I watched an NBA game from every decade

The NBA game has drastically changed over the past 70 years. I picked an NBA finals game from each decade going back to 1950 and compared and contrasted the overall style of play.
Some of the players included in the video: Bill Russell, Bill Walton, Julius Erving, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Steph Curry.
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Thumbnail by Nic Stelter. Contact him at [e-mail]
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0:00 Intro
0:57 1950's Knicks vs Pistons
4:44 1960's Celtics vs Lakers
8:36 1970's Sixers vs Trail Blazers
13:00 1980's Celtics vs Lakers
17:21 1990's Bulls vs Jazz
21:47 2000's Pistons vs Lakers
25:26 2010's Heat vs Thunder
28:42 2020's Warriors vs Celtics

[@JxmyHighroller]

Genius concept for a video. Great work man!

[@raveenkovil9136]

Love your video on the finals mvp

[@FirstLast-nv7me]

jimmy

[@GoatStormChaser]

Goat sees goat

[@BenniDerLange]

Bro can u promote this man, he's under the radar rn

[@willhooke]

Trap sax?... 🙂 ... Sad trombone ☹️

[@jackprecip5389]

Horford in his first 7 years in the NBA took a grand total of 29 three-point shots, and the next 7 years took over 1300 three-point shots. That's mind blowing.

[@Nickloss961]

Even crazier is that in 2015 he took only 36 threes and the next season he took 259 of them. To me that's one of the best examples of Stephen Curry effect

[@0weladon761]

And he’s the goat

[@kyleraines3698]

Also shows you that the good and great players of each era most of the time would have been able to adapt to the game, regardless of how drastic. Had Horford retired after those first 7 would anyone say that 510 threes made from him in his next 7 years was possible? No

[@Jbarack98]

@@Nickloss961 facts, unfortunately the nba is shell of what it used to be.

[@Lizards_Lounge]

That's nuts

[@Ev-qq1kq]

No wonder the 90’s had the most dominant bigs. Those rules really helped them when it came to one on one sequences

[@rafikz77]

Exactly People forget ISO ball also favoured dominants bigs, not just perimeter players

[@dobz746]

@@rafikz77 it also favored Jordan. I mean if MJ was on that 2004 team with the Lakers against the Pistons he would have the same result as Kobe for sure.

[@infiniti37G]

They got easy shots in todays game. No defense and wide open shots

[@nonamewillbegiven2826]

No it didnt you 1d1ot

[@nonamewillbegiven2826]

@@rafikz77exactly nothing troll

[@Danburkett1]

Concerning the dribbling with one had in the 60s, the rules at the time said you had to keep your hand directly on top of the ball or it would be a carry. So doing a crossover was basically impossible.

[@Sizdothyx]

I want them to bring that rule back so bad. I wanna see how many of today's players can "really" dribble instead of pretending that a scoop isn't a travel for 48 minutes of game time.

[@karithema9ician657]

@@SizdothyxOr just Maybe the game had to Evolve… because that shit looked trash and actually. Look at how much players bodies move as they dribble now … it’s actually harder now. Those pivots and fast cuts are TAXING On the legs and stamina. Think about that 🤦🏾‍♂️😂😂

[@Dss902]

​@@karithema9ician657now the game has devolved into and And1 mix tape and it's embarrassing. It was better back then. They actually had far more skill to dribble like that. Even if we go back to the early 2000s it was far better. Now players carry the ball with a straight up and down dribble. Luka carries the ball with every between the legs dribble basically. Takes far less skill and is cheating.

[@ADAMSDIABEL]

But the author doesn't know that. He is describing whole eras watching bits and pieces of one game from each. And people here, call it genius.

[@omnivorous65]

@@Sizdothyx No. That is a terrible idea. Ball handling became an art form and should remain that way. Maybe carrying should be called if the hand is right under the ball, also enforce the two steps after gathering the ball. I don't really want to watch games where players are awkwardly slapping the ball . Spin moves, cross overs, hesitation moves are gorgeous.

[@bradygagne6992]

This video is perfect example of why I continue to say it’s extremely hard to compare players from each era

[@jsgr5382]

It's not hard. This generation is the best , the next will be better and so on. It's like that in every sport for every era. Evolution doesn't stop. And yes having better equipment and having more knowledge of the sport is part of the evolution process. It's a factor we need to accept. Every era has better equipment then the previous. People's nostalgia and emotion take over and you have clowns that are convinced MJ's era was better then today because they're Insecure about their idol being the goat so they need to hype up an entire era. Basketball is the only sport that doesn't publicly admit it's far better now and it's probably the sport that has improved the most after hockey to which btw Wayne Gretzky said publicly he wouldn't even make today's NHL cause it's too big, fast and skilled. Imagine that.

[@bradygagne6992]

@@jsgr5382 This generation is the most talented but you need to see the other side of that to understand why is it’s the most talented. It’s because of the environment and everything players have access to growing up in life and once they get to the league. Guys in the 60’s,70’s and 80’s had to work multiple jobs on low salary, wear converses, play without a three point line, have extremely limited knowledge to the extent of which we know medical info now. Basketball training wasn’t the same back then and the game was still relatively new so people were still understanding the game and trying to figure it out. Skill wise and strategy wise the game was still developing and not to mention the impact of technology for film and we’ll almost everything in world we live in today. And not to mention how many rules have changed throughout the years. My point is people never bring up perspective and context when comparing eras. Nobody was able to grow up the same way from back then compared to now. Born in 1975 and playing in the league 20 years later is way different than being born in 1995 and playing 20 years later. That’s why no matter how much people debate it will always extremely difficult to compare eras

[@kiLLAGlock94]

@@bradygagne6992 sounds like you’re making a ton of excuses for previous eras

[@bradygagne6992]

@@kiLLAGlock94 nope no excuses just reality. Our society has it way better today. The amount of access we have today because of the advancements in our life is awesome. Me trying to provide context of how it’s different isn’t excuses

[@krokonuts9092]

Very well said

[@NT-or9wh]

Really love the Al Horford transformation. I’ve always argued players like Hakeem would’ve developed a 3-pt shot if he played in this era. Good players always find a way to adapt.

