The TRUTH about Basketball in the 80s

A dive into some of the most debated topics of 1980s Basketball, and give my explanation on what the league was truly like.
-------------------------
Make sure to subscribe for more NBA History!
Follow Me on Instagram!
Instagram: / jonnyarnett
______
The game of Basketball has been my passion since I was 5 years old. I grew up as a kid watching my dad's recorded VHS tapes of playoff games through the 70s and 80s, and collected all the Basketball cards. Something about the game and what it represents just hooked me from a very young age.
My love for the game only continues to grow as time goes on. I love studying and analyzing the game, with an unbiased perspective. Feel free to subscribe, follow me on social media, and celebrate this amazing game and it's rich history with me!
I post videos every week on NBA history, predictions, hypothetical scenarios and current NBA topics.
______
Intro Music: Turn On - RW Smith • Turn On - RW Smith (No...
-----
#NBA #1980s #MagicJohnson

[@jonnyarnett]

Which decade of NBA history had the greatest collection of talent? NOTE: There’s TONS of aspects about the 80s that I didn’t touch on in this video, like man-to-man Defense Vs Zone, Hand-checking, etc. The aspects I do address in the video are the ones that I think cause confusion and arguments about the quality of Basketball in the 80s and the style of Basketball in the 80s, and I thought I could offer some clarification on those. The other aspects will be touched on in future videos.

[@lordkiza8838]

Thanks for these uploads man keep doing what you do some of us really rally appreciate it

[@fuckcancerism]

90s was the golden age of centers 00s was the golden age of power forwards 10s is the golden age of point guards and wings

[@alapandas3457]

Absolutely the 90s. The era of big men where a dynasty was built by two wings..hope I don't have to name them. A beautiful combo of finesse, athleticism and physicality. Also since Kobe Bryant was the player of the '00s, the slow pace of play gives even more credit to his 30+ point seasons, as Jonny has already made a video on. Amazing insight as always @Jonny brother 🙌

[@MusicGeniusInternational]

I think there isn't a favourite era. It's about what you grew up in comperance to what you see now. I'm a 90s kid. There were some lack of hype after Jordan retired in 98, but only because, he was so dominant in 90's. I think that every era, has some of the greats: 50's with Mikan, Cousey, Schayes, Sharman, Arizin, Petit and start of the Russel era. 60's as mentioned Russel continue to dominate the titles, but Chamberlain won all the records, they were also Baylor and Havlicek there. The in the 70's West, Walton and another top 10 player in Kareem start to play, we can't forget Gervin and maybe the best game of all time game 5 in 1976 finals, then the 80's as you mension we have Magic VS Bird, start of Jordan, Hakeem, bad boys pistons. The the 90's rule of Jordan, and all of the centres: Ewing, Robinson, O'neal, Mutombo, Olajuwon and also Payton, Kemp, Barkley, Drexler, Miller young Kobe and Duncan. Then we go in to 00's maybe one of the most forgotten era with Kobe + O'neal Bostons big three (Garnett, Allen, Pierce), Pistons returning and Spurs trio (Parker, Ginobili, Duncan), 2003 monster draft (James, Wade, Anthony) and don't forget Carter, McGrady, Ming, Nowitzki, Howard and Nash. Then in 2010's we have Miami big three, OKC big three, Golden state, Start of Kawhi's, Giannis, Luka's career. I think you just can't say there is a bad era of basketball, but the evolution and tendencies change from no three pointer to start thinking of 4-pointer. I missed a lot of the players but you get the point. No disrespect but this isn't about the list of players but the feel of the decades

[@terrenceperkins5282]

Love ur work

[@jaredabrahamcidfda4840]

The 80's, you mean the era that saved the NBA

[@amirabans1127]

Fax

[@cyrillesu]

The league was dying in the late '70s. When Magic and Bird came, their rivalry revived the league and made it what it is today.

[@vernonherb]

Right

[@22copes]

@El Patrón Bird and Magic bought the NBA to prime time tv, Jordan bought the NBA to the world. But the rivalry of Bird and Magic saved the NBA and I still rank both of them over Jordan

[@jaredabrahamcidfda4840]

@ScepticalCynic the 70's were a terrible era box office wise for the nba, the face of the league was a controversial figure and dunks weren't allowed making games more boring to watch

[@ashamael]

I feel like this should be required watching for any hoops fan.

[@MisterTurner-ex1fv]

For real 😏

[@davidstone9154]

No doubt my brother, these young basketball players and fans have no idea how tough of an era the 1980's were in the NBA. Bird and Magic literally saved the league when they came along, interest in basketball at the professional level was waning and games were taped and shown in a time delay because of the lack of interest in the NBA. The Showtime Lakers and 1980's Celtics were both great teams, but there were so many other truly great teams during this time as well. The Dr. J led Sixers of that era only took home the trophy once in '83, and that team was just as great as any other in the 1980's. Too bad Ralph Sampson struggled with injuries that cut his career short, otherwise those Rockets teams would have dominated for a much longer period of time and won more than 2 championships. I think we all know how great the Bad Boy Pistons were, and us real fans know that the Cavaliers with Daugherty and Price could ball as well, in fact one of the most iconic MJ moments was hitting that shot to send Cleveland home. Anyone who thinks that the 1980's was a "weak" era in league history needs to watch some old school basketball ASAP!!

[@devwraith836]

@ashmeal 😂That's because from now on it is. . .

[@grosskopf2779]

I agree

[@ktapreswreckd921v9]

O so true!

[@dechefmane3526]

The Pistons in that Nuggets game was a more offense minded team and weren't officially the Bad Boys yet. They didn't have the players that would win them two championships.

[@jonnyarnett]

For sure! They did have Isiah, Laimbeer, and Vinnie "The Microwave" Johnson, but it wasn't the same team overall. I still see people still make that connection though, and still wonder how they could allow so many points with leaders like Isiah and Laimbeer. I was basically just setting up the point that styles could change from game-to-game, because of the allowed intense physicality. Even the Bad Boy Pistons in the late 80s had games where both teams scored very high.

