theathletic.com Open in urlscan Pro
2606:4700::6813:d072  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

We use cookies and related technology to optimize your experience. Some cookies
are essential to make our website work, while others, like analytics cookies,
help us track your interaction and improve your online experience. Please see
our Cookie Policy for more information.
Accept & Continue
Manage Cookies
Manage Cookies
Accept & Continue
Premier League
Champions League
La Liga
Championship
Bundesliga
MLS
Serie A
• • •
Log In
Subscribe for €2

Podcast: Why Arsenal must protect SakaRashford's redemption

Introducing: F1 coverage
NCAAW
4th - 1:02
13
USA
44
12
GAST
59
8:00pm
14
ULM
7-22
11
ARST
11-18
Wed, 12:00am
9
WRST
7-23
8
OAK
13-16
Wed, 12:00am
11
DET
5-24
6
PFW
12-18
FAC
5'
STO
0
BHA
0
7:30pm
LEI
BBR
7:45pm
FUL
LEE
8:00pm
BRC
MCI
MLB
End 4
BAL
0
PIT
5

Bot 5
NYY
0
TB
2

Bot 4
DET
1
TOR
4

Mid 4
HOU
5
NYM
0

NCAAM
11:00pm
13
ARST
12-19
12
CCAR
11-19
Wed, 12:00am
10
GB
3-28
7
WRST
17-14
Wed, 12:00am
10
BUCK
12-19
7
AMER
15-14
Wed, 12:00am
5
LIP
19-12
4
STET
17-12
NHL
Wed, 12:00am
FLA
29-26-6
TB
37-18-4
Wed, 12:00am
DET
28-23-8
OTT
29-26-4
Wed, 12:30am
CBJ
19-35-6
BUF
31-23-4
Wed, 1:00am
NYI
31-25-7
MIN
33-21-6
NBA
Wed, 12:30am
LAL
29-32
MEM
36-23
Wed, 12:30am
WAS
28-32
ATL
31-30
Wed, 12:30am
CHI
28-33
TOR
30-32
Wed, 12:30am
MIL
43-17
BKN
34-26
CDR
Wed, 8:00pm
OSA
ATH
Thu, 8:00pm
RMA
BAR
LEC
FT,
Feb. 26
MUN
2
NEW
0
MLS
FT,
Feb. 26
DAL
0
MIN
1
FT,
Feb. 26
VAN
1
RSL
2
FT,
Feb. 27
SEA
4
COL
0
FT,
Feb. 28
POR
1
SKC
0
LIGA
FT,
Feb. 26
CEL
3
VLD

0
FT,
Feb. 26
ALM
1
BAR
0
FT,
Feb. 26
SEV

2
OSA
3
FT,
Feb. 27
VIL
2
GET
1




LEBRON, JOKIĆ AND POP: WHAT RETIRED NBA PLAYERS LIKE (AND DON’T LIKE) ABOUT
TODAY’S GAME

David Aldridge and Josh Robbins
Feb 28, 2023

Haters.

This is the default position for a lot of younger NBA fans — and, probably, a
lot of current players — when asked to consider the opinions and thoughts of
retired NBA players on the state of today’s game. They’re dinosaurs who couldn’t
hack it in today’s much more skilled game. They’re jealous of all the money
today’s players make. Or they’re just, if you like, “plumbers and firemen.”

Advertisement



It is true that the most popular TV show about the league, Turner’s “Inside the
NBA,” is often filled with the latest diss of today’s big men by Shaquille
O’Neal, or Charles Barkley being clueless about who any number of today’s
players are, or where they play. Christian Wood’s dismissal of Shaq a couple of
years ago as a “casual“represented where many contemporary players are when they
think about their elders. And, certainly, some of their criticisms have merit.

But, the old heads aren’t all full of vinegar.

Over the last month, The Athletic sought out and surveyed 101 former players for
our annual Retired Players Survey, done in conjunction with the National
Basketball Retired Players Association, which distributed the survey to its
members and from which most of the results were derived. The Athletic devised
the questions without input or approval from the NBRPA. In other cases, we spoke
with retired players face-to-face or over the phone.

Respondents were given the option to either attach their names to their answers
or remain anonymous, disclosing only the years they played. (For those players,
we’ve only given the general time frame of their careers.) We offered
respondents the option to remain anonymous because we felt anonymity would
promote honesty and protect our respondents from blowback from any fans who will
find fault with specific answers.

