![\"Stephen](\"https:\/\/cdn-wp.thesportsrush.com\/2024\/05\/d58738a5-untitled-design-2024-05-03t113620.244.jpg?format=auto&w=3840&q=75\")
<\/p>\nThe discussion on the 90s vs the modern era of basketball is never-ending. After a widespread social media campaign claiming, \u201cWe\u2019re done with the 90s\u201d, new age hoop fans have yet another point to debate over. Speaking on the matter during a recent appearance on The Big Podcast, JJ Redick stated that the Michael Jordan era was watered down because of the addition of six new teams. Following this comment, Stephen A. Smith was seemingly left deeply offended, and even publicly trashed Redick on ESPN\u2019s First Take.<\/p>\n
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During his conversation with Shaquille O\u2019Neal, Redick said that the overall talent pool in the league at the time was nowhere near the quality that exists today. In his opinion, the addition of six teams when Jordan was at the peak of his career also had an adverse effect on the skillset of his competition. He said, \u201cThere were 90 players added to the NBA. Does that not water down\u2026You\u2019re not telling me that the league for a little bit is gonna be watered down?\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the seeming logic in the former sharpshooter\u2019s argument, Stephen A Smith was far from impressed. As someone who witnessed it all unfold, the ESPN analyst couldn\u2019t believe that someone as informed as Redick would say something of this nature. His reaction can be witnessed in the X[Formerly Twitter] post by First Take.<\/p>\n
Stephen A. responded to Redick with, \u201cHe done lost his mind with this assertion. I don\u2019t know what the hell he\u2019s talking about. He is off his rocker.\u201d The media veteran then went on to put things into perspective as a rebuttal to Redick. He said, \u201cFolks who are successors, don\u2019t pay enough attention to the predecessors who paved the way, enabling them to do what they did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephen A. believes that Redick falls in the same bracket as the naysayers. He used the example of the Bad Boys Pistons, the 76ers, and the Celtics to make his point that basketball was more physical back then than it has ever been since.<\/p>\n
SAS was on point with his response. As articulated as Redick was with his comment, he failed to notice that in the last seven decades, the game has grown from strength to strength. In this time period, so many notable athletes have taken up the sport and have left it in a much better condition. All those things add up and should be considered when we try to assess the differences in eras.<\/p>\n
Without those former players\u2019 influence, the game wouldn\u2019t have evolved to this level of athleticism and quickness that fans get to enjoy today.<\/p>\n
\n.@stephenasmith<\/a> isn't buying the narrative that MJ's era was "watered down" \ud83d\udc40 pic.twitter.com\/kLPGEzMQns<\/a><\/p>\n
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 2, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n