[@rayallensjumper]

True at that time they had that one white guy who was a 20 PPG all star (forgive me I forgot his name)

[@lespaul1968]

@@rayallensjumper Kelly Tripucka

[@pranavsattiraju]

@@rayallensjumper kelly tripucka

[@Superputazo23]

@@rayallensjumper Kelly Trupica

[@jeremyhemp8241]

Yes there were super teams back in the 80's but they were constructed very differently than what we have today. I don't remember Bird calling up Jordan and Magic to join forces. I think players in the 80's were more loyal to the respective team and competition was ultra fierce.

[@franagustin3094]

That's something that happen on all sports nowadays. Colaborations ruins all

[@tallbianca]

Back then great teams used to just scam bad teams’ GMs, the 1982 Lakers won a title *and* had the #1 pick (James Worthy). That should have been impossible

[@soramirez5473]

@@franagustin3094 the super teams of yester year were organically made.. not like todays artificial super teams.. tho the Warriors have done it the right way for the most part.

[@bkatsard]

Great video - the 80s gave us showtime lakers, Bird's Celtics and Jordan, only that should be enough, but also it gave us Dr J, Malone, Barkley, Hakeem, Drexler, Isiah, Rodman, Robinson, Wilkins and so many others!

[@philipclock]

Andrew Toney. From the 70's: David Thompson, Pete Maravich, Prime Dr. J, David Bing, Alex English to name a few

[@themaster4578]

Philip Clock Kareem Elvin hayes wes unseld George gervin to name a few

[@geoffreymartin5924]

Not to mention guys like McHale and Worthy performing SURGERY in the post!

[@rayallensjumper]

20 years from now, kids will say: wow Lebron played against plumbers like JJ Barea and allowed a 5’9” dude to score 30 a game so therefore Lebrons era was weak

[@michaele.918]

Doubt that, that Warriors team with KD will forever be remembered as one of the strongest teams of all time. People will hold his era in high regard

[@yvans.]

Michael E. Yeah like the Showtime Lakers... but that doesn’t mean that the 80’s isn’t still being criticized.

[@rayallensjumper]

Michael E. and the 80’s had Magic and Bird dominating the whole decade. Some of the best teams ever assembled played in the 80’s. The 80’s r so highly regarded bc it reignited the possible greatest rivalry in sports. Celtics and Lakers

[@thomasdemay9805]

@@michaele.918 you say that but it ALWAYS happens. The Sixers and Celtics had "Greatest Of All Time" type teams talent wise and by results. The Showtime Lakers and Bad Boy Pistons two LOADED dynasties. That doesn't stop people from disrespecting the 80s and they will do it to the current era too. It's natural. People say that "old timers" are biased but fail to acknowledge RECENCY BIAS is a real thing and one of the strongest biases you can have. Mankind as a whole in respect to a vast majority of normal humans, will always have recency bias and that wont change because of the Warriors team. There will be a few that will also have a nostalgia bias and there will be a smaller few that actually tries to be reasonable and rational in analyzing history of the game (or anything else for that matter). This small group is people like Johnny who try to educate the masses. They tossed Jordan to the side to make LeBron the GOAT what makes you think LeBron legacy will be any different. 10-20 years from now whoever is the best in the league will be called "GOAT" and athleticism of the era will be one of the reasons you can BOOK THAT. Before Jordan and Bird it happened to Wilt Freaking Chamberlain who is in a category with guys like Jim Thorpe and Bo Jackson for the greatest American Athlete of all time. The Celtics of the 60s were as loaded as any team ever. Didn't stop people from saying Magic or Bird or Jordan or LeBron was better than Chamberlain and it wont stop people from doing it to LeBron.

[@michaele.918]

@@thomasdemay9805 I agree with a majority of what you said besides MJ one, most people still have MJ as their GOAT, he's still the major winner in that category . I think he's in a different league than everyone else, MJ will be regarded as the GOAT for an extremely long time

[@michaeljamesmccabe]

In the early 80's, NBA games were tape delayed and edited for time. But, the talent and game were so good, that the fans literally grew to the point where three networks were bidding to broadcast it. It's the best era of basketball and the best rule set. Style of play was the most fan friendly and the stars were the most legit.

[@jessekittrell2946]

Yet tons of players say most of the league was coked up most of the time & only 2 guys on the court could shoot from range therefore making defense easier to play. 1-5 stretching out the defense using more of the court with lots of movement & screens is why defense is so hard today. Pop himself has said it.

[@donellbell6819]

Free agency was different back then. You could have the same team pretty much for 10 years.

[@donellbell6819]

Players made foul shots in the 80s so much we called them free throws. Spin from between the legs, one eye closed as a dedication, didnt matter they were going in.

[@rickym.5271]

80's NBA... Some of the best hall of famers ever.

[@scoringmachine4694]

True but modern era will have more hall of famers

[@christophermorris2434]

1 argument for today's game centers have a higher 3 point percentage then 80s hall of fame pgs. Jokic ,embid, Davis, townes ,vucevic kills magic dj ,isaih,cheeks , moncrief.i don't know if the players from the 80s could cover 25 feet from basket. And today's game has way better floor spacing that's just facts

[@tj5180]

Also all time teams like the celtics pistons hawks sixers bucks also the bulls, Knicks and other good teams in the 80s

[@tj5180]

@@christophermorris2434 hakeem and Ewing also Robinson would have been good shooters and devlop a outside game in today's NBA

[@christophermorris2434]

@@tj5180 your assuming and we don't know if they could cover 25 feet from basket niether even david robinson said he would of been lost covering the 3 point line .so your just assuming.and I wasn't comparing today's centers 3s to centers of the 80s I was comparing today's centers to point guards shooting pctg in the 80s today's centers kills them thats just a fact. I could only imagine how bad it would be to compare 80s pgs to Currys shooting .oh here's 1 dj 18 percent career from 3 now imagine what it would be if he shot 10 a game and double teamed 30 feet out like steph. I'm just saying the argument goes both ways. Today I could easily say with djs 3 point percentage he couldn't start for villanova.just like fans of yesteryear say dumb things like durrant wouldn't be good in 80s.

[@lilwilliamful]

The segment where you spoke about the future opinions of the LeBron era is some of the biggest facts I’ve ever heard

[@Superputazo23]

Yeah, LeBron's era truly is weak and pathetic. Curry winning mvp twice unanimously lmfao

[@michaele.918]

AbsoluteTruth Curry is a hard guard and his shooting ability is off the charts, he’s literally a scoring machine when hot. I don’t see why it’s so bad he won mvp twice. He only one it unanimously once btw

[@vincebautista4849]

@@michaele.918 Nah, the spacing in Curry's time is wide cause there is no hand checking in yo face defense, Put Curry in the 80's he would be an average prototypical 3pt shooter. his game would be similar to Mark Price.