In a few cases, respondents did not provide an answer to a question. In some
cases, respondents split their vote on a particular question; when that
occurred, the multiple responses were split as corresponding fractions of a
vote.

Almost all of the results are listed in percentages, and if those percentages
don’t add up exactly to 100, it’s because we rounded to the nearest tenth of a
point.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Who is the best current NBA player?

NamePercentage
LeBron James
28.1%
Nikola Jokić
21.2%
Giannis Antetokounmpo
21.0%
Kevin Durant
11.8%
Stephen Curry
6.6%
Luka Dončić
6.6%
Kyrie Irving
2.2%
Multiple players
Under 2.0%

What survey respondents said:

“LeBron James. The body of work and what he is currently doing at his age makes
him the best of his time.” – Jumaine Jones, who played for six teams from 1999
through 2007

Advertisement



“Nikola Jokić, because he dominates the game on both ends of the floor and makes
his teammates better.” – Lee Nailon, who played six seasons from 2000-06

“Giannis. He affects winning on both sides of the court. He has a determined
will to win. His versatile skill package allows him to affect many statistical
categories contributing to winning. His physical presence is dominant. It looks
like his teammates enjoy playing with him. He seems to will his team to win. He
doesn’t come off as a prima donna.” – Anonymous player from the late 1990s

The Athletic’s takeaway: Last season, Durant topped the retired players’ vote
totals in this category by a substantial margin, getting nearly half (44
percent) of the vote. But KD’s injuries since our last survey 16 months ago and
subsequent games lost seem to have reduced his standing. It’s not that James has
a higher share of the vote than before; it’s just that KD’s support has
apparently splintered into multiple pieces, while LeBron’s has essentially
stayed the same (31 percent then, 28 percent now).

Jokić’s ascent toward the top of the vote total sticks out. He already had won
his first MVP award when we last surveyed players, but he finished in a tie for
fifth place, garnering a little less than 2 percent of the vote. Jokić has
turned heads since then, winning his second MVP in a row and was averaging close
to a triple-double this season — 25.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and 9.9 assists per
game — when the NRBPA distributed the survey to its members.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. What do you miss most about being an NBA or ABA player?

AnswerPercentage
Comradeship with teammates
41.4%
The competition
25.2%
The money
9.7%
The traveling
6.1%
The fans
2.3%
Game days/game nights
2.0%
The sport itself
2.0%
Multiple responses
Under 2.0%

What survey respondents said: 

“I just loved to play the games. That’s what I miss — and the camaraderie. … I
made great friends, like Clyde Lee and Butch Beard. … Those are my two best
friends, actually. … I miss that camaraderie.” – Jim Barnett, who played 11
seasons from the mid-1960s to the mid-70s, primarily with the San Diego Rockets,
Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks

Advertisement



“Being 27 again” – Anonymous player who competed in the ’70s and ’80s

The Athletic’s takeaway: These answers would refute any contention that the old
heads are just hating on today’s players’ salaries. Many more players talk about
the feeling of a fellowship of being among their peers, talking junk to one
another on the plane or in the restaurant. Being one of the guys. There’s a
common thread any time you’re among retired players during All-Star Weekend:
they’re just happy to see each other again.

This speaks to the notion of “community.” Of course, there are many types of
communities outside of professional sports: religious congregations, schools and
workplaces, etc. But playing on a pro team is an intense experience in which
everyone is supposed to unite behind a singular goal: winning. (Not always, we
know.) While it’s not impossible to replicate a feeling of unity outside of pro
sports, it’s no surprise that retired players miss that feeling now.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. What would you do differently in your professional career if you could play
in the current era?

AnswerPercentage
Work harder/train smarter
17.3%
Shoot more 3-pointers
15.3%
Showcase my talent more
12.8%
I'd do nothing differently
10.2%
Be more careful with my money
5.1%
Take the game more seriously
4.1%
Be a better ballhandler
2.6%
Do more in the community
2.6%
Be paid better
2.0%
Network and socialize more
2.0%
Play longer
2.0%
Remain with one team by signing a long-term contract
2.0%
Stretch more
2.0%
Multiple responses
Under 2.0%

What survey respondents said: 

“Pro basketball is now a 12-month job. I am sure I would have spent more of my
offseason working on my game and physical conditioning. I had a job in the
offseason.” – Bill Melchionni, who played two seasons in the late 1960s for the
Philadelphia 76ers and seven seasons, from 1969-76, for the ABA’s New York Nets

