordan really was.
Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player ever, and as his career progressed, he improved his shooting and passing skills to make up for his waning athleticism.
While it is true that today’s players are much more skilled than their counterparts from decades ago, particularly at the guard and wing positions, portraying players from the 1990s as devoid of skill is simply a gross exaggeration.
It was an era in which the 3-point shot was proliferating and players’ ball-handling skills and ability to break ankles with maneuvers such as the crossover dribble were greatly improving.
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