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Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas responded to Anthony Edwards’ claim that past generations of NBA players lacked skills.
In an interview with Florsheim Alley of the Wall Street JournalEdwards said Michael Jordan was the only player from previous generations “who really had talent” on the court.
Thomas responded to this sentiment in a post on X:
Edwards admitted in the interview that he “didn’t watch” the NBA “back then” and couldn’t speak directly to the talent level in the game at the time.
“They say it was harder back then than it is now, but I don’t think anyone had any skills back then. [Michael Jordan] was the only one who really had talent, you know what I mean? That’s why when they saw Kobe [Bryant]“They were like, ‘Oh, my God.’ But now everyone has skills,” Edwards said.
Part of the disconnect here might come from the fact that Edwards was born in 2001. While he can go back and watch games or clips from generations past, that’s not a prerequisite to playing in the league now.
If you’re Edwards’ age (he just turned 23 on Aug. 5), the highlights he saw on TV as a child were heavily weighted toward Jordan. You might have seen a clip of Larry Bird or Magic Johnson, but Jordan remains a fixture in the NBA more than 20 years after his playing career ended.
Thomas and the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons were one of the best teams in NBA history, but their success can be overlooked because it came between the end of the Showtime Lakers’ rivalry with Bird’s Boston Celtics and the start of Jordan’s dynastic run with the Chicago Bulls.
There have been plenty of extremely talented players before this era of basketball. Thomas, Johnson, Bird, and Hakeem Olajuwon are some of the superstars whose games would fit well in this era.
But it’s also easy to argue that the talent and skill level in the NBA has never been higher. One reason there aren’t any dynastic teams right now is that there are more great players available.
Considering how long Thomas can hold a grudgedon’t expect him to show up at a Minnesota Timberwolves game to cheer on Edwards anytime soon.