[@deebofleebo6427]

Olajuwon had a 3p shot, he had range out to 22-23 ft! He was just much more valuable in the paint

[@deebofleebo6427]

BTW, Horford made 500 more threes but missed 1,359 more threes, which is horse manure

[@analcommando1124]

I think Ewing would have been a better player now because he had such a good shot.

[@deebofleebo6427]

@@analcommando1124 Ewing was a freaking monster dude, he'll be great in any era and would keep teams including his own from jacking up threes

[@NT-or9wh]

@@analcommando1124 Yes, Ewing definitely would’ve developed a 3pt shot. Shaq is the one big that I can’t see developing.

[@fcdraw]

The biggest challenge for NBA teams today is to figure out how to effectively defend the 3 point shot. When someone does we will see an upset like the 2004 finals.

[@lumpy9964]

They should really just move the 3 pt line back a foot or two at this point. 3 pointers have oversaturated the game and made it so one dimensional, but you can't even blame the players for taking them when the risk reward factor is so in favor of taking the three point shot with how good shooting has gotten these days.

[@Sushigh0st]

@@lumpy9964they should just make handchecking legal again, people are offensively talented enough to handle it nowadays imo

[@MJIZZEL]

​@@lumpy9964exactly. Or eliminate the corner 3 and just have a straight solid line across the top of the arc.

[@choirenthusiast4545]

It will eventually be solved. Players are getting bigger now and they’re also agile. It will become easier to switch which I think would be a 3-ball killer.

[@andreunas4584]

that’s literally the beauty of todays game, offense has gotten so deep and players so versatile, that defenses will have to weigh out what shots they’re willing to live with. if im a top defensive team with a league average offensive rating, kinda like the lakers then im really just trying to find the open three. or actions that free up the post luring in the defensive help and kicking it out. and vice versa so on and so forth. these variables didn’t exist a couple decades ago and everything evolves. me personally it’s a joy to watch the modern game.

[@bigdavido82]

Wow! this was EPIC! I learned so much of the old school 90s games I watched as a kid. Most eloquent explanation of illegal defense ever. It all makes so much sense now.

[@nonamewillbegiven2826]

Clueless

[@sunumonidas9966]

90,s defence = cookie defence

[@yungesjosef]

This video is proof the 90s fucking sucked

[@nonamewillbegiven2826]

@shanese8471 i dont teach stupid, stupid

[@nonamewillbegiven2826]

@@sunumonidas9966 spelled 2010s and 2020s wrong kid

[@Huesos138]

I really admire those men from the 50s and 60s. While they were not nearly as talented or athletic as the players just a decade or two later, they still discovered things that then became fundamental basketball. Naismith invented the game, but these men discovered it. I salute them.

[@MovieGuy666]

fantastic no look passes.

[@Huesos138]

@Rheumattica No, they were not. I am not a kid. And what does being bright have to do with anything?

[@richardstephens5570]

@Rheumattica Today's athletes benefit from sports science. Improved nutrition, training methodology, and modern technology. Players in the 50's and 60's weren't paid much, so many worked second jobs in the offseason. Today's athletes train all year round to improve their skill and athleticism. Those old school players could have been just as athletic if they had access to the training techniques modern athletes have, but they didn't.

[@richardstephens5570]

@Rheumattica You're a clown.

[@JDG707]

@Rheumattica what a terrible and substance-less comeback

[@NeverwascooL]

The wildest part of the first game was sometimes it looked like there was more than 10 guys on the court. It was pretty chaotic

[@jlui21]

- chaotic? More like clogged. That's why they played against Plumbers and firemen.

[@reidprbl8561]

@@jlui21 different eras man can’t blame them, half the techniques and moves haven’t even been invented yet

[@TypicalBlakk]

@@jlui21 Idiotic Small Brain Comment

[@seamus4A]

@@reidprbl8561 half? I’d say most

[@lukocius]

Well, rules did not allow for crossovers or euro-step, offensive contact was an offensive foul... While in 2018 hacking a defender was a defensive foul :D

[@ragecage205]

Implementing the ABA is prolly why the game changed so immensely from the 60 to the 70s. Would love a review of one of their games

[@mattsell2361]

Agreed the 60s to the 70s was definitely the biggest change

[@amybenzaquen7417]

18:51 John Stockton was a great passer and an excellent mid range shooter

[@monolithgeometry3221]

You take Stockton away from that team and they're a .500 - 600 ball club. That guy did so many things well and so effortlessly, you don't notice it til he's gone

[@aaronflowers8881]

Stockton is a top 3 pg ever but people are too stupid to notice it.

[@biz09ification]

​@@aaronflowers8881easy top 3 pg

[@1roundleft821]

Those Jordan and Malone fadeaways are a thing of beauty.

[@futurehofer1564]

Malone's were kinda ugly, looks like he had like a hitch on his jumper MJ was clean as hell

[@1roundleft821]

@@futurehofer1564 I like the way he kicks his feet out and quickly pops the fader out of a face up. That was his bread and butter. May not be everyone's cup of tea, but that fadeaway is truly a Malone signature. You won't see anyone else shoot like that.

[@1roundleft821]

@@futurehofer1564 also like how far he'd lean back on his fadeaways. Like he was reclining in the air 😅 Watch this video to see more of his low post fades/turnarounds. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJbHcqmJgaloi5o

[@TheFullBlack1]

Nothing as clean as Dirks fade 🥶

[@likeatree-ei8it]

Keep going back. Wilts was unguardable.

