Get over it, Barkley. Phoenix still wouldn't win jack s#it, today. I doubt that Suns would've beaten the Heat, Spurs, Lakers, Celtics or Piston championship teams.
The NBA of the 90s was definitely tougher, but Charles might have perceived it as even tougher than it actually was because of the fact the he was a 6'6" PF and had to take an unusual amount of punishment down low.
lose-lose situation when nba players are more friendly and play more "finesse" style of basketball they're labeled soft and "girly: if nba players show any kind of emotion or "toughness" they're labeled "thugs" by the media.
If he doesn't have any respect for today's game, then why is he even working on the TNT broadcast with Shaq, EJ and Kenny? smh
I'd tend to agree with him... NBA players of the 80's and early 90's were able to withstand the physical play AND put up points/make open shots. It was when NBA players stopped being able to do that with the physicality being enhanced by players becoming bigger/faster/stronger, combined with less and less college experience, and the NBA had to make the rule changes to keep their brand popular. Not sure the finnese/flopping players of today would be able to exceed back in the 90's... and on the flip side, not sure if they overly physical 90's teams (other than the guards) would be able to adjust to the ticky-tack nature of today's games. Today's game favors the guards... the 80's-90's game favored the big man.
There are a lot of tough players in the NBA, but it just the rule change doesn't allow them to do so.
By Barkley's logic guys like Billups are better than himself since he has a ring and a Finals MVP and Charles doesn't have any of those. If LeBron gets another Finals MVP and a ring - he'll have surpassed Kobe in my book by a large amount - (he is already ahead)
Barkley is supposed to be an NBA analyst, but he doesn't realize how much the game has changed from when he played. The teams today aren't girly because of the personnel. They have to play a finesse style because the different rules today favor the guards. Put Barkley's teams in a time machine and put them in the NBA today and they'd be forced to play the same exact way.
Yeah, no hand checking and bumping really gave the guards the green light. Any guard with quickness has a free lane inside and once the big man comes to help he will just kick it back out. A lot of drives and dish in today's era. 80-90s more passing around to everybody for a better look because defense on the perimeter was allowed. I miss the passing aspect of older era's. Players actually can shoot back then and make their open shots.
KJ would dominate in today's league.. he would be westbrook with more skills and better shooting and playmaking. 90's was definitely the golden era of the NBA.
Barkely's the only one being a whiny little biatch. Comparing 2 different era's with different sets of rules, give me a break.
If Lebron gets 2 more rings, 1 MVP + more, and perhaps even averages a TD for a season or gets DPOY in a single season, he's the GOAT.
The Rings comment is a generational talent comparison, and is more giving Kobe his props than a slight to Lebron. And how could you not expect Sir Charles to rep his era. He is an alpha dog, nothing wrong with that. He described people he played against the same way during his time. Y'all are going to miss Barkley when he is gone. Because there sure as hell isnt anyone like him in today's NBA (hence his point)
The only thing I agree with him is the '03 draft being weaker than the '84 draft. That '84 draft had argurably the best players in their positions ever to play. Hakeem, Stockton, Barkley are arguably the best in their positions. Then you have the GOAT in MJ. In the '03 draft, they might match GOAT with Lebron but outside of that, no one else in that draft will be considered the best of their position of all time. Not Wade, Bosh, Melo even though they might all have HOF careers. Lebron has surpassed Kobe, I feel. You don't win 4 MVPs in 5 years and not be in the conversation with MJ. The league today being a "girly" league is somewhat true but the game has changed since his time as its become more about finesse than strength as it was in the '90s. Though if flopping was under "girly" then by all means, fix that.
