For NBA fans that are 35 or older!

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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#101 » by Calvin Klein » Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:45 pm

I'm 39 and started watching NBA in 91.

I miss defense.

I don't particularly miss 90's style of play. Just players and teams being allowed to defend. First half of the 2010's was pretty great as far as style of basketball being played. They screwed up with the rule change a few years ago when teams started dropping 130 points every night. They only want big numbers to post on instagram.

I also miss specialist who couldn't score like Rodman. He was one of a kind though.
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#102 » by Calvin Klein » Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:46 pm

Oh yeah. MJ. Nothing like him.
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#103 » by MaxZaslofskyJr » Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:46 pm

Curmudgeon wrote:I miss the ABA more than I miss the old NBA: The ABA had the red, white and blue ball, the 3 point shot, a slam dunk contest, bad boys (John Brisker, Warren Jabali), unforgettable characters (Wendell Ladner), and great players (Dr. J., Rick Barry, Connie Hawkins, Alex English, George Gervin etc. etc.) The modern game was invented in the ABA by coaches like Doug Moe.

When the Nets beat the Knicks in the preseason in 1973 at MSG the crowd was stunned. The fact was that Julius Irving, Larry Kenon (Dr. K), John (the Hammer) Williamson, Billy Paultz, Brian Taylor et. al. were every bit as good as the Knicks, who had won the NBA championship the previous year.


I share your love for that crazy league. That Nets team could play with anyone (at least, the 1st championship team... the 2nd championship they won was kind of fluky imho ... I always thought that the Nuggets were better they year that they beat them)

But... Alex English? Somehow I cannot help but believe you may be thinking of another Denver player... Issel? or David Thompson maybe?
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#104 » by JonFromVA » Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:50 pm

Johnny Bball wrote:
EliteSmarts wrote:You can tell me your age and when you started to watch the NBA so people can understand your perspective better.

Tell me what you miss about the OLD NBA

Tell me what you like that has changed & evolved in the new NBA

I always like to hear from OG perspectives


When it was televised. You could get nothing but the finals in the very early 80s. That had changed by the 90s. But you still might have only got a game or 2 a week on network tv (non-local team). Playoffs were more accessible though.

I miss defence. What’s changed? Too long a list but in short the nba got what it wanted with rule changes in early 2000s. More scoring, less physicality. Less scrapping.


Which team were you following back then?

I don't remember a problem watching Cavaliers games on local TV, but once I moved away from Cleveland, the only time I really got to see them was when they were playing the Bulls on WGN, maybe the Hawks on TBS, or a rare national or playoff game.
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#105 » by jstudabaka » Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:55 pm

I'm 37 and started watching the NBA in 1992. Overall, I'd say the quality and pace of play is much better today. Better passing, more athleticism, more action. The only thing I do tend to disfavor, as others have indicated, is how many teams play the same style. Too many games seem to come down to simply who is lucky with threes on a given night.
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#106 » by JulesWinnfield » Tue Sep 14, 2021 6:07 pm

I’m 40. Started watching in the 88/89 season.

I miss the Knicks being perennially relevant, but I’m biased. I miss Michael Jordan even though I rooted against him passionately. You younger fans hold on to Lebron while you can because when he’s gone he’s never coming back, and wether you hate him or not you will miss him (wether you admit it or not). He is so deeply connected with this era of basketball that the last 15 years are utterly impossible to think about without thinking about him.

What do I like about today’s game? Everything. Enhanced skill level, enhanced athleticism. I miss the continuity of the era I grew up watching when teams would stay together and forge decade long rivalries, but there is a trade off to that… the NBA offseason is more fun than it has ever been precisely because guys move around more
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#107 » by Johnny Bball » Tue Sep 14, 2021 6:28 pm

JonFromVA wrote:
Johnny Bball wrote:
EliteSmarts wrote:You can tell me your age and when you started to watch the NBA so people can understand your perspective better.

Tell me what you miss about the OLD NBA

Tell me what you like that has changed & evolved in the new NBA

I always like to hear from OG perspectives


When it was televised. You could get nothing but the finals in the very early 80s. That had changed by the 90s. But you still might have only got a game or 2 a week on network tv (non-local team). Playoffs were more accessible though.