“Play more selfishly, which is a nuanced answer. There are ways to play
selfishly in a team concept. For the most part, it doesn’t pay to be selfless in
the NBA. Even if you look at great defenders … they play selfishly to a certain
extent.” – Anonymous former NBA player who competed in the 1990s

The Athletic’s takeaway: The top-three answers — working harder, shooting more
3s and finding more ways to stand out — reflect some of the major changes in the
NBA over the last several decades, particularly the last 10 years. Melchionni’s
response speaks to how the sport’s economics have changed since he played:
Because today’s rank-and-file players are paid so well, they don’t need to have
offseason jobs and can focus more on skill development and body maintenance.

Advertisement



The answers also echo changes in how the game is played, particularly the
explosion in 3-point shooting and the rule changes that have unlocked players’
offensive games. Through Saturday, NBA teams are attempting 34.1 3-point
attempts per game this season; back in the 2002-03 season, teams averaged 14.7
attempts from deep. In 1992-93, teams launched just 9.0 3-point attempts per
game. So it’s no surprise that if the retired players could have a do-over and
play in today’s era, they would develop a skill that was deemphasized back in
the day.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Which current player do you enjoy watching most?

PlayerPercentage
Stephen Curry
28.5%
Ja Morant
15.2%
Nikola Jokić
10.0%
Kevin Durant
8.7%
Luka Dončić
8.4%
Giannis Antetokounmpo
6.5%
LeBron James
5.7%
Kyrie Irving
2.4%
Jayson Tatum
2.2%
Multiple players
Under 2.0%

What survey respondents said: 

“Steph Curry. He is doing things that seem impossible sometimes. He has changed
the landscape of basketball. He looks like a normal person.” – Olden Polynice, a
center who played 15 seasons, from 1987-2005, most of them for the Seattle
SuperSonics and Sacramento Kings

“Ja Morant. (He brings) passion, electricity and showmanship every time he
plays.” – Sam Vincent, who played seven seasons, from the mid-1980s to the early
’90s

The Athletic’s takeaway: It’s still Steph’s World, just as it was last season,
when he also led this category, receiving a league-best 33 percent of the vote.
His percentage has come down some, but he still leads this category by a wide
margin. And we, for two, would welcome Bol Bol, who received votes in this
category from a handful of retired players, as our new basketball overlord.

Most striking to us is that the former players find Morant every bit as
captivating as NBA fans do. When we asked this identical question 16 months ago
for last season’s survey, Morant didn’t receive a single vote. But since then,
Morant has earned two All-Star nods and has helped the Memphis Grizzlies become
one of the league’s best, and most exciting, teams.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. We’re interested to know how the 2021-22 NBA champion Golden State Warriors
would fare in a hypothetical best-of-seven series against a championship team of
the past. We’ve picked the 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers, which included Moses
Malone, Julius Erving, Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney and Bobby Jones. If those
teams played each other using the NBA rules employed in 2003 — midway between
the teams’ championship seasons — which team would win the series, and how many
games would it take?

Who would win the series?

TeamPercentage
Philadelphia 76ers
74.4%
Golden State Warriors
25.6%

How many games would it take?

OutcomePercentage
Sixers win in 6
33.3%
Sixers win in 5
15.6%
Sixers win in 4
13.3%
Sixers win in 7
12.2%
Warriors win in 7
8.9%
Warriors win in 5
7.8%
Warriors win in 6
6.7%
Warriors win in 4
2.2%

What survey respondents said: 

“I’d have to go with the Sixers. I’d give them the full seven. Their physical
defense (would be the difference). Mo Cheeks was a heck of a defensive guard.
Andrew Toney could get after you. They had Moses and Dr. J.” – anonymous player
who played from the late 1970s to the early ’90s

Advertisement



The Athletic’s takeaway: It’s not surprising that most of yesterday’s players
would take yesteryear’s team — though, in fairness, a few respondents said the
2021-22 Warriors would win if the series were played and officiated under
today’s much more liberal rules, which encourage offensive movement and flow. We
should also note that the ’82-83 Sixers were one of the most dominant teams of
all time, going 65-17 during the regular season and 12-1 during the playoffs.

In this fictional series, how would the Sixers adapt to the ’21-22 Warriors’
launching 3-pointer after 3-pointer? But would the Warriors have an answer for
Malone?

