In the past month or so, there has been a certain amount of controversy in the basketball world. The root of this controversy is stemming from the fact that many old-timers from the NBA have been saying that current superstars, like Steph Curry, would not be as successful if they had played in previous eras. With all statistics, analysis and personal preferences aside, these statements are completely ridiculous for one reason: no one cares.
Many people may try to contest and say that these comparisons are important, but for anyone who truly loves the sport of basketball, they should be insignificant. Basketball is a competitive sport and having talented individuals who play the game is extremely important. What people have a tendency to overlook is just how similar all of these players are. People want to look at stats and compare and contrast the best players in history instead of looking at the one thing that they all have in common. All of them have revolutionized the game in some way or another.
Just as we experience many individual moments that add up to the sum of our lives, basketball is a collection of beautiful moments that add up to the greatest sport there is. Each player who has ever played the game has brought their own style. They may be the one with flash, the one who can't miss a shot, or the one that works harder than anyone else on the court. Whatever their style, they are all important.
Growing up I used to have a DVD that I got out of a box of Wheaties with a documentary of some of the best moments in basketball history. The documentary covered almost every era, with game film from the 1960s and into the early 2000s. As I watched, it was easy to see how the game had changed. They added this strange new thing called the 3-point line, and teams started to play differently. There were many different styles of play as the game progressed but this was not the focus of the documentary. What stood out on this Wheaties DVD is just how good all of these great players were. Not just the older ones, and not just the newer ones.
So when past players decide to make statements about how current players would not play as well back when they played, they are missing the whole point of the sport they played. There has to be some aspect of them that regrets how much they have accomplished, or the goals they failed to reach. Why else would they try and bring down the players that are making basketball great right now?
The phenomenon we are seeing with Steph Curry is some of the most exciting basketball I have ever watched. Period. Curry is the type of player that has people stop whatever they are doing to watch his performance. Would he have been successful 20 or even 10 years ago? Who knows. And who cares. Curry is just another example of a player who is revolutionizing the sport of basketball.
So when talking about basketball, do not belittle certain players, or even a generation, because of personal jealousies. Do not disgrace a game so steeped in passion and tradition. Simply appreciate the game for what it has been, what it is, and all that it could be.
