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This probably comes to a shock to you young fans but there was a time—before press conference fashion shows, Twitter groupies, and flopping big men—when the NBA was about basketball. There was no “search for the next Michael Jordan” because homie was rattling backboards on the nightly. The Heat’s “Big Three” was Tim Hardaway, Alonzo Mourning, and "Thunder" Dan Majerle. And we didn’t have to talk shit because our And1 T-shirts did it for us. So, grab a pencil and take notes young’n as we school you on 20 Reasons the NBA Was Better in the 90’s.
The League Had Real Centers
Luc Longley would be an All-Star candidate in today's NBA. Proof that the league lacks big men is the exclusion of the center position on 2013's All-Star ballot. In today's NBA, guys like Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, legit seven-footers, are power forwards.
In the '90s, the paint was patrolled by Hall of Famers like Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, and Shaquille O'neal, plus All-Star centers in Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning, Brad Daugherty, and—father to Brook Lopez's style—Rik Smits. Although, we do appreciate Joakim Noah's toughness, he's not as talented as the guys mentioned. Now all we're left with is a crippled Andrew Bynum and a spineless Dwight Howard.
The Players Were More Mature Players
While players were free to enter the draft out of high school in the '90's, the NBA welcomed fewer teenagers than it does today. In fact, there were more one-and-done "student athletes" taken in the 2012 NBA Draft (10) than there were draftees out of high school in the entire '90s decade (nine).
It might not be fair for the NBA to require two or three years of college ball, but the impact that it would have for the game (both college and pro) is undeniable. College fans wouldn't have to endure never-ending roster turnover, while NBA fans deal with fewer undeveloped Josh Selbys, Shawne Williams', and Daequan Cooks. In the '90s, players created rivalries, developed more complete games, and became more mature human beings while in college. That's not a shot at today's youth; it's a tribute to having structure at 19 years old rather than a signing bonus.
There Was Less Crying About Fouls
Dwyane Wade has committed close to 2,000 fouls in his career and reacted to every single one as though a student driver just rear-ended his McLaren at a red light. We understand working the refs, but NBA games feature more exaggerated O-faces than Brazzers.com. Just once, we'd like to see Carlos Boozer take a defensive three seconds call like a man instead of throwing his arms out and huffing like a city bus just roared by his stop without picking him up.
Bald Heads and Black Sneakers During the Playoffs
Remember this? The Fab Five's influence even reached the pros. Teams used to show camaraderie during the playoffs by shaving their heads and rocking black sneakers, home and on the road. Teams like the Knicks made it popular and added to their bad boy image with the look. This generation wears headbands to show team unity (see: Baron Davis and the 2001 Charlotte Hornets). Headbands. How lazy is that? Grow a beard or something.
The League Allowed Hard Fouls, Instead of Calling Flagrants at Every Chance
Hey, man, sometimes a flagrant is a flagrant. Kevin McHale's clothesline on Kurt Rambis was a personal foul back in the day. We're not saying to go back to that. But guys are just supposed to give up layups and dunks? Most of the time it looks like a hard foul because it's committed in the air. Nowadays the line is blurry and inconsistent. That's why the league office often rescinds flagrants and technicals every other day.
The Level of Elite Talent in the NBA was Higher at that Point Than It Is Today
Just take a gander at the top 50 list. At least 15 players on that list played in some part of the '90s. And back then, you needed two Hall of Famers to get to the promised land. In today's NBA, conferences are top heavy.
Sure there are players that can reach immortal status like Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, and maybe Steve Nash and Kevin Garnett, but they still aren't built like the cats of yesteryear. There's too much money and too much media slurpage in today's game, and not enough respect for the history.
The Fan Experience Was Better
Back when tickets were somewhat affordable, stands were packed with real fans. These days you'll be lucky to get a good price in the nosebleed section. There's only a couple arenas where fans are truly the 12th man. NBA stadiums now cater to corporations and media. Teams are basically money whores who disregard the paying customer in favor of people in office attire that don't know shit about basketball. A hot dog and beer can cost you the price of a monthly energy bill and God forbid you try to buy your kid some team gear; you'll be homeless by the second half.
The Flop
The worldwide appeal of basketball is a good thing, but it would've been nice of those Western European imports to leave "the flop" inside their soccer stadiums. In today's game, seven-foot-tall purported badasses react to post moves like a Paparazzo who'd just been nudged by a love-scorned Justin Bieber in an airport.
The NBA has a serious culture problem. Even if it were occasionally successful, we have a hard time believing that Scottie Pippen or David Robinson would "pull a Pau" and drop to the floor like they were Tasered in the crank as part of their defensive repertoire.
The Lost Art of the Mid-Range Game
The Europeans have changed the game. In an effort to make the game global, Stern and his henchmen changed defensive rules to make the game more offensive (double entendre alert!). Where's the Dominique and MJ mid-range jumpers at?
Now guys pass the ball around the three-point line like they're playing "Around the World." There are only a handful of players that still respect the art. Three come to mind: Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, and Kobe Bryant. You can make the case for some other guys, but the ones mentioned base their games on the mid-range. Sometimes you have to take that extra dribble to get a closer look.
NBA on NBC > Any Network's NBA Coverage Today
OK, this doesn't include Inside the NBA. We love that show. We would love it a little more without Shaq, but whatever. Every other sports NBa show stinks to high heaven. If you want to hear Bill Simmons slurp his Celtics before ESPN games and during halftime, even when they're not playing, be our guest.
The NBA on NBC was the epitome of class. The only coverage that comes close is TNT, and guess what? Most of those guys were apart of the NBC crew. The NBA misses Bob Costas as well. He's probably the greatest sports broadcaster alive today. And what's fucking with the intro? Nothing! Absolutely nothing!