These are difficult questions to answer — so much so that in a conversation with
us, one of our respondents declined to predict a winner. “I hate these (kinds
of) questions, because the rules are so different,” he said. “The rules are
different. (So are) the way they played, the way they thought, the way they
trained. Are they flying commercial (flights) to all these games? Do they get
their $75 per diem or are they going to have a chef make ’em meals at the end of
the game? Everything is so different now. I know fans love those questions, but
I hate those questions.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Is the quality of play in the NBA today better or worse than it was during
your career?

AnswerPercentage
A bit worse today
23.4%
Can't compare different eras
21.3%
A bit better today
14.9%
Much worse today
12.8%
Much better today
10.6%
The same
6.4%
Offensive skills are better, but there's less defense
5.3%
The athleticism is better, but the fundamentals are worse
3.2%
Multiple responses
Under 2.0%

What survey respondents said: 

“I think the physicality and the bulk of the players (is less now). Those
Goliath power forwards and centers, you can’t find those guys no more. Where’d
they go? Did they all start playing football? Are they all tight ends now? Are
they defensive ends?

“I always think back to my rookie year throwing a jump hook in the post against
Tim Duncan. That was different to throwing a jump hook in the post right now.
Not only did I have to throw the jump hook over Tim Duncan, but David Robinson
was on the weak side trying to block it, too. … So I think finishing around the
rim is a lot easier now than it was when I was playing.” – Drew Gooden, who
played 15 seasons for 10 teams, from 2002-15

“More players have better overall skills, which makes it better for scoring and
entertainment purposes but worse for defense. Flopping and dramatic antics to
deceive the referees have worsened the game’s overall quality.” – someone who
played from the mid-1990s to early 2000s

The Athletic’s takeaway: In last season’s survey, the number of respondents
saying the game was a little or a lot better today was above 30 percent. It’s
come down some in the interim, and now a plurality of former players believes
the game is a bit or much worse today.

This is speculation, but a possible reason for the change in retirees’ opinions
might be the growth in offense. During the 2020-21 season, teams averaged 112.1
points per game and shot 46.6 percent on average from the field, according to
Basketball Reference. This season, teams were averaging 114.4 points and
shooting 47.4 percent on average from the field through Saturday; plus, there’s
been an explosion in individual 40-point games. Perhaps the former players are
bemoaning the decline in defense.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7. Which current NBA coach would you have most liked to play for?

CoachPercentage
Steve Kerr
28.8%
Gregg Popovich
28.3%
Doc Rivers
5.4%
Erik Spoelstra
5.4%
Jason Kidd
3.8%
Monty Williams
3.8%
Michael Malone
3.3%
Mike Brown
2.2%
Mike Budenholzer
2.2%
Rick Carlisle
2.2%
Tyronn Lue
2.2%
Jacque Vaughn
2.2%
Multiple responses
Under 2.0%

What survey respondents said: 

“Steve Kerr. I love the way he allows the team to figure things out and creates
an atmosphere of ‘team’ where each player can find a niche and flourish.” –
Stephen Howard, who played four seasons for four teams during the 1990s

“Coach Pop. He knows how to mold his players.” – Kenny Battle, who played four
seasons, from the late 1980s to the mid-90s

The Athletic’s takeaway: Success/recency bias? Maybe. But it’s not much of a
surprise, either, given Kerr’s and Popovich’s pedigrees and platforms.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8. How much does it matter to you that your era of basketball is remembered
correctly?

AnswerPercentage
It matters to me
74.5%
It doesn't matter to me
14.3%
No opinion
10.2%
It is remembered correctly
1.0%

What survey respondents said: 

“That’s important. I think people now think that this (era of basketball) is
‘it’ — that it doesn’t get any better than this. That’s false. That’s just a
narrative. The guys that I played with, I would take them against anybody and
any team … because I believed in those guys that much, and we were that good as
a team.” – Derek Harper, who played 15 seasons, from 1983-99, primarily for the
Mavericks and Knicks

The Athletic’s takeaway: We would have been surprised if a majority of former
players don’t care about how correctly their era of basketball is remembered.
It’s human nature to want to be appreciated and given due credit.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9. Are you happy about the money today’s players are making or are you jealous
about the money today’s players are making?