[@MistaWordz]

@@vincebautista4849 But Mark Price is one of the most underrated legends of all-time though. Both him and Daugherty, mostly because they kept getting stopped by MJ.

[@swpdisciple]

Vince Bautista Mark Price is more akin to Steve Nash (but with defense). Mark Price (and Kevin Johnson) is low key one of the best pg’s ever. I’d say Lebron’s era is uneven but you can’t call basically 20 years of basketball after, say 1972 “weak”. That just sounds like you’re so anti-Lebron that you’re willing to throw the baby out with the bath water. Lebron’s time is uneven. Because the NBA was still playing 90’s basketball until they big 3 Celtics of 2007-2011 it appeared ugly. Just an aside: everyone says Jordan’s biggest competition in the east in the 90’s were the Cavaliers, Knicks and Heat (prototypical 90’s teams)...do you really think any of those teams are better than say the 2010-2014 Indiana Pacers? They actually closely resemble each other. That Pacers team is like the 8th best team of the last 10 years. I think that puts it into proper perspective.

[@ezraprzytyk]

So happy I found this channel. You've gotta be the most rational basketball KZbinr. Also your voice is calming btw

[@jonnyarnett]

Thank you! My voice is the thing that I'm most uncomfortable with, so I'll happily take that compliment! haha. Glad to have you on board.

[@ezraprzytyk]

@@jonnyarnett 🤝💯👌🏼

[@rjmacready6281]

literally just scrolled down to type essentially this message, then saw yours! The objectivity you bring to your basketball-thinking in your analysis is brilliant. It's particularly refreshing when compared with the sensationalist pantomime that is most NBA media. Keep up the good work!

[@Squarehead_305]

Jonny Arnett your voice is very relaxing. I disagree with you a lot but I always watch bc I respect your opinion bc it sounds relaxing lol

[@thomasdemay9805]

@@jonnyarnett never thought of it but now that it's brought up these guys are right man you have a good voice for KZbin videos for sure so I hope you get more comfortable. It's a good calming tone as they pointed out and it's a normal pitch nothing crazy or abrasive. Also you enunciate your words very clearly which works well with the rational type of analysis you give. Been a sub for a long time man you make great videos all around. i'm glad to your channel growing it's only a matter of time before you have multiple hundred thousands subs. Keep up the good work and definitely don't worry about your voice man its on point for what you do.

[@MrReese]

There is a simple way to describe how competitive the 80s were: Michael Jordan played 6 seasons in it and did not win a single championship.

[@loosenup8152]

Or his team wasn’t good enough 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@YakAttack64]

Lol this is facts

[@FuShengAlex]

Jordan who? Only beat a soft Cavaliers team Here's a more simple way to describe the 80s: The 1986 Rockets blew the stacked multi HOFer defending champion peak Showtime Los Angeles Lakers outta the water...... ......and still didn't win the NBA title.

[@pizzawinners1084]

And then the 90s came around and Jordan was fucking everybody up

[@allanhouston6759]

@@FuShengAlex Hakeem had Ralph Sampson HoF, dumba$$. Hakeem lost 8 times in the First Round. Get out of here.

[@fredokeys3405]

In the 80’s there wasn’t that many 3’s which means they had to score more times to get to 110 while today there’s lots of 3’s so you get to that 110 mark quicker

[@anthonygreen2962]

I'm 50 years old, so that makes my age group the perfect demographic for this topic. As a teenager everything looks a lot grander at that time and i'm not the "back in my day", "get off my lawn" guy. I remember players that played during the 60s & 70s saying the 80s players were softer and make too much money even back then. I like to think that the 80s basketball was better because it is a combination of old school style of play mixed the modern NBA that we watch today. When i saw a 7-4 Ralph Sampson dribble the basketball from one end of the floor to the other and shoot a 15 foot jumpshot i knew i just seen the future of the NBA. It just took 15 years until Dirk Nowitzki perfected it. Plus each team had an identity, were consistent in their style of play, and star players didn't play for 4 teams in their careers which made great rivalries and you grew closer with your team. That makes the sport grow. But i know that you can't pay every star players top dollar. That's just all sports in general.

[@jumbo9386]

Wilt was dribbling the ball up the floor and shooting 15 footer fade aways while playing 48 minutes a game 40 years before dirk even entered the league. While being 7'1 300lbs and being able to touch the top of the backboard. Bad news dude. Players haven't gotten better on average in the slightest. The only thing that has changed, is how players play based on the rules of the Era. Learn something old man.

[@vinceredeor439]

The athleticism isn’t only about height and weight. It’s also about agility and speed.

[@Says_me]

Which the players of yester-year would be adapted to if they actually grew up in a future era. Humans are not evolved to be bigger and stronger than the 80s. They have better nutrition fitness, health and wellness programs.

[@brushylake4606]

How many times have modern commentators said "no one of LeBron's size could run the floor like that"! I'd like to introduce you to Charles Barkley and Karl Malone.

[@dtgris7291]

@@brushylake4606Barkley is at least 3 inches shorter than lebron and yes, was lighter too. Malone is a fair comparison as he’s similar sized but he didn’t do what lebron can/did/does do in the open court. He himself admits what lebron does at his size is amazing and won’t be seen again. “Him being my size and doing what he’s doing? What LeBron James is still doing at this level, you got to respect that. What he’s done for the game, respect that… LeBron will go down as one of the greatest players ever, and I don’t think that’s lost on anybody”

[@welpbuddy4417]

@@Says_me they aren’t adjusting to shit. It would take along time. Nothing would just Magic make them more athletic if we drop them on a court together. Pre 2000s baskegball just wasn’t good. I thank Larry Magic and MJ. For pioneering what we have today. The league is super young. It’s impossible for those players 15-25 year old league to be better than players 40-50 years after.

[@welpbuddy4417]

They looked sloppy and weren’t very good shot makers or creators. Basketball IQ from the majority was crazy low too. Watch the whole league.

[@Noin007]

I never get tired of watching the Jordan turnaround in the opening, just the way he "floats" is absolutely incredible to watch.