[@Infeckted-mp4xp]

People forget just how good, Bill Walton really was. Dude was just different.

[@imneveruploadinghere7180]

Shame his son was nowhere near as good

[@jsgr5382]

He was so overrated. NBA merger proved this

[@KnoxWheelerJr]

@@jsgr5382 he won his title after the merger

[@jsgr5382]

@@KnoxWheelerJr He never avg 20 points in a season. Was always hurt. His stats dipped a bit after the merger and his injuries. Overrated

[@KnoxWheelerJr]

@@jsgr5382 his stats dipped after he started getting injured. Saying he's overrated as if he's someone who's talked about regularly among the greatest players ever, like wilt chamberlain for instance

[@de132]

I like to split the 1950s into two different eras. The latter half of decade saw more jumpshots and more layups. Especially as a new generation of players came into the league to phase out some inaugural players and as mentioned earlier about the shot clock's addition.

[@jacobbradbury8823]

I've watched, played, and coached basketball for a long time. This video is extremely well done!

[@jamestaylor8986]

This is, by far, the most interesting nba/basketball video I have seen in a long time. The progression of the game is so interesting when you can see it in real time

[@pbCafe]

1960s actually does sound difficult 😂 you basically have to do every movement perfectly. And they complain about fouls now you literally got one for touching someone back then 😭

[@uberneanderthal]

every possession would end in a whistle if today's players were held to that standard. while the game may have been more 'pure', I can see why they let up for the sake of flow and entertainment.

[@arch8748]

@@uberneanderthal in what way is that pure? Slow clunky offense with no defensive physicality? That is horrible basketball. Nothing pure about it

[@uberneanderthal]

@@arch8748 consistent application of the rules as they are written, which is definitely a problem in the modern game

[@nonamewillbegiven2826]

@@arch8748 shutup troll

[@Jose-st3fq]

The thing with ballhandling in the 70s is that the rules were different if you took kd and time traveled him to the 70s he’d get called for a carry every possesion those 70s players literally couldn’t be as good of dribblers as the players today allen iverson really changed the game with ballhandling and what refs would call Carry

[@user-lh1oo9nu4n]

They were better dribblers back then

[@danielmurtha404]

This is probably the best hoops video I’ve seen to date. That includes my old 80s 90s VHS’s, which to be fair were basically music videos. I though I’d just be nodding my head in agreement the whole time, but instead you had my eyelids peeled. Amazing job!

[@nonamewillbegiven8228]

1d1ot

[@luminatron]

@@nonamewillbegiven8228 spell the word right, coward troll

[@nonamewillbegiven8228]

@@luminatron i spell it intentionally ya b1÷ch

[@oldeskoolnewsreels9927]

To be fair about the dribbling, they were just as strict about palming and carrying as they were about traveling. The thing about traveling back then was that you couldn't lift or drag your pivot foot. Pivot foot? What's that? Anyway, palming was putting your hand on the side of the ball and carrying was a kind of traveling violation due to palming. Hard to explain. Dribbling with your offhand without palming is not easy.. Try it sometime. Watch "carrying violation 1976" to see what you couldn't get away with. As time went on, they relaxed the rules to where now, you can travel and palm the ball at will. Which makes the game easier.

[@HaHaha-vn4qk]

I wouldn’t say the rule change made the game easier. Of course it’s more natural and free flowing the way you can hold and move with the ball now, but that also opens up new ways to play, which in turn for some is hard to defend against, and for others is hard to master.

[@oldeskoolnewsreels9927]

@@HaHaha-vn4qk OK. I'll give you that. BUT, keeping your hand strictly on top of the ball and having limited mobility due to traveling rules makes you look "awkward." It's definitely harder to dribble that way. Get a ball and try to dribble with only your left hand as fast as you can to the other side of the court. You're not going to make it.

[@davidwinston8122]

I disagree. I think they are just more akward as dribblers back then because they didn’t emphasize the technique as much.

[@oldeskoolnewsreels9927]

@@davidwinston8122 The "technique" was illegal, ffs.

[@oldeskoolnewsreels9927]

@@davidwinston8122 Watch "carrying violation 1976" Over time, they gradually relaxed the palming rules. Or just didn't enforce them.

[@yaroslav64]

This should be required viewing for every basketball fan. This is phenomenal.

[@Gurb-cr3wl]

not as phenomenal because he didn't read any old rules and had his biases so made idiotic statements

[@Delimondo12]

@@Gurb-cr3wllike what?

[@dragonslayer6912]

@@Gurb-cr3wl yeah like what? The only thing he didn't mention were dribbling violations for the 60's the rest is very good

[@Gurb-cr3wl]

@@dragonslayer6912 nope dribbling, cupping, foul calling everything

[@dragonslayer6912]

@@Gurb-cr3wl foul calling? what you mean by that? You don't actually think people weren't fouled 'back in those days' right? Back when they yes did play more physical but also got fouled accordingly and mainly played more physical cause the game was situated around the rim and consisted of more one on one's. Come on bruv.

[@Mmacrossfirekenai]

Excellent video. I think the only thing missing is the 1975-1976 ABA championship game. That would have revealed Doctor J's influence in the open court, going to the basket, and all-around skills. Even the crossovers and dribbling that was not seen in the clogged NBA paint finals of 1977. ( There is a clip on KZbin of an ABA Doctor J crossing over his man at the 3 point line, taking 1 or two dribbles and then ramming It in over 7-2 ABA and NBA Hall of Famer centre Artis Gilmore). Remember, the ABA had the 3-point shot since 1967 and also recorded stats we take for granted today like blocks, steals, before the NBA did. The ABA set the tone with their more exciting free flow game that the NBA much later adopted through absorbing the 4 ABA teams and the talent like Doc, David Thompson and George Gervin.