I miss defence. What’s changed? Too long a list but in short the nba got what it wanted with rule changes in early 2000s. More scoring, less physicality. Less scrapping.


Which team were you following back then?

I don't remember a problem watching Cavaliers games on local TV, but once I moved away from Cleveland, the only time I really got to see them was when they were playing the Bulls on WGN, maybe the Hawks on TBS, or a rare national or playoff game.


I was in Toronto. We had NO local team. That's what I meant. If you didn't get local games you got nothing.
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#108 » by King4Day » Tue Sep 14, 2021 6:43 pm

BigGargamel wrote:
King4Day wrote:I miss when superteams weren't really a thing


Like the Shaq/Kobe Lakers?
Like the 80's Lakers/Celtics?

Why do people think super teams are a new concept? The only difference in the 80's before free agency bad GM's were just giving these great teams more great players.



LA signed Shaq and drafted Kobe, who at least half the league didn't have pegged as an all-time great player.
I can't speak for the 80's. I don't know how those teams were built.

I miss the 90's when Stockton and Malone ran one team, Barkley another, Kemp and Payton another, Ewing, Miller, MJ/Scottie etc.

I define superteams as unnaturally built. Miami simply signed Bosh and LeBron. GSW simply signed KD. Nets with KD, Kyrie, and Harden.
The current Lakers getting AD forced there. Stuff like that I don't like.

If Philly had acquired Harden last year, the league would again be pretty balanced. We'll see how LA does with Westbrook.
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#109 » by moocow007 » Tue Sep 14, 2021 6:46 pm

EliteSmarts wrote:You can tell me your age and when you started to watch the NBA so people can understand your perspective better.

Tell me what you miss about the OLD NBA

Tell me what you like that has changed & evolved in the new NBA

I always like to hear from OG perspectives


Started watching the NBA circa 1973'ish.

Changed and evolved? Athleticism, physical development, speed of the game and ball handling skills have really gone up. IMO it would be very difficult for the guys that were at the top of the league back in the 70's to dominate nowadays in those areas. Oddly though durability and toughness (both physical and mental) overall seems to have dropped.

Back then you have to literally be murdering someone to get called for a foul. If you take a look at a guy like Wilt, teams were basically literally throwing guys at him, hitting him, grabbing him, jumping on him just about every time he got the ball. The term "No Blood, No Foul" was coined for a reason and it applied to the NBA back then as well.

If they were to call fouls on everything they'd call nowadays not only would a guy like Chamberlain have been shooting A LOT more fouls (and Wilt is already among the leaders in NBA history in free throw attempts per game as it is) but the opposing teams would likely seeing their players kicked out of games at record pace due technical fouls being called (cause a lot of those fouls would be technical fouls today).

Durability also (or maybe toughness)...nowadays everyone bitches and moans if a player plays more than about 35-36 minutes a game right? And it's now "fashionable" for superstars to take games off. Back then? You had guys regularly playing 40+ minutes a game and not missing games to "rest" or because they turned an ankle, stubbed a toe, jammed a finger, etc. A lot of the big name players back then averaged 42-44mpg and in the 80 games per season range in their prime.
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#110 » by DreamTeam09 » Tue Sep 14, 2021 6:58 pm

I feel like their were more wing players back in the day worthy of 1st or 2nd options. Right now it seems like only about 6-7 wings
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#111 » by Curmudgeon » Tue Sep 14, 2021 7:26 pm

MaxZaslofskyJr wrote:
Curmudgeon wrote:I miss the ABA more than I miss the old NBA: The ABA had the red, white and blue ball, the 3 point shot, a slam dunk contest, bad boys (John Brisker, Warren Jabali), unforgettable characters (Wendell Ladner), and great players (Dr. J., Rick Barry, Connie Hawkins, Alex English, George Gervin etc. etc.) The modern game was invented in the ABA by coaches like Doug Moe.