[@santosereyna3043]

I think the 1980s and 1990s were the two hardest decades to play in the NBA

[@averyce2]

I'm 49 y.o. and have watched 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's & 10's era of NBA teams. The 90's era was the most diverse and exciting.

[@hepwo91222]

80's was a great era, I think why there was so much scoring wasn't due to lack of defense, it was stacked Super teams with less teams in the league. Also the average player being 13 pounds lighter, the fast breaks might have been slightly faster with leaner guys flying to the hoop.

[@augustgreig9420]

Another thing people don't take into consideration is that the tempo was way faster in that era, and part of the reason for that was the strong defense. Steals, blocks and great rebounders who know how to push the ball are miajir factors in keeping the tempo up. Look at Dr.J highlights of his best dunks. Almost all of them come off of a steal or blocked shot.

[@dannyllerenatv8635]

The 80s had A LOT of explosive scorers, it wasn't just MJ, Bird and Magic. While not as great of a player, Bernard King in his prime was every bit as good of a scorer as guys like MJ and Durant and his game was just as effortless as Durant. Moses Malone was a guy with a very similar game to Giannis as well and he dominated the early portion of that era. The 80s was great man.

[@augustgreig9420]

@@dannyllerenatv8635 Dr.J, Joe Dumars, Barkley, Dominique, Hakeem, Isaiah, and many more.

[@dannyllerenatv8635]

@@augustgreig9420 Of course, and Zeke is one that needs to be talked about more. He has the most impressive body count of any NBA superstar in history and he was an explosive scorer when he got into his zone.

[@augustgreig9420]

@@dannyllerenatv8635 Yeah, he could take over a fourth quarter, even in the Finals.

[@royfablooo2810]

"The truth about 80's Basketball" *C O C A I N E*

[@scoringmachine4694]

Yes lol they pretty much were all cokeheads that were professional athletes. Maybe that's why all the old guys miss that era so much a lot of coke floating around

[@ashutoshkulkarni290]

Lol yeah

[@wm_9640]

@@scoringmachine4694 lmao

[@chad6326]

That is true about anything from the 80s, lol

[@3243_]

All the other pro sports leagues had a lot of coke-users too. Heck, baseball was put on trial in court because of its cocaine problems in 1985.

[@projoebiochem]

The physical defense era didn’t start until the Bad Boy Pistons in the late 80s and really affected the 90s.

[@deathtoideologues]

That is correct. The 80's was fast paced. Look at the points per game from the 86 celtics then compare it 30 years later.

[@leonorapale4608]

The Lakers vs Celtics were very physical.

[@projoebiochem]

@@leonorapale4608 Of course there were exceptions in rivalry games or in games where there was bad blood between the teams, but it didn't get bad across the board until later.

[@leonorapale4608]

@@projoebiochem "hand in your face", "hand check", "no harm no foul" existed the entire 80s. Players established the rules - "setting the mode" - that was the mentality of fighting back. Present day NBA - 6'8" 270 lbs. flops. Oh boy ......

[@projoebiochem]

@@leonorapale4608 All of that was true, to an extent. The ABA had been a more physical league than the late '60s '70s NBA, and some of that influence came in with the merger, but it was still a more open, flowing game (more "no harm, no foul" form of "let them play). In the '80s, "push them off the post" meant beating a guy to the spot so that he had to set up a few feet farther out than he wanted to. By the '90s, it was literally, "PUSH them off the post." A very different game. It was those rough Boston/LA series that kind of opened the door for the Pistons and then the Knicks to just blatantly dare the referees to call all of the fouls they were committing. That led to the outrageousness of the '90s and into the 2000s. The Pacers good teams that took the Bulls to the brink and then that made the finals against the Shaq/Kobe Lakers often only had one scorer on the floor. It wasn't even 3&D guys. It was just D guys. Often their most effective lineup was Miller with the Davis boys, Derek McKee, and either Mark Jackson, Heywood Workman, or, when they went offensive, Travis Best. They were as subtle as an anvil. The commenter above had it right - look at the average scoring in the '80s, then look at the drop in the '90s. It tells the story.

[@Saint-14]

That list of plumbers from this era is epic! MVP that can't dunk!

[@aydennegrete3881]

Jackson I was about to flame you but I miss read your comment😅

[@haroldsmith4056]

2 lead a team or b mvp has nothing to do with "dunking"

[@CarnagexSena]

Lol

[@Saint-14]

@@haroldsmith4056 I was laughing at the comment by Jonny Arnette. It was hyperbole and I'm obviously not being serious because Curry won MVP, and has trouble dunking.

[@allanhouston6759]

2019/20 season: 6"1 Trae Young ( age 21 ) = 30-ppg 6"2 Damian Lillard ( PG ) = 30-ppg 6"2 Kyrie Irving ( PG ) = 27-ppg 6"3 Westbrook ( PG ) = 27-ppg 6"1 Donavan Mitchell ( SG ) = 24-ppg 6"3 Bradley Beal ( SG ) = 30-ppg 6"6 JORDAN ( SG ) will be dominate in this era.

[@nikosibarramante2677]

Good for pointing out transition plays. Fastbreaks are a thing of beauty and yes they were more prevalent in the 80s.

[@dannybecker8639]

This video to me is the best video you've done so far Jonny great job! Keep em coming!

[@TommyD2ful]

Magic Johnson one of the greatest player of all time. He doesn’t get enough credit now adays

[@maripyter]

many players don't get enough credit, especially Wilt - mailny becuase there is no video footage of most of his career and many people thinking that scoring 100 points back then was easier than nowadayds, which isnt true

[@Someone-vj8zo]

@@maripyter yeah true wilt was probably the best player of his era its just that the celtics had a super team

[@markmedeiros3137]

The point that you made on the 80s having less teams which necessitated teams being deeper is spot on. The Boston, LA and Detroit teams had 8-10 starter level players. Mychal Thompson and Mark Aguirre were allstars who were bench players once they were traded to those teams. Today’s era does have the benefit of international players though. That was not mentioned.

