NBA star Nikola Jokić is a man of few words, having even once said that he has no desire to become a huge brand in the US or even stay on the soil out of season. The Serbian three-time MVP, who has been at the forefront of this controversial new era of NBA hoops rarely gives his opinion on the sport or new emerging narratives.
Unless you caught him on a recent episode of “X&O’s Chat with Edin Avdić,” you might be surprised at how freely he gives his opinion.
Joker Says Don’t Compare Eras, But NBA Is Way Better Today
Joker didn’t mince words with his latest take on why comparing players from different eras in the NBA doesn’t make sense. What began as a reasonable take turned into more bashing of the old school.
“It would be stupid to think that basketball isn’t better today than it was 30 years ago. That would be like saying phones were better 30 years ago. Technology evolves, everything modernizes, and basketball evolves too.”
So Joker is using the same philosophy that many of today’s players, bloggers and analysts use; that players today are just better in every way. You’d think that the game would then be better, but that subject could start a never-ending debate. And 30 years ago is 1996. Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant and a host of others would beg to differ.
Fans React To Joker’s Comments On Basketball Being Better Today Than In
Some fans agreed with some of Joker’s comments.
“The players are better. Watching 50 three point shots isn’t better,” one fan said.
Comments from Gen Xers were predictably pro-Joker. Obnoxious and living in the moment with no knowledge of the past.
“Old heads fans can’t accept the fact that players today are better than the players of the past,” one fan commented on X.
“The players are better, scoring records are being broken and players like Joker are the best there ever was,” one netizen quipped.
“Humans evolve, it’s why Olympic record continue to be broken. People are stronger, faster, and smarter than they used to be,” a third fan agreed.
The pushback from older heads was swift and passionate.
“Those records are barely getting broken despite the years of “evolution” it’s the performance wear that has improved, not the athlete itself. Today’s game is literally checkers when it used to be Chess,” another fan shot back.
“People aren’t technology,” one attempted to clarify on X. “Basketball has developed. If Joker is the best player of its era it is watered down. Joker wouldn’t be a top 5 C in the MJ era. Al Hawks aren’t winning 60 games in the MJ era, Lowry Raptors aren’t comp, Butler Heat/Hali Pacers aren’t making the finals etc,” surmised one fan.
“It would be stupid to compare – goes on to compare and to of course, denigrate the history of the league. The league is worse than it was 10 years ago, and 20 and 30 and so on. It is worse than it has ever been,” one fan insisted.
Expansion Has Weakened NBA
Another netizen didn’t offer their opinion, just the thoughts of one of the 1990s’ greatest defensive champions.
“Dennis Rodman disagreed with you at the time, as did everyone else. If anything, the expansion at the time made the league weaker,” he commented.
Allen Iverson, MJ, Vince Carter & Kobe Bryant Were Playing 30 Years Ago…
It’s a known fact that players from past generations don’t respect the narratives that players are so much better because the rules changes and culture shift within the game has changed the positional duties and the way the game is played on the perimeter.
“Yes if the foul baiting and tick tack bs wasn’t in play, meaning in the older era, Jokic wouldn’t be able to do what he does now,” one netizen commented.
Post play has basically been eliminated, so to assume that Joker, who is no Hakeem Olajuwon in the post, would dominate in the ’90s as a big man attempting to play point guard is nothing we can tangibly interpret.