[@MrZola1234]

I'm surprised you didn't mention the "pick n roll." From at least the 70s, at all levels of basketball, it has been a dominating play, and remains almost unstoppable today.

[@logicaldude3611]

That’s actually the best description of Illegal Defense that I’ve come across.

[@th-op9gx]

One thing, I think along with the 3points efficiency this era increased, not only the capability of players to blowout teams increased, but also the capability of coming back from a blowout. Just like the warriors against the mavs, portland and other teams, they have multiple games that they came back from a supposed 25 pt game blowouts. Makes it still watchable even being down 25-30 points.

[@Reydriel]

It's simple mathematics really. If you're down 24pts, you will need 12 unanswered 2pt possessions to claw the gap, but you only need 8 unanswered 3pts to do the same.

[@waltjones6927]

I never thought of it like that but you right. Back in the 90s or 00s if a team was down 25 I'm turning my channel. Nowadays I'm sticking to the TV cuz that lead could be gone in minutes. Good point.

[@jadedelacruz8662]

You re right, we will keep watching even if the other team was down by 30, this game 6 finals, i bet all my money on warriors, they were up like almost 20 less than a quarter and im still having heartattack

[@mja91352]

Whch, of course, never happened before the 3-point shot. Oh, wait minute ...

[@MrMitchbow]

@@mja91352 refs have been fixing games for a while

[@principleswise9749]

*Wonderful to watch! It's the kind of stuff you always want to know, but it would be too much to ask. Unless we do it ourselves and it's too much work! I really REALLY appreciate your work and this video!*

[@dancalkins97]

I'm not a big NBA fan, but I could tell this was going to be a good video. It was even better than that, with solid descriptions and great comparisons/contrasts. A worthwhile watch!

[@SapientiaHaereticae]

I've been following Basketball since the 91/92 season and I must say that I've learned more about tactics in these 30 minutes than I did in 30 years. Amazing video, loved every second of it! 👍

[@togonumber]

.......

[@bigdavido82]

Dude, I said the same thing! I watched since early 90s and now all those illegal defense calls and ridiculous iso offenses make more sense.

[@DarrellC.]

Agreed!

[@rafikz77]

@@bigdavido82 I watched basketball back then and I don’t miss Hate isoball

[@UnscriptedAZ]

Great breakdown. I wish the sports networks would focus on this content instead of hot takes. Good stuff 👍🏾

[@MS-so5fr]

It really reiterates how unclogged todays paint is and how many wide open threes you see.

[@ajajala5081]

Most people do not want to see analysis non stop , we want debate . Even the new media on so many talk shows give hottakes about their era . Sports media became way more profitable with the debate style that's why fox and ESPN have many shows that do that .

[@Itstime1231]

@@ajajala5081 yeah this stuff is like if you have time to sit down and listen. Usually people don't want deep analysis or deep dives, they don't care

[@evifnoskcaj]

Awesome video! I almost forgot about how they tried to outlaw parts of the zone, but that just made coaches even more creative and the players even smarter. I loved 90s basketball.

[@chefjonsf]

Great video, loved the ending and how you all tied it together. Such a beautiful sport captured nicely in this piece. Thank you!

[@jaredb9523]

It's insane to think how in fifty years it turned from that to a multi billion dollar revenue of playing a game with a ball and rim

[@bohanxu6125]

It is not surprising that newer generations become "better" at the game. They can learn from the older generations... or at least take inspiration from older generations even if some rules are changed. Basketball players becomes "better" as history goes on, should be something that is celebrated, because that means the sport is growing.

[@roverjohnson6854]

Exactly, it’s a good thing that should happen and those happen in all sports. I never got why people got so offended by the fact players today are simply better than back then.

[@JohnDoe-vf3qo]

@@roverjohnson6854 because it’s not them better just have more skills to run with give older eras the same techniques that the new players have now would determine whose better however the correct term are the newer players have more options

[@Duqsos]

@@JohnDoe-vf3qo which means they are more skilled which also means that they are better not saying that the older era couldn’t learn how to play like the current era

[@JohnDoe-vf3qo]

@@Duqsos no it just means they had more to choose firing any of the older era people in the game to play now and they will dominate because of the more options. To determine better especially between eras is to keep it equal. Give the 60s less people on the court and a 3 point line and the ideas from the later eras and you will get a similar result of now.

[@roverjohnson6854]

@@JohnDoe-vf3qo, Took a LONG time after the three point line was invented to get Steph Curry. That’s not how it works.

[@johndavis6189]

Credit where it's due. A brilliant analysis and answers so many questions I had growing up playing ball in the UK and watching the NBA during the 90s. You've also given me some brilliant insights into how I can change the more holistic elements of my coaching. Demystifying certain elements and getting new young players into the game itself by Demystifying what they see in TV. Thank You!

[@kaboomkp]

Dude this video was great! I'm just getting into NBA and this helped me learn so much about the evolution of the league, rules, players, etc. which is my favorite part about sports. Keep it up, I'm gonna check out the rest of your videos now.

[@jhart05]

Feel bad for you. That today’s game is your first exposure to the game. Suggest you search for some old school 80s 90s games on here.

[@kgisabeast]

While ball handling is obviously “better” nowadays, you have to realize that players carry the ball all the time now, in the 60s if they dribbled/ crossed over like they do now it would’ve been called a carry

[@noname-jd2vo]

Agreed, but even then they looked uncomfortable dribbling within their rules. You can still switch hands without doing a crossover, but they didn't. You don't even need to do this "better", because It is objectively better today.

[@kgisabeast]

@@noname-jd2vo yeah I’m not saying players aren’t better today because they are, just that if the rules were called like that nowadays players today would have a hard time adjusting to not dribbling like they do now, same with traveling, it’s basically never called

[@ronm3945]

Wtf they travel and carry the balls these days..and the nba lets them get away with it..hows that better exactly???