[@angrymobsters1599]

No joke. Early showtime Lakers had hof coming off the bench. People always talk about the 87 team as the best. The 85 team is so slept on. It had Magic, Kareem, Worthy, Scott, McAdoo and "Silk" Wilkes off the bench. Plus Cooper and Rambis in your reserves as well. That's 5 hof players and 3 mvps in one squad. That to me was the greatest lineup ever. But it's off topic, the point is how just one squad in the 80s had multiple all Stars or starters or hof players in the bench. Pretty insane

[@Bigedub101]

​@angrymobsters1599 yet they would say just because they were drafted or traded by the organization, its better.. I'm like how is that different, Literally the 80s basically was Lakers and Boston with Philly in beginning and a few teams sprinkled in.. People bash LBJ for the East but Lakers in the west basically was the west

[@michaelrosenblum9299]

Enjoy your videos. Keep them coming! Thanks.

[@kenrock6136]

This video ws actually one of the best videos i've seen about 80's basketball and the argument

[@Editor_Hound]

I really wanted to have an opportunity to watch NBA games on a regular basis in the 80s. Watching certain Finals games and highlights, the game felt so natural and easy. Especially watching Magic and Larry.

[@tmac731]

I love the player montage but you forgot Spud Webb and George Gerving

[@mohamedelhabibnibouch2484]

I saw one of Spud Webb's in-game dunks in traffic *, but I did not see the iceman out there in action.

[@mettaworldbuckets7231]

I love your thought process

[@generationhoops1307]

Love the content. Keep it up!

[@jozaddy4635]

Well done! We need all these youngins to watch this

[@dxggrr3752]

That era wasn’t all that imo

[@alecsanderhamilton9224]

The expansions of 89 and 90 plus 95 shook "super" teams up... then it became a 1-2 player dynamic duo league... kinda like 2019 into 2020 with Durant and Leonard switching coasts.

[@lmcgjr.4032]

Great work! 🏀💯

[@WalkingthroughNYC]

I've been trying to tell people that one athleticism has been overblown now and that two basketball at the end of the day is a game of skill. Luka Is no more athletic than any of the mid tier athletes of the '80s and look what he's doing now. Nikola jocik Is less athletic than any of the top to your sensors of the '90s and he's a top three center right now in the NBA.

[@michaele.918]

Luka is shiftier and has a better handle than almost every single guard in the 80’s, his finesse and movement is similar to a any modern day guard. Jokic is literally one of the best passers and playmakers in the league at the big man position. Neither of those guys have an 80’s archetype or playstyle

[@WalkingthroughNYC]

@@michaele.918 My man the things that he does now would be called a violation back then.. And yet and still the game is about skill. Bring shifty is skill so you literally just reiterated what I first said.. Congrats I guess

[@andreaspapadakis2602]

@@michaele.918 first and foremost parralels Drajen Petrovic and Arvidas Sabonis..jokic gtfoh..then Detlef,Tony , Dino ,Vlade , Sarunas,Smitts,Bodirodga,Pasaplj,Danilovic and the two best scorer fiba bb have ever seen in Nick Galis *ppg and Oscar *volume includin many many many others the late 80s early 90s were the top of the top eurobb era as well... these accountants will take any unwatchable hatchet ugly Euro Team like Jokic Serbia today and demolish it to smithereens period..Giannis and Kemba sweat to beat nobody teams like Poland with 10 pnts margin and neither averaged a 20 ppg in Fiba last summer..what a disater that thing was,,Never in my life i have seen so many lego copy paste carpenters trying to play bb ..how pathetic for modern NBA super players and mvp to swim in that ugly oozy stew without any edge ...2006 USA super athlete collection got pined to the ground by Greece plummers as well and lost the game and their bravado for good including Lebron,Wade,Bosh,Howard,Paul,Carmelo etc leaving the tournament with their eyes and head spinnin..overall the ratings are down 30 percent on avg ,the game is deragulated to be more entertaining yet it fails,the allstar games are a joke that no one wants to see..cos that what the game really looks like now..cheap unwatchable circus for cheetos and justin biebers adolesence, hulk hogan style!pffff

[@michaele.918]

@1995 GetJiggyWitIt That's not my point, he's making it seem like Luka is dominating with an 80's guard playstyle but Luka plays and moves like any modern day guard.

[@michaele.918]

Baldheadslck That’s not my point, you’re trying to make it seem like Luka is dominating with the skill set of an 80’s guard, he plays like your typical modern day guard

[@AaronMichaelLong]

The notion that having 13 more pounds of muscle on your frame makes your more athletic is actually complete bullshit. It's the opposite of true. Carrying that extra mass means you're putting more pressure on your joints, and your falls hurt more. For every pound of body mass, the pressure on your knees is increased by four pounds. This is part of the reason the NBA is using load management, to spare their bulkier players the consequences of that extra mass.

[@rayallensjumper]

Yeah for pro basketball u got to be lean unless u like 6’10” then u can bulk up a little. Still have to go about it in the right way. U can’t just try and get yolked in a month or two. U have to be more defined rather than bulky

[@mrmacross]

A lot of that additional mass are fast-twitch muscle fibers that make guys stronger and more explosive athletes. The guys are no slower for having added the bulk, and in some cases, they get a fraction quicker. Giannis added quite a bit of bulk since he entered the NBA, and the extra muscle has made him more athletically dominant. But I appreciate that you bring up the downside of packing on weight, even if it's lean muscle. If you're running up and down the court 150 times a game, 90+ games a year (including playoffs), it takes its toll.

[@AaronMichaelLong]

@@mrmacross I didn't suggest it made anyone slower, just it does make them more injury prone and heavier, and bigger muscles on your upper body do nothing to making you leap higher. Also, there is a documented rise in the rate of tendon injuries as players spend more time in the gym.

[@mrmacross]

​@@AaronMichaelLong I agree with the injury risk, but I'm not sure that upper body development doesn't improve jumping ability. I think the bulk hurts you if you're an Olympic high-jumper, because you need flexibility to get your entire body over the bar, but for pure vertical leap you might benefit from having extra strength in your arms and shoulders. Plus, the extra upper-body strength (and mass) makes you harder to guard once you get a full head of steam. In general, there's a sweet spot where you mix size, speed, acceleration, and springiness. I don't know where it is, but I think today's athletes are closer to it than the ones from the 1980s. The biggest detriment of size is the stress on joints, as you say. I often wonder what if Derrick Rose were 15 pounds lighter, would he have been less injury-prone? Probably, but his ability to get to and finish at the basket probably would've been worse, too.

