Why do I keep hearing people say today's NBA players are bigger/stronger/faster?

[MegaTronBomb!]

Bro, its the days of the internet, you should be able to find more accurate numbers. As per wiki and nba.com Lebron is 6'8 250, Scottie Pippen was 6'8 228, how you figure thats a difference of nearly 50lbs?

It's these types of rounding up, and embellishments that got ppl thinking players are bigger and strong now.

look at that finals in 86 between magic n bird them lineups weren't a battle of sum slow midgets like you guys would make it seem. They called the Lakers Showtime for a reason.

celts,
pg 6'4 ainge
sg 6'4 johnson
sf 6'9 bird

lakers
pg 6'8 Magic Johnson
sg 6'3 byron scott
sf ' 6'9 ac green

I guess celts having 6'4 pgs are small these days compared to chalmers n parker at 6'2 n d wade is only 6'4.

I know, and sites like basketball reference, and sports illustrated have him listed at 210 lbs, let's use the 228 which sounds more realistic... LeBron himself says he's 6'8" 260. which is the same weight as Karl Malone.

LeBron came in the league weighing 245, you really expect me to believe that this current LeBron who's grown into his body, is only 5 lb's heavier?

5 lb difference?


There is no question that players are bigger,stronger and faster now, especially with the workout regimens and things like BFS,Sparq that are implemented starting around middle school with todays players.

 

[CrimsonTider]

It's not that they are faster today. It's defensive is less suffocating. Getting rid of hand checking was one way they opened up the lanes for quick players to get to the hoop faster.

Defenses are better

 

[Ethnic Vagina Finder]

I know, and sites like basketball reference, and sports illustrated have him listed at 210 lbs, let's use the 228 which sounds more realistic... LeBron himself says he's 6'8" 260. which is the same weight as Karl Malone.

LeBron came in the league weighing 245, you really expect me to believe that this current LeBron who's grown into his body, is only 5 lb's heavier?

5 lb difference?


There is no question that players are bigger,stronger and faster now, especially with the workout regimens and things like BFS,Sparq that are implemented starting around middle school with todays players.

Gilmore was a beast...


And look at that guards leg muscles.

Unless you got height/weight comarisons as well was bench press stats, I'm calling it bull shyt.

 

[MegaTronBomb!]

Gilmore was a beast...


And look at that guards leg muscles.

Unless you got height/weight comarisons as well was bench press stats, I'm calling it bull shyt.

consider the fact that NBA players shorts are far longer than them booty shorts they wore, these photos don't mean shyt....cause you can't see todays players leg's like that...with the shorts, compression shorts and tights/ knee braces and pads.

the fukk does photos of leg muscles have to do with anything?

you Wacky D'ing us.

 

[Stuntone]

in the 80s there were like 3 players that could dunk from the free throw line
in the 90s there were like 8
in the 00s there were like 20
now bums on the bench can dunk from the free throw

Jordan was a freak, faster and my athletic than every other player. Now their are players as faster and athletic as MJ on the bench.

 

[Ethnic Vagina Finder]

in the 80s there were like 3 players that could dunk from the free throw line
in the 90s there were like 8
in the 00s there were like 20
now bums on the bench can dunk from the free throw

Jordan was a freak, faster and my athletic than every other player. Now their are players as faster and athletic as MJ on the bench.

but how many people attempted it? There was a time when it was illegal to dunk, even though a lot of players could. Baskeball is basketball and players gravitate to whatever is popular at the time.

The Only major difference in todays NBA and the past is the style of play.

 

[Ethnic Vagina Finder]

consider the fact that NBA players shorts are far longer than them booty shorts they wore, these photos don't mean shyt....cause you can't see todays players leg's like that...with the shorts, compression shorts and tights/ knee braces and pads.

the fukk does photos of leg muscles have to do with anything?

you Wacky D'ing us.

Different Styles, Different Era's but the athleticism about the same.

 

[Screwface Exchange]

Dog you on a roll with stupid ass posts.

Once again, did you watch the 80's and 90's?

yeah actually i did, i was of age. With all your stupid ass comments it's pretty clear you don't remember 80s n 90s basketball much, because a lot of the defensive rules have changed. Zone defenses, hand check rules, defensive 3 seconds. these are all things that were not there in the 90s, and has lead to a change in the game. Also, more and more coaches embrace the 3 pt shot, while back in 80s n 90s a lot of coaches still didn't coach towards the 3 as often as now.

 

[Screwface Exchange]

in the 80s there were like 3 players that could dunk from the free throw line
in the 90s there were like 8
in the 00s there were like 20
now bums on the bench can dunk from the free throw

Jordan was a freak, faster and my athletic than every other player. Now their are players as faster and athletic as MJ on the bench.

Where you getting your info from that dudes couldn't dunk from free throw line? just because they weren't in a dunk off they couldn't dunk?

If you think jordan being faster n more athletic than every other player is what made him great than you shouldn't even bother watching basketball. Jordan wasn't the tallest, nor fastest nor strongest. But he was great, the great ones in sports have an intangible, an intensity, another level of skill that most players don't have.

In every sport, you can line up the great ones and time after time, there is nothing that jumps off the page about them, but when you see or watch them play you can see the it factor. Jerry Rice the best wr of all time wasn't the tallest, nor fastest or even have the best hands, but try to stop him from catching that pass on 3rd and long in a 2 min drill, I bet you ain't. Hockey has wayne gretzky, dude was smaller than most dudes on the ice, he couldn't out muscle no1 for the punk, nor was he faster than every1 else, but you couldn't stop em.