[@Rickypaleo1776]

The looked uncomfortable dribbling cause they couldn’t switch hands for fear of being called a carry duh.

[@ronm3945]

@@Rickypaleo1776 really..have you seen maravich handle the ball..without the need to be help having to carry or travel.you old historian you lmao...i guarantee you half the dudes today wont look half as good without the help of the lax rules..lmao.

[@bjnt92281]

One could make an case that the 95 Rockets were the perfect example of how modern spacing combined with a dominant center can be effective. Get the ball to Hakeem. If he’s doubled or tripled then you have 3 to 4 knock down 3 pt shooters. If you focus on defending the shooters then you leave Hakeem space to operate in the paint.

[@christophergooding9820]

Idk if I'd say modern spacing, they shot about 21 3s a game, this season teams shoot 35 on average. More like spacing from 10 years ago

[@MistaTofMaine]

@@christophergooding9820 true but Hakeem was so good they didn't need to shoot that many 3s.

[@jraelien5798]

Exactly! Very underrated team!

[@christophergooding9820]

@@MistaTofMaine that doesn't disprove the fact that it wasn't modern spacing. Are you saying they had the ability to shoot more so they had the spacing but didn't? Because in that case we could say that about more teams before the 95 Rockets?

[@superdopehiphop]

Hakeem top4-5 GOAT for me!

[@c.s.s.5326]

Awesome video. Thanks for compiling and for the great analysis.

[@ramronquillo8756]

Crazy commitment but definitely well worth it. Amazing job!

[@Soosss]

Love seeing the history of the game. I’m only 21 so I try to watch older games and get an idea of how the older NBA was like.. this video is invaluable to someone like me, great job!

[@mittendemon4493]

Watching players pre 2005 pass up on open 3s makes me so mad

[@malooch]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qquuqKihbM-Lms0

[@ronm3945]

@@mittendemon4493 watching todays players flop travel and play no defence is utter nonsense

[@slxpvz7916]

@@ronm3945 no defense i guess you rather see nikkas getting punched in the stomach… and flopping whether you like it or not is more of the refs fault if it works no sense in not using it 🤷‍♂️

[@ronm3945]

@@slxpvz7916 nope its not like that .your talking the exceptions..the fights..but defence was tight and points were contested not matador defence if u call ot that..well guess society is soft and sensitive these days reflected by the sports and soyboy fanbase..not fanbase really...as most you wannabe only watch highlights bugtthink u know all lmao

[@LilShrooms]

17:48 holy shit poor Steve Kerr setting a screen on Malone and getting absolutely trampled on 😵‍💫

[@leechrec]

Stevey must've hated playing the Jazz. Got beat up by the biggest dude (Malone), and the smallest dude (Stockton) XD

[@sambeezy007]

The guy has like 7 total rings now? Edit: He has 9 now.

[@slimphotog]

Isaiah Thomas caught an elbow from Malone setting a screen one time. Mailman delivered a lot of that to guards.

[@digitalvictory8266]

Fascinating! Thanks for this man, I love it.

[@thairob]

I love this. Great analysis. 30 minutes seems long but it could have been an hour and I’d still be wanting more.

[@TheIcemanthomas]

Beautiful vid. I love that u showcased the evolution of the game without completely disrespecting the past players. You showed the pros and cons of each era wonderfully and added the needed context as to why the game was played each way. The history of the game is to be respected for what it was and preserved for true fans and students of the game to pass down and learn from. Thank you for your work.

[@danielmacpherson8487]

Wholeheartedly agree, most people respect everything between 1980 and now but there's so much more to the game! I get very angry when I see people point out the wierd ballhandling or silly shot selection of the 60s in an attempt to try discredit Wilt, West, Russell etc because they played then, without actually acknowledging how the game was played, I knew about the crazy fast pace, and that dribbling with your hand anywhere but directly above the ball was a carry but something I'd never realised is the foul calls, I'd heard Wilt talk about why he didn't push people like Shaq, or dunk on people like MJ and he said if he was that aggressive and unsportsman-like he would have been benched, I thought the lack of contact was about this same kind of respect the players had for each other but seeing how trigger happy those refs are really goes to show how different what players were ALLOWED to do was, and that is really what seperates eras.

[@deebofleebo6427]

@@danielmacpherson8487 no it isn't! The skill level was considerably lower in Wilt and Russell's era, the dominant bigs and guards were smaller, slower and weaker, they shot horribly, and there were very few players that had the athleticism of the late 70's to today! Jordan had legit 7 ft monsters to deal with at the rim that were quick on their feet, jumped very high and had outstanding lateral movement, but he was still climbing over the top and dunking on them without offensive fouling! There were no guards in that era that even dreamed of driving baseline and throwing down a one hander on player! Wilt is definitely in the same category with Shaq of overrated players that lie constantly to make themselves seem better than they were

[@skullemoji5068]

Dominant bigs were smaller?????? Do you know how big wilt or Russell or Nate Thurmond or Walt Bellamy were?? The height was the same they just didn’t measure people with does back then.

[@skullemoji5068]

*shoes lol

[@TheIcemanthomas]

@@deebofleebo6427 u literally took all the stereotypes that we were referring to and took all the context away and just said a bunch of incorrect regurgitated shit u heard on the internet. U don’t belong here. Go do some hw and get back to me. Ignorance in 2022 is lazy and not tolerated. There’s way too many platforms that disprove every single point u just attempted to Make. Find them. Learn something before u open your mouth again. Have a nice day.

[@Gihad97]

Loved this video. I loved the breakdowns and the showing of the plays. The illegal defense explanation was really well done. Seeing the differences and why each era was different is really helpful. Seeing the 50s through 70s was really interesting. I'm surprised by how much I liked the 70s style of basketball.

