“Michael Jordan and Larry Bird didn’t complain to officials?” JJ Redick fires back at NBA analysts for comparing modern-day NBA to 80-90s
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JJ Redick firing Stephen A Smith
Player turned modern-day analyst JJ Redick expressed his frustration over the cross-era comparisons made in the past few days. Moreover, the former Pelicans star questioned whether greats like Michael Jordan and Larry Bird complained to refs for foul calls.
Sports analysts and fans love the comparisons between megastar players, super-teams, and even between different playing styles of different decades. While fans and analysts get excited about these differentials, players certainly don’t like it. Especially when you are always considered below the standard set by former mega stars in the league. Stephen A. Smith and JJ Redick were on ESPN’s “Get Up” talk-show, debating how the game has changed in the NBA over the different generations of players. Wherein JJ Redick, who is a member of this generation of NBA Stars spoke his heart out and expressed his frustration over the substandard treatment when compared to Michael Jordan and Larry Bird’s time on the court.
Stephen A Smith has been in the industry since 1994 and has seen the Jordan-Johnson-Larry Bird time of basketball. So, when JJ Redick got the chance to talk about his feelings about the comparisons, he fired some questions to Smith, who has the on-hand experience and was part of the comparison analysis too.
JJ Redick fire back for comparisons made with the Michael Jordan era
The comparison between the two eras is not new to any player entering the league. But many ex-players and analysts suggest that the league has gone “soft” and it’s easier for the players to play with rules and regulations on their side. Also, the “complaining” game was heavily criticized as megastars of the modern basketball era tend to yell at officials for getting enough fouls. On ESPN’s “Get Up,” Redick fired back at ESPN’s Mike Greenberg’s comments like ‘classic players didn’t complain to officials’.
Redick asked, “Michael Jordan didn’t complain to the officials? Larry Bird didn’t complain? Come on, guys. This nostalgia that you have for the ’80s and ’90s – like, a great era of basketball. It’s awesome, but it’s at the dispense of our generation of players, and it has been for the last 15 years. And it’s annoying.”
Past NBA superstars like Michael Jordan and Larry Bird also went to the officials for ‘favors’ and complained about calls during their era. As per 37-years-old Redick, the nostalgia for Jordan and Bird’s era hurts the current generation.
While supporting the change of rules, which made the game softer as pr people, former Clippers star said that rules are still strict and any excessive physicality on the court is still penalized. It is for the safety of the players and the game. He further added that the viewership and revenue are increasing and on-and-off court behaviors are closely monitored by the league.
The topic came up while discussing Draymond Green’s situation in Game 2 and how he was not ejected with a technical foul. But JJ Redick’s issue has less to do with how referees officiate classic players and more about the standards set due to nostalgia. He is somewhat correct on his point.
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Kunal Chawda
(600 Articles Published)