[@MovieGuy666]

@@mrmacross Nope... that's bro science dude.

[@halam899live8]

Great video today keep it up your doing amazing job

[@petervandenhoogen37]

I love what you did starting at 9:53. Immediate goosebumps. Great video!

[@user-ou5pm6gn9j]

Keep on grinding my guy. Also, could you make a video with Legend of Winning that would be great

[@jonnyarnett]

That would be dope. I love a ton of his stuff. Hopefully I didn't ruin that potential relationship when I made a response video to his Reggie Miller video. Lol. He might not like me because of that....

[@jpbm1873]

The Pistons from early 80s was NOT the same Pistons from the late 80s.

[@elmalanmalan2175]

Can you elaborate more? 🤔

[@ogmusik2549]

Joe dumars and dennis rodman getting drafted also the signing of rick mahorn one of the most physical players ever

[@ethancbaker2002]

el malan malan common sense lol

[@angrymobsters1599]

True. The team went through some crazy changes from mid 80s 83,84,85. They were not the bad boys yet even though they already had some of the ogs in those teams. Dumars, Zeke, Laimbeer, the microwave Johnson. Those teams in the mid 80s were an offensive juggernaut. They were the nuggets of the east at the time. Tripuka, John long, Tony campell even Adrian dantley for a few seasons. They still hold the record for highest scoring game so that tells you enough about the offense. Once they built off the draft and trade with Rodman, Mahorn, Salley, Agguire, Edwards that's when they really transformed.

[@hogg4229]

The 80s was the toughest era of basketball since I’ve been alive. I started watching them, and have watched all eras since.

[@niktorrente6640]

This is a great video bro,i complete agree with everything

[@alexlanza79]

Awesome unbiased video! Loved it! I think the 80s was a natural bridge between the early years of the NBA and the modern era, I grow up watching the 90s nba loving it, but I'm so jealous of people who lived through the 80s too.

[@owenparker6651]

I will forever be grateful I was lucky enough to be a young man in the 80's and got to witness first hand the pro b-ball at that time. There will never be another era like that due to rule changes and, well, the different way people are raised. It is what is... As always, great vid Jonny!

[@colesnyder2496]

amazing video man

[@randomguy96]

Very informative video. Thx bro

[@jp3813]

Three-pointers is the only category that's consistently higher in today's era compared to the 80s. Field goal percentage, offensive rebounds (all-time low at single digits per game in 2018), assists, steals, blocks, etc... are all down. Back in the late 20th century; annual assists leaders typically reached the 900+ total mark (Stockton peaked at 1164), steals leaders w/ 200+ (A. Robertson at 301), & blocks leaders w/ 300+ (Eaton at 456). In the post-2000 era; such marks were only reached twice, thrice, & once (85 games played by Ratliff) respectively; all before the 2010s except for assists in 2017. Draymond led the league w/ 2.03 spg that same year & A. Davis w/ 2.57 bpg the following season, both all-time lows. The 1984 draft alone provided a yearly race for the steals title between MJ, Stockton (all-time steals leader), & A. Robertson (all-time spg leader); plus Hakeem as the only center to record 200+ steals. Guards won the DPOY five times in the 80s, once in the 90s, & zero so far in the new millennium. Today's NBA should just be called the National Three-Pointers Association.

[@Dru_Won]

Cool. I loved watching the NBA in the 80's as a kid, and I love watching the national three point association now

[@GoatzyYT]

Block are lower bc players shooting more 3s and jumpshot compare to old NBA. More inside shot More chance to block 🤷

[@shiranuiaensland1442]

@@GoatzyYT Pretty sure that is the OP's point to begin with. Every single category he just brought up (fg%, orb, ast, stl, blk, etc...) is down compared to the 80s due to today's 3pt shootout league.

[@julianmarsh1378]

Partly, having more 3-pt shots naturally is going to lower steals, assists, and blocks...

[@jaypeesalazar9029]

Thats also a product of pace, rules, and style of play. Less blocks coz of more threes. Less assists per player coz of more ball movement (like the warriors teams that ave. 30 apg but no player has more than 7/game) Lower fg% coz of more 3s but higher efg and ts% coz of 3s and better ft shooting. Increase in pace is also affected by the decrease in shotclock after an offensive reb. Analytics has also caused so much changes (40% from 3 [w/c a lot of players do] yields 1.2 pt per shot w/c is the same as shooting 60% from midrange but no one shoots 60% from midrange so its considered less efficient). Its why it is difficult to compare players from different eras since so much changes happen between them.

[@MJIZZEL]

Man that Tom chambers dunk over Mark Jackson. His whole head is over the rim.

[@inthepaint2907]

for real crazy play

[@thisisamessful]

"mama there goes that man" as he would say

[@MJIZZEL]

@@thisisamessful lmfao

[@MJIZZEL]

@Walter Sanders I know what you mean. They actually had both of them on NBA inside stuff with Ahmad rashad, sit together for an interview back in like 92. They were there to specifically talk about that dunk. Chambers said he knew he was already high up when he hit Mark and that made him go higher so he hurried up and dunked it so he could move his head out the way of the rim.

[@mikeb8674]

He just kept going UP. It was like watching a video game character double jump. Tommy Gun was legit.

[@SIMSCITY69]

Bro... Great video as always

[@toocoolforschool11]

Fantastic video!

[@griffongaming4474]

Although I agree with this video I will point out one minor error made by Johnny The Pistons of the late 80's were known for their physical defense and while they still ran the fast break a solid amount actually were one of the slowest paced teams in the nba, especially during their finals runs, the year they lost to LA they were middle of the pack at 14th with 98 possessions per game(which is how pace is calculated for those who don't know that), however as soon as they traded Adrian Dantley the following season their pace plummeted to 25th in the league and they averaged a whole 3 possessions less per game, the year after that they 26th in the league in pace at 94 possessions The Pistons during the early 80's when the 186-184 game happened and their starting five consisted of Thomas, John Long, Kelly Tripuka, Kent Benson and Laimbeer were the teams that ran a run and gun offense and aside from Laimbeer's physicality and Thomas's prowess weren't actually good defensively at all

[@warlock7760]

The 80's were by far my favorite decade of basketball. Any teenage kid today who thinks he knows about basketball should watch finals series from the 80's to get a notion of how fast and athletic those players were back then.