The Rivalries Were More Intense
There aren't any rivalries anymore. At least not like the '90s. The world stopped when the Knicks and Bulls faced off. It ain't a rivalry if a couple scuffles don't break out. The only real one left is the Celtics and the Lakers, and that's because they have a long history of facing off in the Finals. What other "real" rivalry exists today? What's that you say? Lakers vs. Clippers? Nets vs. Knicks? Heat vs. Knicks? Were there any coaches swinging from the legs of giants? Were people ejected for throwing punches? No? Exactly.
Fewer Tatoos = Fewer Bad Tattoos
Between Michael Beasley, Chris Andersen, and JR Smith, the NBA has more bad tattoos than the mosh pit at Gathering of the Juggalos. Derrick Rose will single-handily inspire the next generation of ballers to look like athletic versions of vandalized subway cars, so the trend is only going to get worse. Brace yourself. Thanks, AI!
Sports Were About Sports
Far be it for us at Complex to roll our eyes at frivolous sports coverage. But if we see one more SportsCenter anchor stumble through a poorly punctuated tweet from Mario Chalmers, we're going to start throwing Carlos Boozer elbows through Bristol, CT. Kobe Bryant tweeting during the Lakers first playoff game had wall-to-wall coverage on that network for, like, a week. It's sad when we have to be the voice of reason, but the balance between on-court and off-the-field commentary has never been more out of balance.
Courtside Celebs Were Fans, Now They're Kardashians
Courtside seating was once reserved for Jack Nicholson, Spike Lee, and rich guys that actually liked basketball. Today, it's a celebutard fashion show. As sports-loving writers who can't afford a guacamole add-on to our Chipotle order, it infuriates us to watch a distracted-by-Instagram Rihanna sitting in the stadium's best seats. Now, even if you're rich and a basketball fan, you'll stare at the back of Khloe's enormous melon in the second row, while she and the rest of the Kardashian sisters plow through stadium nachos and million dollar athletes. This can't be life.
There Were More Lunatics in the '90s
Aggressive fouls and hateful trash talk are as much a part of basketball's appeal as the slam-dunk. While you young'ns vaunt Ron Artest as the NBA's resident unhinged lunatic, he's not half as crazy as an in-their-prime Dennis Rodman, Vernon Maxwell, or Xavier McDaniel.
Those guys sustained their insanity game-in and game-out for their entire careers, they didn't just explode on a few surly Pistons fans after getting drenched with a beer. If Dennis Rodman were still on the Bulls, he'd elbow and crotch punch his way to a four-game sweep of the Heat. Basketball, like professional wrestling, needs characters and since the '90s there's been a serious drop off in charismatic psychopaths.
Coaches Were Legends, Today They're Suits
The '90s vaunted coaching matchups between Pat Riley and Phil Jackson, as well as legends like Chuck Daly and Lenny Wilkens. By contrast, last year's NBA Finals pitted Erik Spoelstra against Scott Brooks in what looked like a meeting between Wells Fargo branch managers. Today's team patriarchs just don't have the sizzle of their '90s era contemporaries and if Dwight Howard and Deron Williams continue to have coaches fired for looking at them wrong, it'll only get worse.
The Dunk Contest Was Much More Entertaining
Maybe it's because the guys in the olden days already attempted most of the dunks, or maybe it's because stars are too overpaid to give a fuck, or maybe it's because the NBA changes the rules up every hour, or maybe it's because guys don't respect the art anymore?
See, we don't mind seeing the same dunks, as long as they're done with grace and style. (see: Josh Smith) And it's a crime against humanity that LeBron James would rather do creative dunks in the layup line before games instead of doing them in the Dunk Contest. You couldn't get away that shit in the '90s.
The Playoffs Weren't as Drawn Out
More than half of the NBA's teams make the playoffs, which means—by definition—some of those squads are below average (word to the Milwaukee Bucks). This drawn out cash grab is made all the more insufferable by today's game, which requires the first round of the playoffs to be settled in a best-of-seven series.The official switch was made prior to the 2003 playoffs.
While the league's Goliaths destroy No. 8 seeds, the Bulls and Nets battle it out over two weeks before fans get a matchup they actually care about. More is not necessarily better, and the NBA playoff's first round would be a lot less tiresome in a best-of-five series.
Analysis Wasn't as Insufferable
It's easier to enjoy a game (or player) for what it is when it isn't being thoroughly dissected. That's impossible today because all you yahoos are on Facebook accosting Derrick Rose and his busted knee with all kinds of slander on your status update. Twitter's sometimes used to quell civil unrest in Moldova, but it mostly serves as a sounding board for Fantasy Basketball commissioners with an opinion. You used to have to go to a game for a drunken fan's perspective, but now all you need is an Internet connection.
Michael Jordan
Do we really need to explain? Adding on to what Bird and Magic were able to do, Michael Jordan took the NBA to another galaxy. He's the real reason for all the big contracts and signature sneakers. The work he put in paved the way for guys like Kobe and LeBron. He's the first NBA player to be the majority owner of an NBA team and he's sure to be a billionaire in the near future. Even if you weren't a fan of the Bulls, it was hard to hate MJ. He played every game like it was his last, and had the will to win like no athlete before him. Kobe's the closest, but for whatever reason he doesn't inspire his teammates like Jordan was able to do.
Whenever Mike wanted to take over a game, he would. Simple. Fans and players of opposing teams knew what time it was when the game was on the line. He's the reason why multiple Hall of Famers don't have rings. And if he didn't retire at the end of the 1993 season, he would've entered Bill Russell territory. We're grateful for being able to watch him play in his prime. There was nothing like it.