[@hamoiq908]

yeah same, like ive never had anything against any era and respect them all but the 70's was actually super fun to watch for me with nice pull up jumpers and nice passes for explosive rim play

[@dobz746]

Yeah I'm really surprised that a lot of people don't know the illegal rules in the 90's smh. That is there were so many post up plays and triangle offense really worked.

[@nonamewillbegiven2826]

@@dobz746 m0ron

[@Double33]

Glad you made this video...I definitely learned a bunch so many things became clear

[@shaysterling]

Great video! I randomly became curious about the evolution of basketball and this vid was perfect! 😄

[@quest3157]

Easily one of the most comprehensive videos of how the NBA has changed through the years. Appreciate your time and effort

[@bestkept1135]

I'll always respect 50's basketball. This era is the building block for today's game. As mentioned in this video, one dribble then pull up jumper and the flashy passes made it into today's game. I made it through the whole video so I am a big basketball fan ☺️

[@thepeddle]

Great job on this dude! That was a lot of work. I really enjoyed it.

[@user-pp4jd5ql9j]

This was sooooo informational! Thanks man!

[@yahalyulmer2912]

Maybe your goat video. I feel like we have seen 8 different styles of the game in 8 decades. let me know if you agree!

[@spectersox]

That was literally one of the best half hours I’ve ever watched on KZbin! Amazing!

[@vladtheimpaler7375]

Awesome video man, really appreciate you putting this together.

[@silversurfer9588]

I always wondered about these comparisons. Thanks

[@mediochreeuchre8391]

Enjoyed the video! Watched the '84, '85, and '87 Lakers-Celtics NBA finals a couple years ago for pandemic entertainment. There was a big difference between '85 and '87 in that using the three-point line was actually a strategy in '87. Certainly not like today but on a fast break, Michael Cooper would go to the three-point line instead of the basket. I think he made six in one game which was a huge amount.

[@hamoiq908]

honestly some players nowadays still struggle to make six in a game with high shot attempts so that's impressive

[@ericday4505]

I am not a fan of the 3, I can't stand to see guys pull up for that shot on a fast break, my mouth used to drop open when I first saw that, now it's nearly the norm, Dirk, and Embiid just launching away, way too much. I can't stand that shot.!!!

[@myweirdsecondchannelwithap9070]

@@ericday4505 and why?

[@daddydevito2024]

@@ericday4505 there’s a reason you’re not a coach

[@DavidTheDeveloper]

Looking at this video, you start to appreciate more every era. And realize why players play the way they play to a certain extent. The rule changes really dictate the evolution of the game.

[@Ricky-Spanish]

The rule changes certainly had an impact, but I'm struck by how much simple changes in strategy/philosophy really altered the game. I grew up watching the NBA in the 90s, and even then, I always wondered why players would turn down open threes. Like the clip from the 98 finals, I don't care what era it was, Stockton should've taken that shot.

[@dantedlane2]

@@Ricky-SpanishReggie said it best,you can’t be a punk you gotta drive it in the lane ,it was motivation

[@clydereid2976]

Excellent analysis. Great job!

[@teddyp421]

Thank you for this! probably the greatest video on the evolution of basketball and gives us a more clear understanding of how far the game has come, the development of skill/competition, rules and fundamentals. Brings light to a lot of arguments as well👀

[@nonamewillbegiven6847]

No

[@deebofleebo6427]

In 1990, teams were taking 7 threes a game avg 106ppg. Today the league avg is about 5x that number and they avg 110ppg! The three was considered a gimmick in the 80's, Bill Fitch made it a point to have Bird avoid shooting the 3p

[@sirfish9824]

The avg was 101 ppg in 1990 and last year it was 112ppg

[@sebclot9478]

That's correct, Deboo. Bird shot a lot of 3 pointers his rookie year. Fitch made him stop. I think part of the reason that the 3 was rarely used at the time was nobody was accustomed to shooting it. It didn't exits in high school or college. Most players had to learn it at the NBA level from scratch.

[@poocrayon4588]

It was a gimmick. Unfourtanately that gimmick has totally ruined basketball and made it boring

[@sebclot9478]

@@poocrayon4588 The three itself was fine until the 2005 rule changes. It was hard to just fire up 3 pointers all day with tired legs. Taking the physicality out of the game changed everything.

[@robg8203]

Finally a video about different eras of basketball without the creator throwing in their unwanted opinions about who's better or "how much harder" it used to be or is now. Thank you, and great video!

[@GinkgoPete]

He even dispells some of that with his comments about the Celtics. Just a great video about old NBA without Old Head bullshit.

[@ltatjsallday8709]

Old Timers couldn't handle the fact that GS Warriors are the most dominant team of all time, I did NBA2K simulation and they destroy 96 Bulls and 2001 Lakers in blow out fashion

[@rafikz77]

Nostalgia. They can’t let go

[@hinika]

NBA2K???

[@nonamewillbegiven2826]

Says no one. Troll

[@nonamewillbegiven2826]

@@rafikz77 troll

[@MichaelJordanGoat2324]

yea 2k is real life

[@dominikkhilji808]

Amazing work, man! Much appreciated!

[@robbnoble1509]

I wouldn't call the guys in the 60's plumbers and firemen. I've watched games before this and the pace is unreal. Loong at average scoring is one thing but when you take into account the shot percentages on these fast breaks, often forced in a 1 on 2 or 2 on 3 in the defenders favor instead of slowing down the ball and transitioning into half court offense, and immediately move into fast break in the other direction, the pace was even faster than the game scores lead you to believe. These guys had to be real cross country athletes and it must have been exhausting. Its no wonder shooting percentages were so low. Everyone was burnt out. It also explains the insane rebounding numbers of big men who could get up and down the court like Wilt and Bill. Guys back then were incredible athletes. They were just built in a different way than they are today. In a similar manner, guys in the 80s/90s were also built in a different way. They were bulkier which helped them with the more physical style of play that was often focused around posting up. It also made them more durable and less prone to injury. Meanwhile today, players have more lean builds, built for speed. They're (generally) faster and get beter looks through outpacing their defender or coming off screens than backing them down. However, in all my life watching basketball I have never seen injuries be as big of an issue as they are today. There are so many star players missing so many games because of injuries, I can't help but think it's because of the way they are built. Either way, all of these guys are world-class athletes in my book. They were just built for the game in their era, and the game has changed so much over the years.