[@robrobets7813]

Exactly, and that style of play had infected ALL Basketball back then. Even in High school I remember a strong focus on Fast-Breaks, how to Position for Rebounds to setup a Fast Break and PHYSICAL Defense to tire and wear down your opponent. "Make them work for it" as one of my Coaches would constantly yell out.

[@dxggrr3752]

Trash defense back then

[@dadillonful]

Ok boomer

[@Johnny-xj5qu]

Bird, McHale, Parish, Ainge, DJ fantastic starting 5, very little athleticism.

[@downeastjd1711]

That was an awesome summarization, of a great time in basketball history.

[@Lifeofstjames]

Great video!!

[@ernestnallen]

I will never forget the excitement of 80s and 90s NBA .. I think either era could be my pick for the most talented and competitive.. Anyone who says the 80s or 90s werent much tougher than today didn't watch back then..

[@olblue3478]

Physical doesn't equal tough

[@ledernierutopiste]

One of the greatest video about sports i've ever seen, you should be proud of yourself, great job ! ESPN could learn one thing or two from you !

[@ecnumber1fan]

Very well said! Thank you for the exlplanation!

[@anthonymoody6711]

You did a GREAT job of discussing BOTH sides of the argument. There are players from both today and the 80s and 90s that could go to other eras and do well.

[@robinjaubert389]

As a casual and fairly recent nba fan, I thought the 80's were the sacred land and nobody would dare to say anything bad about this era

[@t4d0W]

The problem is fans sometimes don't want to information to put context together and get a better picture of the sports Era and instead just use that information to be dumb asses and spit out shitty takes.

[@RAW_Reality]

Came in thinking "oh boy, what skewed perception is going to be pushed..." Happy to say I left leaving a 👍. And, personally, I felt like the late 80's to late 90's was it's own era in and of itself, not necessarily bound by which decade it was in...

[@nochey78]

Smucky ! Heck... I’d stretch that out from like late 80’s-early 2000’s

[@JoaoRodrigues-dt1fp]

Another great video

[@TheoBrownMusic7]

Facts!!! Great vid!

[@BeachPleased]

You know you're getting High Quality Content when Jonny Arnett Upload a video 👍👍

[@aftastosk6016]

High quality distortion of reality

[@nonam3s473]

When I actually watched full games on KZbin of 80s games I couldn’t believe how skilled these guys were .

[@user-ht3fe3fq1v]

Skilled where 😳😳😳 what are you guys watching

[@Anomaly007]

what a great video im so knowledgeable about the 80s n there’s things I already knew but never took into consideration thank u for the vid🔥🔥

[@Loqque]

I loved that comparision of old and modern players. "Plumbers like jj reddick" was hilarious, but it shows exactly lack of perspective alot of people arguing these things show. Great video.

[@MAEDtravel]

One of your best video Jonny thanks

[@mike77514]

Post a picture of Gianis side by side with David Robinson. Seriously, I don’t want to hear about athleticism and height.

[@t-squared6406]

players now are more athletic

[@Marlowe10100]

@@t-squared6406 No one today has the athleticism of Michael Jordan.

[@t-squared6406]

@@Marlowe10100 players now have more athleticism than before

[@Marlowe10100]

@@t-squared6406 Why can't anyone surpass Mj's athleticism then?

[@t-squared6406]

@@Marlowe10100 you misunderstood me

[@Illinilifer98]

Every era has it's own share of great players, whichever is seen as "the best" just comes down to personal stylistic preferences and bias

[@kkv6124]

This is probably the best video you've ever put together. I may disagree with some points but truly loved it through and through.

[@lLarceny]

this just earned you a subscription! Great vid bro. 80's and 2000's had the best players

[@lordkiza8838]

Wow 8 minutes ago never been so early I was gonna go get some weed too lmao

[@henrydenry9508]

The 80’s definitely had the best paced games imo

[@moderatedoomer2945]

I think a lot of older fans disproportionately remember the playoffs, especially the NBA finals. Elite teams like the Lakers, Celtics, Sixers, and Pistons were absolutely loaded with talent due to there being fewer teams. Then, as now, teams that go deep into the playoffs usually play great defense and in the post season, the level of defensive focus and physicality will be especially high. If you consider the NBA finals to be the norm, then of course, you'll remember the 1980's as a nightly clash between supremely talented offenses and tough, physical defenses. And yes, 40 years from now, most people who watched basketball in the 2020's, will remember everyone being as skilled as Luka and Steph and as Athletic as Giannis.

[@diegomontoya8889]

Tons of great arguments and points of thought in this video. The one that really jumped out to me was the 23 team part. That's going to put a lot of talent concentrated on more teams. And thus make competition between each team better overall. It would be like dropping the bottom 20% of teams from the current NBA.

[@burrdaddy]

6.51 Who in the hell does that lone Reebok leg belong to?!!!! All limbs are accounted for from the two players - whose leg is that? Pretty damn rough when there's a lone leg floating around.

[@naturalfinish]

I’ll say it for you, the 80s was the greatest era of nba basketball

[@josephjefferson2617]

From 1972 to 1990 was the greatest era of basketball in the NBA. The uncanny athleticism started during this period of time, whether it was the Nets 6'2" Ollie Taylor slam jamming on Hall of Famer 7'2" Artis Gilmore, or the Knicks Sugar Richardson throwing alley-oop passes for dunks to the 6'2" late ball player Ray Williams, to the many players who felt it an honor to hold their man to a "donut" on the defensive end, we don't see those types of defensive exercises today.

[@robertofranciscor.beltran5588]

Great vid Jonny! For me, 2000s to early 2010s had the best collection of talent in NBA History.

[@joelitofeniola7177]

I think you're a great Basketball critic i love the way you explain everything about it 🔥

[@elvispresley5921]

80's-90's were the best! Im old enuff to have watched Wilt play & watched B-ball steady into the 2000's. I think the most stacked teams were prolly the 90's. However, The Bird-Magic years were just amazing! Soon after , the league got so good, with Sir Charles , MJ , on & on. But seems like , in the 80's , we knew every player on the team by name + bench members. Most people say that today';s game is more fun to watch , but , seems like its mostly 3-balls being launched over n over. There's no back to the basket post moves anymore. My personal fav years were the 80's , then 90's. My all-time fav player to watch in a game is Barkley & THE BEST to ever play...Wilton Norman Chamberlain.

