Gary Payton says he basically hates everything about the current NBA

[pwaldo]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ba...1742--nba.html

"Basically everything. It's no defense, it's just run and gun. To me, there's only three point guards in the NBA that impress me; I got Chris Paul, Rondo, and another kid that I like a lot and I forgot his name right now. Oh, and Tony Parker. That's only three NBA players in there.

There's too much touch fouls. Every time you touch and they stay on the free throw line. That's no way to watch basketball. When we were playing, it was rough and tough. Even superstars like me fouled out a lot. That's because they let people play, and if you do something then you call it. But nowadays it's not like that and this is the era.

This is what kids want to see. You see these Playstations, they scoring 50 and 60 with one player, that's what they want to see on TV and I don't go with that. My era, give me one-on-one with somebody and stop him and right now you can't do that with a player because if you touch him he's going to the foul line and you're fouling out. Let him be rough. If he got an opportunity to go at you in the offensive end, let me go at him on the defensive end and rough him up. So that's the way I like basketball and I don't think it's like that.

[cgb_orl]

He gets it.

This league wants to break records in order to sell you a product. This is marketing. Since its all most people have seen, they accept it as amazing. Its stats on a platter.

[greenjeff98]

it was like this for years and years. you better be careful going into the basket with ewing and shaq on guard in the past.

[cgb_orl]

Even perimeter defense. Those guys use to score while being pushed and grabbed. You can't think about touching guys now and it's FTs. Is it any coincidence the hoard of "good" PGs now? The offensive guy has so many advantages. imo their main purpose of enforcing the flopping rule was to keep players on their feet while guys stiff arm them to the basket. The league is being sold to us. It's more of a show than actual competition.

But it's our fault because we complained when teams played defense or fundamental basketball. We like the video game version.

[gatorboymike]

He's right. LeBron would have been crushed into a fine paste and the other players would have shaken him off their shoes if he'd played in the 80s or 90s.

[pwaldo]

Is there anybody who watched basketball in the late 80s and throughout the 90s that thinks that basketball is better now? It isn't a bash if you do because it is your opinion but I was just curious as I've never heard a person actually say that before.

[cgb_orl]

I miss the head to heads. The competition. Players defining and carrying a city. Watching players struggle against a player/team and overcoming that hurdle. Being able to watch battles like you saw last night at least once a week and not once a month (Thanksgiving, Christmas). Watching defense being applied and the chess match between coaches to figure it out. Not players being bailed out by a whistle anytime it gets too tough. The game is a balance between both offense and defense. It is an art. We've tilted it like 80-20 offense.

We are sanitizing sports, as a whole, b/c everyone wants it to be cleaner, high scoring, etc. So the league, as a business, has to bend for the ratings. I get it but not exactly fair to the legends, record-holders who paved the way and came across their stats the hard way.

[pwaldo]

I miss the head to heads. The competition. Players defining and carrying a city.

Me too. But I don't think there are enough stars to actually carry teams anymore. The league over expanded and with everyone basically skipping college ball now you don't have the players increasing their skill level like before. They get into the NBA and use their raw talent to carry them.

[cgb_orl]

Me too. But I don't think there are enough stars to actually carry teams anymore. The league over expanded and with everyone basically skipping college ball now you don't have the players increasing their skill level like before. They get into the NBA and use their raw talent to carry them.

That's just the thing. Few players are destined to be stars anyways. It's those pieces that you put around the Shaqs, Magics, Birds, Duncans, Jordans, etc that eventually become stars and champions. It's a process. Today those greats are on 1-2 teams so no wonder we only see a few potential stars rising. Raw / young talent can make it, but when you put them in bad situations they fade quickly. It's a higher learning curve. They are in hapless situations and have to basically go it along.

Just to add - Dispersing the existing talent is the answer and it would, in fact, put more guys in situations to become stars. You will see better competition. But they will never do it. I believe the league's position is to load up the existing stars with accolades to adequately promote them. That is the game we are seeing being played. The only way to do that is to tilt the tables. Tweak the rules. Fine anyone who tries to speak against it. So I stopped asking questions like what would that choir and kia have done if Blake hadn't squeezed into the dunk finals. I understand it's a business before it's a game.

[Tagged]

I often find myself trolling through Youtube looking for Gary Payton moments, like his first game against Detroit. He gave Isiah a mouth full of trash, Isiah was a stud at the time, absolute gold. Isiah apparently asked team mates later who was that guy ?
How about Timmy, In yo face, to Charles.
If the current state of the NBA was all rosy, why do 90's basketball on Youtube get so many watches ?