[@Christopher._M]

It's not the way they are built. It's the way they play. They play with a lot of hard cuts and momentum changes. Those are what damage your knees and ankles more than anything especially when done at awkward angles. You can run up and down the court all day. What you can't do is do what Ja morant does all day.

[@justinlevy274]

@@Christopher._M These guys also grow up playing an absolute ton of basketball so their bodies have more wear and tear before they even get to the league.

[@davidnotshawty]

this is probably my favorite basketball comment

[@lukamagicgod]

Bro what you talking about build different? They all just the same, they just play different. We all just the same people bro lol. Tf this guy talking about.

[@Tuvok_Shakur]

@@lukamagicgod how you work out, train, eat, etc. changes your build, and you can go for a lean build or bulk up. Duh

[@dustincobb5718]

Hookshots are underrated and should be done more today. Meadowlark Lemon perfected it so well he could make a skyhook from anywhere on the court.

[@jesseaustin4089]

You do realize that things like the average level of athleticism, close out speed (from defenders to shooters), and help defense play a big role in why that type of shot wouldn't be regularly effective in today's game right? Stop letting nostalgia cloud your judgement my friend.

[@dustincobb5718]

@@jesseaustin4089 With hookshots you don't have to set with both hands it's faster than you think Watch how Meadowlark did it when he tried to do it fast. Some of his shots were slow to be funny or for drama etc when he needed to do it with speed he could. Athletes have not evolved the rules evolved and shoes changed. As humans it takes atleast thousands of yrs to see legit evolution.

[@monolithgeometry3221]

@@jesseaustin4089 Who knows even what the rules are to that game anymore , they change and soften them so often like people change sexes . Can you still do pump fakes or is that illegal. Who gives a shit really. Bomb a 3 against mentally soft players with better speed

[@chaliceb5]

Great, informative video. Appreciate the time and effort you put into this. Thanx.

[@ychickshateme11]

what a masterpiece, thank you so much for this video for the ages!!!

[@kobefan2472]

Man this video makes me respect Kobe even more cause the rules were seriously changing around his reign and like you pointed out he didn't have the shooting help to supplement his drives like lebron did and still made it work before Detroit won one....also you should have done the Nba salaries during each take to see if a guy really had to get that plumber job while playing in the league lol

[@jcjourney2406]

Yea but he Shaq. That kinda evens it out

[@attili3000]

I can’t imagine how much work was put into this. Thank you for an incredible video!

[@Collin255]

Been a diehard Pistons fan my whole life. The 2004 Pistons were so damn good. Chauncey, Ben, Rasheed, Tayshaun and Rip. They also had such a deep bench, it was crazy.

[@enamweaknopahknop9661]

So so not a piston fan, but the league were lucky you drafted that guy in 03 instead of Melo. A sixth man that is Melo woulda been devastation on the league, not even considering if he grew to be half an offensive player he is today, Piston woulda been a dynasty.

[@TatayNiElias]

Noticed how this analysis focuses on how the Pistons stopped Kobe. The plan is basically let Shaq do all the work by stopping the other guy.

[@alexlanza79]

Awesome video, great analysis, fantastic job you did, enough said!

[@El...Presidente]

As I was about to comment on the funny free throws from back in the day, I was taken aback by the bad-ass passing.

[@Noblesavage31]

The free throws looked at a bit childish and online, however, it was very effective

[@michaelcarrig627]

People forget that the 60s was the fastest era of the NBA with the most possessions per game.

[@vanguardas9927]

more like we find out that the 60s and earlier were full of trash players who wouldn't even get a scouting report in today's NBA. Bill Russel probably won't even get drafted if he can only play defense.

[@michaelcarrig627]

@@vanguardas9927 You are a goof. Yes, basketball in the 60s was underdeveloped. But, Russell was an incredible athlete and defender that would have stood out in any era; the same as Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, and Wilt Chamberlain. Watch on video comparing Wilt in his Philly days to other athletes and then remember that Russell battled Wilt to a standstill.

[@vanguardas9927]

@@michaelcarrig627 If Giannis played in a bum ass league, he would also be able to do what Wilt did...probably better since Wilt can't shoot for shit even FTs

[@michaelcarrig627]

@@vanguardas9927 Yes, Giannis would have dominated like Wilt. Doesn't change the fact that Wilt was an all world athlete who was as fast as Lebron and with a 40 vertical. These guys would have succeeded in any era, as they would have the same training methods. Your arguments are dumb as fuck. If you can bring them into the future, then they have all the benefits of living in the future.

[@handlebucket6285]

@@vanguardas9927 You know nothing about basketball

[@alexandrogarcia9165]

It‘s really one of the best basketball videos i‘ve ever watched Really great Work !!

[@thebelowaveragefortnitesquad]

Loved this video. Wish you have dived a little more into the Dantoni Suns teams that mixed both pick and roll and off the ball screens along with the 7 seconds or less. That offense became the foundation to what we see today.