AnswerPercentage
Very happy
69.1%
Somewhat jealous
7.4%
Happy and envious
6.4%
Very jealous
5.3%
No opinion
4.3%
Slightly happy
4.3%
Remember the pioneers
3.2%

What survey respondents said: 

“I’m glad they’re making it! If they weren’t making it, the owners would be
making it. I always tell people that. They get mad at the players, and I’m like,
‘Would you rather have the owners making more money? OK, then let the players
make as much as they can.’ These guys have earned it. They absolutely have
earned it. Every once in a while, someone will come up to me and say, ‘Can you
imagine what you could make today if you played in today’s game?’ I’m like,
‘Yeah, but people (who played) in the ’60s were saying that about us in the
’80s.’ … I guess one small caveat is I would like to see the middle class get
some more of the pie. But I get it: It’s a superstar-driven league, and it
always has been.” – Tom Tolbert, who played for four franchises from late-1980s
to the mid-90s

The Athletic’s takeaway: We suppose readers would look at these results with
skepticism and think the survey respondents chose not to reveal their true
feelings in order not to appear jealous. But remember, one of the reasons we
allowed anonymity was to give them added freedom to answer honestly.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10. Which current player(s) would have excelled when you played?

(Since respondents could name more than one player, the percentages below
reflect the percentage of ballots on which a specific player or answer was
named, not the share of votes.)

AnswerPercentage
LeBron James
39.6%
Kevin Durant
23.1%
Steph Curry
17.6%
Giannis Antetokounmpo
16.5%
Nikola Jokić
14.3%
All of them
13.2%
Luka Dončić
12.1%
Joel Embiid
11.0%
Greats today would've been great back then
11.0%
Kyrie Irving
7.7%
Klay Thompson
5.5%
Kawhi Leonard
3.3%
Damian Lillard
2.2%
Ja Morant
2.2%
Chris Paul
2.2%
Jayson Tatum
2.2%
Multiple responses
Under 2.0%

What survey respondents said: 

“LeBron. He could play in any era. He takes care of his body and could take the
rigors of commercial flights and long road trips.” – Anonymous player who
competed both in the ABA and NBA in the 1970s and ’80s.

“The best players now would be the best players then. The best players are the
best players regardless of eras.” – Tariq Abdul-Wahad, who played six seasons,
from the late 1990s to early 2000s

The Athletic’s takeaway: As we studied these answers, we were struck by how many
of the former players listed more than one player or said that today’s best
players would’ve been top-flight players back in the day, too. But that’s not a
surprise. One of the reasons we have made this poll an annual occurrence is that
we believe former players are uniquely qualified to evaluate today’s game — just
as today’s players will be most able to evaluate whatever happens next.

(Illustration: Sean Reilly / The Athletic: Photos: Gary Dineen, David Sherman,
Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE via Getty Images)




National
Boxing
Bundesliga
Champions League
Championship
College Football
Copa del Rey
Culture
Europa League
European Championship
FA Cup
Fantasy Baseball
Fantasy Basketball
Fantasy Football
Fantasy Hockey
Fantasy Premier League
Formula 1
Gaming
Golf
International Soccer
La Liga
League Cup
League One
League Two
LNH
Men's College Basketball
Mixed Martial Arts
MLB
MLS
Motorsports
NBA
NFL
NHL
NWSL
Olympics
Premier League
Scottish Premiership
Serie A
Soccer
Sports Betting
Sports Business
UK Women's Football
WNBA
Women's College Basketball
Women's Euros
Women's Hockey
World Cup
NCAA Women's Basketball
The Athletic Ink
Podcasts
Headlines
Real Time
US
Arizona
Atlanta
Baltimore
Bay Area
Boston
Buffalo
Carolina
Chicago
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Columbus
Dallas
Denver
Detroit
Houston
Indiana
Jacksonville
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
Memphis
Miami
Minnesota
Nashville
New Orleans
New York
Oklahoma
Oregon
Orlando
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Sacramento
San Antonio
San Diego
Seattle
St. Louis
Tampa Bay
Utah
Washington DC
Wisconsin
Canada
Calgary
Edmonton
Montreal
Montréal (français)
Ottawa
Toronto
Vancouver
Winnipeg
Subscribe
Start Subscription
HQ
About Us
Careers
Code of Conduct
Editorial Guidelines
Business Inquiries
Press Inquiries
Support
FAQ
Forgot Password?
Redeem Gift
Contact Us
Newsletters
The Pulse
The Bounce
©2023 The Athletic Media Company. All rights reserved.
Policy Center
Support
Sitemap