When the Nets beat the Knicks in the preseason in 1973 at MSG the crowd was stunned. The fact was that Julius Irving, Larry Kenon (Dr. K), John (the Hammer) Williamson, Billy Paultz, Brian Taylor et. al. were every bit as good as the Knicks, who had won the NBA championship the previous year.


I share your love for that crazy league. That Nets team could play with anyone (at least, the 1st championship team... the 2nd championship they won was kind of fluky imho ... I always thought that the Nuggets were better they year that they beat them)

But... Alex English? Somehow I cannot help but believe you may be thinking of another Denver player... Issel? or David Thompson maybe?


Yes, my bad. English played for the Nuggets and Pacers, but right after the merger.

I could have named Issel, Thompson, Louis Dampier, George McGinnis, Roger Brown, Artis Gilmore, Mel Daniels, Zelmo Beatty, Maurice Lucas, Charlie Scott, Spencer Haywood, Moses Malone and Billy Cunningham.
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#112 » by Blacksheep25 » Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:57 pm

As many have said, you miss the differing styles.

I’m 50, so watching since late 70s. I’m not one who thinks many players from earlier eras fare well in today’s game. Game is so much about speed and skill now. Very few out of shape guys. Lots of out of shape guys back then in a league that took a lot fewer steps per game.

Still, I miss the physical gauntlet an emerging star would need to go through. The violence. It was less skilled but more fun. I miss the regular season effort. Now regular season is an exhibition season.

I miss the menace surrounding certain teams. No team is a scary team to play now. Just a much different game.

What’s really amazing is how long the league stayed dumb. I’m glad it did as it was entertaining, but I’d recall Currys dad and the Reggie Miller’s of the world shooting lights out, and having conversations with buddies when we were 20 about why they aren’t trying to get these guys 10 shots a night? For years they’d run the same team into a Jordan team or the Lakers and Celtics and you’d wonder, why not try to shoot 38% from 3? We had those conversations. We weren’t sure you could get the shots up and do it, but you wondered why no one was trying it?

You always saw the best player in the league shooting 49% from 2 and could do the math.

It’s amazing how long old thinking can remain. Work it in for a good **** mentality.

NFL was the same. It was like why are they trying to run up the mid-lee when you can throw to outlet backs with greater success and just pass? Still, you miss the old game and it’s lack of knowledge. All sports have grown less physical. You miss the violence, or at least I do. These guys are so huge now in football though that it would likely be against the law.

But NBA, it’s shocking it took as long as it did for this era to start.
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#113 » by Pipp33 » Tue Sep 14, 2021 11:40 pm

46 here - started watching what was available in 85/86, but not much availabel in Australia at that time.

Fell in love with Jordan and the Bulls, but whilst I hated the teams, loved the Lakers/Celtic (Magic/Bird) 80's rivalry

Miss waiting til every Wednesday in Australia to get Pro Basketball Today newspaper with all the news and box scores from the previous week's of NBA games - best day of the week and devoured every page of that paper.

Big time miss the Big man era of the 90's - so many talented big men
Miss David Stern - Silver is too player orientated.
Miss different styles of play..everythingfeels the same now
Miss Best players wanting to beat each other, not join each other.
Miss Basketball with no social media - I use it and watch it, but it's such a bad influence on the GAME
Miss rivalries and players jawing at each other - current game is far to censored and tame - don't want Malice and the Palace, do want battles like Knicks/Heat, Bulls/Knicks, Pacers/Bulls/Knicks

Don't hate today's game, just wish it had more variation and competitiveness.
Hate players Resting and load management
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#114 » by Heat3 » Wed Sep 15, 2021 12:05 am

I started watching Shaq’s rookie season. I miss more physical play allowed. As well as more clearly defined roles for positions.
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#115 » by danfantastk32 » Wed Sep 15, 2021 6:38 am

Haven't seen this mentioned......but aren't we all glad the shorts got longer?? Waaaaayyy too much upper thigh in the 80's
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#116 » by Simmons25 » Wed Sep 15, 2021 8:28 am

BigGargamel wrote:
King4Day wrote:I miss when superteams weren't really a thing


Like the Shaq/Kobe Lakers?
Like the 80's Lakers/Celtics?