[@KazzyOfficial]

Haven't even watched this video but this title and video idea is so good. Wow so pumped to watch this

[@sanjithechef]

Laughing at players from the 50/60s is like going into the past and laughing at people for not knowing how to use computers and smartphones. We have knowledge and experience that they didn’t, it’s not their fault they didn’t get to watch iverson, jordan, curry, and LeBron, or that they didn’t have the sports tech and coaching knowledge we do today. . Lol but still great video

[@monolithgeometry3221]

I'm thinking cavemen trying to capture fire

[@yesyes1842]

Great work. This video shows that it’s not only players that define the game but the game also define the players. Can’t imagine Larry Bird, a 3pt contest winner turning down open 3s today and if he did he’ll definitely hear it from the coach and teammates.

[@barryjohnson8464]

Loved this tour of basketball history! I'd add one thing to the close officiating noted for the '60s, especially traveling calls. Refs called traveling (or "carrying") whenever a dribbler's hand strayed from the top of the ball. There was SOME latitude, but they called anything more than, say, 45 degrees from perpendicular. That made handling the ball much more difficult, naturally enough, especially in traffic. Teams scored a lot of points, but many of them were in transition ("helter-skelter" I think you called it). You had to score fast because beating the defense in the half-court was so difficult between the traveling calls and the initiating contact rules. Thanks for the work on this!

[@Aidan-lu8qr]

Great work on this. I learned a lot and the whole video reeked of painstaking analysis and attention to detail with what was going on in every game you looked at. Amazing job

[@harryshaw99920]

Such high-quality content -- bravo! I think it's safe to say it's one of the best basketball videos I've ever seen. Thanks so much for uploading this on KZbin. Massive props to you!

[@greyyb8860]

This was a great vid, I wish I could double like it, you practically went over all the phases of basketball. Yeah my couldn’t handle that 04 pistons defense without good 3 point shooters, the spread offense is a masterpiece along with the players at all positions headed towards a more versatile route which is better since it’ll get rid of players who aren’t trying to adapt to the changing game

[@styles2789]

Great video!!! First time on this channel. I'm now subscribed lol. Thank you for taking the time to make this.

[@BK-jz9oz]

Thank you for taking the time and analyzing these! We need more videos like this, they're so interesting for hoops fans.

[@mcbnj]

what about watching a mediocre game from each decade? like a warriors/clippers duel in the 90s, or a knicks game with hornacek coaching and andrea bargnani on the floor

[@peterpaul176]

Good idea

[@matthewvincent9533]

Great idea, but also pain lol

[@anthonynorman7545]

I think it would do a better job of seeing what the decades were like. No other big was playing like Bill Walton lol

[@Mike-kv5pl]

Are you trying to torture him?

[@brandonconforto315]

It’s probably hard to try to find those games on KZbin lol

[@johnsmith_1942]

Well done. Thanks for the great video

[@corsair4417]

Great video. Thanks for putting that time in. I know this took a lot of hours to put together and I appreciate it. This video gets me wondering about wilt chamberlain. How about contrasting his two championship teams? And how he changed his game. I think it would be interesting

[@jraelien5798]

Fantastic work! Watched the whole thing in one go, couldn't turn it off. Thanks for the great video.

[@Coskunn]

Although decades form a natural timeframe, I think some jumps are a bit too large. 1963 to 1977 we skip a period where NBA has a competitor league in ABA yet has a historically stacked center position, 1985 to 1998 we skip the early 90s which is rather different from the late 90s featuring peak Hakeem, MJ, Barkley and offensive efficiency is still high league wide. I would have liked adding sth like the 1972 Lakers-Bucks and the 1993 Bulls-Suns finals. That said, absolutely great video!

[@jobinskywalker8167]

Completely agree, great video, massive props to OP, overall really wonderful work done esp keeping things level headed unbiased among eras. Also great jumping off point for those looking to understand the history of the game more. However there were huge periods of NBA history passed over in the jumps that really contextualize the changes of the game.

[@jaakko14]

Really well done video. Very interesting investigation on the differencies between eras.

[@magicLA1980]

Appreciate you for taking the time and effort to put this together. Thanks and respect ✊🏾

[@joshmcdonald1141]

As usual an amazing video. I feel like your videos make me love the sport more. Watching the playoffs I couldn’t help but see your animations on the court helping me understand the motions better. It really does help.

[@ShEDDiNgmYSkiN]

Awesome video! I've been wanting a video like this comparing each decade of the NBA to each other. Amazing work dude!

[@Otto910]

This is the type of video that takes a lot of work but the end result is definitely worth it. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@jaker4ster]

Great stuff! Cool concept, well executed. Subscribed!

[@Unpackaged_Vinyl]

The ABA merger in the 70s evolved the game to mix street ball with traditional NBA basketball. Without that, we might not have basketball as we have it today.

[@TheIcemanthomas]

Which is why I never understand the distain for that era. People tend to gloss over it because of the perception of it being a weak era from a marketing and dynasty perspective. Because the best player Kareem wasn’t marketable, the drug and unsportsmanlike issues, and the league became “watered down” after the merger, people look at the 70s as the dark ages of the NBA. Thus the reason a lot of fans don’t have any regard for anything before 1979 besides maybe wilt, Kareem, dr j, pistol, and bill.

[@sambeezy007]

@@TheIcemanthomas I agree.

[@Unpackaged_Vinyl]

@@TheIcemanthomas A lot of young people just don't respect anything that's old which is a shame because learning the past is the window to the future. It's crazy how the game evolved. There are a handful of players pre 1980s that would still be good in today's era. Even players like Jack Sikma and David Thompson would still have a roster spot and be valuable

[@strictlytrainers]

Great content thanks for taking the time to put it together. I'm from England and played high school basketball in the mid 90s. Finally, I know where and when my high school manager learnt his basketball plays, the 80s lol. The plays that you highlighted from this decade were our staples, it was fun to see where they were taken from.

[@clydekimsey7503]

Interesting. How popular is basketball there? Is there a pro team there?

[@captainswagalicious]

Amazing video. This man truly understands what basketball is and how it’s played

[@BrklynBread]

Amazing video. Great work.