If size n speed means so much, then explain Mr. Charles Barkley dude was 6'6 and a best in da post and u cldn't deny him a rebound. How many 6'6 wings, pf's or centers right now are as strong as Barkley in his prime? Don't tell me dudes are stronger now, or faster or anything. Was a bigger quicker league before, Stern clearly saw the decline of the quality of players these days, and such has been changing the rules slightly every year, till we got this p*ssy league now we're dudes take more flops than charges now.

 

[Screwface Exchange]

What lanes are open in the NBA that players easily can go through without being defended? The new rules force many big men to help out on the defense. Now, today perimeter players have to beat two men to get to the paint. The rules has help many teams to play better defense. In this era, the PF and the Centers are no longer remain stationary on the paint waiting for a player to get to the lane. They come out of the low block and help shut down lane before a scorer get to it.

Look at the Spurs vs Heat finals. Look at the way the Spurs play a lot of help defense and clogged up the lane. There are no openings for Lebron to run through the lane.

yeah i look at the spurs/heat series and i see a bunch of open jumpers over n over again, because teams are using zone defenses and lots of help to prevent lay ups. The sad part is these so called bigger stronger faster players can't even make dem open jumpers. Go back and watch full games, not just highlights from the 80s n 90s, you won't see half as many open jumpers as now. Also, when dudes drove in the lane they got hit banged, every game. not just when they faced elite defenses but every game. now in nba only a few teams play this aggressive style of def, bulls, grizz, pacers, spurs. the majority its an open field day all day, and thus once the playoffs start these teams fall out quickly and the quality of the games are piss poor.

the funny part is, every1 in the media, coaches and players talking about how league is turning to small ball, and smaller lineups, and all about wing play. But yet, still argue the league is bigger now, and faster and stronger, which is it? Small ball, wing play or bigger now stronger now?

y'all youngins confused.

 

[Fresh]

but i think they players cardio is down these days.... and they couldn't chase Reggie miller and prime Ray Allen around screens all day. I can't see bron big ass chasing around reggie miller like pippen used to do....he would have to slim down if we had more players like that on the perimeter.

Pippen is the first player I thought about, he was tall, long, muscle tone

Prime Pip would have no problem with todays NBA athletes

 

[Ethnic Vagina Finder]

yeah i look at the spurs/heat series and i see a bunch of open jumpers over n over again, because teams are using zone defenses and lots of help to prevent lay ups. The sad part is these so called bigger stronger faster players can't even make dem open jumpers. Go back and watch full games, not just highlights from the 80s n 90s, you won't see half as many open jumpers as now. Also, when dudes drove in the lane they got hit banged, every game. not just when they faced elite defenses but every game. now in nba only a few teams play this aggressive style of def, bulls, grizz, pacers, spurs. the majority its an open field day all day, and thus once the playoffs start these teams fall out quickly and the quality of the games are piss poor.

the funny part is, every1 in the media, coaches and players talking about how league is turning to small ball, and smaller lineups, and all about wing play. But yet, still argue the league is bigger now, and faster and stronger, which is it? Small ball, wing play or bigger now stronger now?

y'all youngins confused.

And the thing about Barkley he was only 6'6 but he up up double digit rebounds every year expept for his rookie year. His LAST year in the NBA a 36 year old Barkley put up 14 and 10 a game.

 

[Reggie]

Players today are more athletic but the average height is about the same I know. Someone posted an article about it a while ago on here and I think today's average height is 6'6 and some change while the average height in the 80's was almost the same. Now compared to the 50's and 60's i'm sure it is a difference but the size of the average player hasn't changed drastically from the 80's and 90's. You got probably more athletes now but there was supreme athletes way back in the 70's who are just as athletic as the best ones today. Guys like David Thompson and Dr. J could compete with any player in today's NBA as far as athleticism. We just think things have changed so much cuz back in them day's it probably was a handful of players who were supreme athletes where as these days their are one or more on every team.

 

[Imyremeshaw]

yeah i look at the spurs/heat series and i see a bunch of open jumpers over n over again, because teams are using zone defenses and lots of help to prevent lay ups. The sad part is these so called bigger stronger faster players can't even make dem open jumpers. Go back and watch full games, not just highlights from the 80s n 90s, you won't see half as many open jumpers as now. Also, when dudes drove in the lane they got hit banged, every game. not just when they faced elite defenses but every game. now in nba only a few teams play this aggressive style of def, bulls, grizz, pacers, spurs. the majority its an open field day all day, and thus once the playoffs start these teams fall out quickly and the quality of the games are piss poor.

the funny part is, every1 in the media, coaches and players talking about how league is turning to small ball, and smaller lineups, and all about wing play. But yet, still argue the league is bigger now, and faster and stronger, which is it? Small ball, wing play or bigger now stronger now?

y'all youngins confused.

thread/
shyt is sad as hell son, not only is the league not bigger, stronger, or faster now but the overall skills of players has diminshed greatly. Imagine if this was the 80s with players missing as many open jumpers in final game as Heat-Spurs series, haha.

 

[J-Fire]

Pippen is the first player I thought about, he was tall, long, muscle tone

Prime Pip would have no problem with todays NBA athletes

Bron's cardio is riding his bike....that made news! he probably lost weight...as he looks a lil quicker this year than the last couple. He lucky he doesn't keep fat on his stomach and upper body unlike carmelo....but I don't think his BF% was as low as people thought throughout the years.


I see more upper body muscles in some cases....but two time MVP steve nash ain't look no different than dudes in the 80's and he was playing with the stars of today. Carmelo Anthony ain't look too much different than Glen Robinson Jr from the 90's