Why do people think super teams are a new concept? The only difference in the 80's before free agency bad GM's were just giving these great teams more great players.


Here is the difference. When you think of players and championships and teams... this is who you think of.

Jordan - Bulls
Pippen - Bulls
Magic - Lakers
Kobe - Lakers
O'Neal - Lakers
Bird - Celtics
McHale - Celtics
Parish - Celtics
Duncan - Spurs
Parker - Spurs
Curry - Warriors
Klay - Warriors

Now do Lebron and Durant... and tell me which team you relate them to.

Lebron - Cavs? Lakers? Heat?
Durant - OKC? Warriors? Brooklyn?

These guys that pick and choose to go ringchasing in different cities when their time has run out elsewhere... that's the legacy they will have. They'll never have a real "home".
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#117 » by RalphWiggum » Wed Sep 15, 2021 12:37 pm

45, started watching in 1984.

I wish the league would allow a some more hard fouls and extracurricular activity. I don't want the full out 80's & 90's goon squad trash but something more than the fairy ball we have today.

I'd like to see bigs that dominate the post with a high level back to the basket game.

I'd like to see defenders given a few more on the ball liberties. As I said earlier not the 80's and 90's muggings that were acceptable but some happy medium.

More than anything I miss the three point shot not being abused. I get why teams hoist up 40 of them a night but it doesn't make for good basketball IMO.
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#118 » by Fencer reregistered » Wed Sep 15, 2021 12:58 pm

-- I miss 1980s post play.
-- I miss 1980s passing, transition and half-court alike.
-- I welcome vastly better TV/streaming availability.
-- I also welcome much richer written discussion of the sport.

And while I think dunking is overrated in general, I welcome alley-oops as a fine substitute for old-school backdoor cuts.
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#119 » by Fencer reregistered » Wed Sep 15, 2021 1:06 pm

Simmons25 wrote:
BigGargamel wrote:
King4Day wrote:I miss when superteams weren't really a thing


Like the Shaq/Kobe Lakers?
Like the 80's Lakers/Celtics?

Why do people think super teams are a new concept? The only difference in the 80's before free agency bad GM's were just giving these great teams more great players.


Here is the difference. When you think of players and championships and teams... this is who you think of.

Jordan - Bulls
Pippen - Bulls
Magic - Lakers
Kobe - Lakers
O'Neal - Lakers
Bird - Celtics
McHale - Celtics
Parish - Celtics
Duncan - Spurs
Parker - Spurs
Curry - Warriors
Klay - Warriors

Now do Lebron and Durant... and tell me which team you relate them to.

Lebron - Cavs? Lakers? Heat?
Durant - OKC? Warriors? Brooklyn?

These guys that pick and choose to go ringchasing in different cities when their time has run out elsewhere... that's the legacy they will have. They'll never have a real "home".


There are a few exceptions to your rule: Wilt, Kareem, and Moses Malone are clear ones. Rodman isn't really one; his Bulls championships far outshine his Pistons ones. Dennis Johnson may or may not be one; I feel he isn't, but I'm also a Celtics fan, and I think he did win Finals MVP for a previous team. The ABA stirred the pot some too. And Clyde Drexler was perhaps the first successful aging-star ring chaser.

Still, overall you're right.
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Re: For NBA fans that are 35 or older! 

Post#120 » by DwayneSchintzus » Wed Sep 15, 2021 3:47 pm

45 here. Been watching the NBA since I was about 10 or 11.

There used to be something called "good non-calls" where if contact or something didn't affect the play, they would just play on. That cut down on a lot of ticky-tack fouls.

I miss the post game - 7 footers down low battling each other.

The games are a lot more available now than they were then. When I was a kid you had CBS and later NBC games on the weekend and TBS/TNT during the week. WGN had the Bulls games. But that was it. If you didn't see something, maybe you could catch a highlight on SportsCenter. Its nice to have so much high-quality video available all the time.

Obviously, the skill of the players has increased exponentially - anyone that tells you these guys aren't better at basketball than the guys from the 80s is deluding themselves.
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