Much of the G.O.A.T. debate regarding Michael Jordan and LeBron James hinges on the fact that the two played in significantly different eras. Everything from the athleticism of the league-average player to the rules to the style of play has gradually evolved and continues to shift as the years go by.
Interestingly enough, Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett presents a perspective that could arguably benefit both Jordan and James in their respective pursuits for the G.O.A.T. crown. KG spoke with David Marchese of The New York Times about a number of topics, including the current state of the league (h/t Joseph Salvador of SI.com).
On the one hand, his view favors LeBron because players in past generations simply might not be able to keep up.
"...I want you to get on a court, sprint corner to corner, stop on a dime and shoot a 3. I want you to do 10 of those. Then I want you to focus on how tired you are," Garnett said. "Because these players do that for 48 minutes. I don't think guys from 20 years ago could play in this game."
However, another of Garnett's viewpoints makes it seem as though Jordan would be even more dominant in today's game based on the rules.
"Twenty years ago, guys used their hands to control players. Now you can't use your hands. That makes defense damn near impossible," Garnett explained. "Can you imagine not hand-checking Michael Jordan? Naw. The fact that you can't touch players gives the offensive player so much flexibility."
MJ averaged 30.1 points per game throughout his career... just imagine what he would be capable of given some more "flexibility" on the offensive end. That's a scary thought, as is the idea that Garnett, too, could have been even more dominant. Former first overall draft pick Kenyon Martin wrote about the diminishing physicality in the league recently, starting the piece out with the admission that he doesn't know if he could play in the league today (via BasketballNews.com).
I had to play physical in order to succeed in the NBA. Remember, I was very undersized for my position. I was playing at 6-foot-9 and 225-to-230 pounds throughout my whole career. Most guys I played against were taller than me and damn near everybody weighed more than me, so I had to beat them up. I didn’t have a choice. I had to meet Tim Duncan early at the free-throw line and be physical, forcing him to the spots where I wanted him to go. Same thing with Kevin Garnett, Elton Brand, David West and all of the bigs that I faced. Getting switched out, I guarded Shaquille O’Neal on the block. I don’t stand a chance in hell against Shaq unless I’m physical!
Regardless of whether or not the lack of physicality allowed is a good thing, Garnett likes the fact that the game has changed into a more free-firing format from outside even if it's more stringent on the interior.
"I don't know if even the guards from 20 or 30 years ago could play in this time right here. It's creative. It's competitive. It's saucy," Garnett said. "You'll get dropped! A [expletive] will cross you over and break your A.C.L. these days.
"The game is in a great place."
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