[@MarkTarmannPianoCheck_it_out]

Here's a point. Guys as old as you and I, that watched late 60's and 70's b ball, don't make any claims about how great that era was. The 80's were incredible. 90's were also, and early 2000 up until about 2009. Then the game got goofy, 3's, and easy peasy layups. Compared to what Iverson, Barkley, MJ. Ewing, et al had to endure to get to the hoop. It's really annoying to watch the layups, and a lot of the dunks today. Some of Harden's and Currys layups are embarrassing. They simply would not have have scored so easily in the 80's 90's Stats. Schmatts. Just LOOK at the game. It's gone pussy.

[@samleyton5316]

I have the same problem.i can watch every day basket but at the end I can't even remember one players name let alone the ones on the bench.its so freeking boring but it helps me falling asleep,10min of it and my eyes shutdown like a baby.😂😂

[@elvispresley5921]

@@samleyton5316 Haha , im with ya Bro. Back in the 80's-90's .... well , ive NEVER looked more forward to a game , in my life. Each game was like an event... a BIG event. Was one of the very few things that i made sure i was home for...and when i coodnt be..i taped it. I loved the big centers most of all. Back to the basket play....Seeing Wilt or Kareem or Dawkins or (well, u get the picture) Go up for a dunk or skying to block a shot....THAT was the shit, right there , lol. Was born in 64 & only remember a little about Wilt, but i know all his stats by heart now...after all these years... still amazes me , looking at the record book...or , as it's known.."Wilt's Book". People talk about the main stats , triple doubles with the big 5....Points, rebounds, blocks, steals & assists to rate people. If ya look at The Big Dipper , .5 point away from being #1 in PPG , Best rebounder in...well, EVER..... & wooda been #1 in blocks, if they kept that stat when he played...so , 3 catagories ...ALL-time AT , or VERY near the top...i mean..C'MON ! I'd give my right nut to see all the games on video from Wilt's 62 season!!! Well , since it's1 of my Testicles, i want it crisp, clear color too , lol.

[@poocrayon4588]

Most ignorant people say it's better today. The ratings say otherwise.

[@elvispresley5921]

@@MarkTarmannPianoCheck_it_out So agree!

[@vicepresidentmikepence889]

Nba is much tougher to play, now....It's much easier to defend, when you can handcheck and you don't have to chase 7 footers around who can easily shoot threes

[@fuckcancerism]

Fax. It’s vastly tougher to guard a 5 out offense than it is to guard a lineup that has very little outside threats

[@fangerboardin4741]

@Wilfri Castillo agreed I imagine it would be a lot harder in terms of defense for someone if they're getting fouls called so often

[@JulioLeonFandinho]

It's more difficult to defend but it's not tougher, because there's less contact... different things. Every era has its pros and cons. The toughest era, in term of phisicality, contact, even aggression, was probably 70s NBA. Take for instance a couple of stories: -the one behind why Kareem started to wear glasses -the one regarding Rudy Tomjanovich

[@JulioLeonFandinho]

@Wilfri Castillo You're not funny at all, leave me alone

[@alecsanderhamilton9224]

I like your analysis of the simple phrase "setting the tone"... the fact that isn't said anymore interests me more about today's game because I have to see how that looks like and what the equivalent phrase may sound like today. You just noticed a shift in basketball philosophy. I dig it.

[@user-pm4lf1wh6l]

Great channel!!! Thanks!

[@freedomseedplanter5987]

1983 pistons weren't the late 80's early 90's bad boys

[@leroylawrence2773]

Ok, maybe I’m byias but the 80s was definitely the best era hands down

[@chevisfleming6577]

Yessar!!

[@logan_alexander2006]

No it wasnt

[@flightreactsfanboi9717]

@@logan_alexander2006 the 90s then?

[@justinnguyen8910]

Maybe entertainment wise, but definitely not skill wise

[@jaahnnn]

Definitely better than the 90s

[@nullasbing5617]

Love how he breaks down every factor of every topic on every video he makes

[@wobbafett2464]

very well said jonny!

[@sladepats9770]

If you call the 80’s weak then this present era is a Joke lol

[@SirCash.]

shut up boomer

[@robrobets7813]

@@SirCash. Yeah in the 80's we had Sport Fans that could actually come back at you with a coherent argument instead of using some TIRED OUT AND OVER USED MEME!

[@SirCash.]

Jesus Saldana that’s bc they didn’t have modern training methods and techniques

[@SirCash.]

Rob Robets ok lame go back to doing your taxes

[@echoproductions8561]

Wilt chamberlain is the best player of all time. Your videos help me back up my statements like "He played vs 5'9 white people". Or he was a ball hog. Things like that just aren't true.

[@theroadrunnerjarhead4109]

Wilt played against centers that averaged 6’10”, pretty similar to day.

[@retrosoul8770]

Thank you for putting the truth out there man. Loved this one.

[@CLNS_Nick]

Thank you for this.

[@dandandkl9048]

Dude you watched hundreds of games in what last ten years? I’ve been watching, playing, coaching and refereeing from 1965-2020 and have watched over 10,000 AAU, grade/high school, college and professional basketball games. Objectively, the best decade was the 1980s, due to the dominance of two teams, the Lakers and the Celtics, and because they played total team ball with superstars, they made all the other teams better because they tried to catch to these two teams. They played, great defense, team offense with great passing and shooting, and every team played smart, they all had high basketball IQ. All the other decades had some or most of the same characteristics but once they started emphasizing the three point shot, basketball was never the same. Now it’s an entertainment event. Guys can’t pass, dribble or shoot anything but threes. No defense because they can play zone. Check out how bad the free throw shooting is. And the most important thing, lack of talent, creativity and commitment to winning, players change teams when they want, so why would real fans care. They don’t play basketball now, they played video game style, like the roller drome style from the movies.

[@lucasseakins8920]

3:21 That was SO clean!

[@balltalkdeep]

Jonny spittin facts as usual

[@justobserving7045]

Very interesting video, I love it. I like to watch old NBA games sometimes, expecially games from the 90's and early 2000's in wich Rasheed Wallce was playing.

[@revelation67]

Amazing video.

[@domdom567]

Great work !

[@tleakboro]

Well put... you broke it down pretty good.

[@eugenereeves418]

Great Video