Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

Anthony Wright30 said:That’s a tough one to call, though I suppose we’ll find out eventually. This current era of sports seems to belong to others; he isn't quite at that same level of cultural icon status that Michael Jordan enjoyed back in the 90s, so perhaps the conversation won't reach those heights.

The only way to truly cement that would be if he managed to pull off a three-peat with the Lakers. 😁

Besides, I feel that the NBA itself lacks much of the charisma it possessed twenty or thirty years ago. It has evolved into this highly profitable, somewhat polished product, yet in that process, it seems to have lost some of the raw charm it used to hold.

That's true—the NBA was built on hatred and real rivalries. You can still see it today; look at how Isiah still can't stand Jordan, or how Lambier talks trash about the Bulls thirty years later just because he hates them.

The reason I think LeBron James will still be a topic of debate 30 years from now is simply because of the world we live in. Everything is instant—every piece of info, every game—and since LeBron has been the most popular basketball player for years, and the marketing is hyped to the moon, it compensates for the lack of old-school rivalries. I seriously doubt his legacy will fade once he retires.

Honestly, modern sports has gone to hell. I miss the hatred and the real rivalries.

Ethan Cook said:I'm thinking the same thing, especially when you look at the icons playing back then. Jordan, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Gary Payton, Hakeem Olajuwon, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Dominique Wilkins, Joe Dumars, Tim Hardaway, Grant Hill, Dennis Rodman, Alonzo Mourning, Scottie Pippen, Shawn Kemp, Dikembe Mutombo, Clyde Drexler, David Robinson... Just look at those names. In my opinion, today's players don't even come close in any category. I remember those intense matchups between Miami and New York—staying up until 4 or 5 AM watching them while my dad forced me to go to bed so I wouldn't fall asleep in class.

I guess that's just how it goes for every single generation in every single sport, once the fans survive that first wave of athletes.

Everyone always thinks the guys from before were the legends, and the current ones are just nothing, right? Maybe it’s just human nature, I guess. 😁

But honestly, the people who are 15 years younger than you will be talking about Stephen Curry, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and the rest in that exact same way 15 years from now, once some new kids start running the league.

The NBA is facing the exact same issue they dealt with before Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. The league is getting stale because we just don't have any true superstars on the level of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or LeBron James right now.

Once LeBron James hits the end of his career, who is actually going to be the next big poster boy? Honestly, nobody is even close. The lineup of legends we saw during the 90s and the first decade of the 2000s was on a whole different level compared to today.

steelharbor9 said:I guess that's just how it goes for every single generation in every single sport, once the fans survive that first wave of athletes.

Everyone always thinks the guys from before were the legends, and the current ones are just nothing, right? Maybe it’s just human nature, I guess. 😁

But honestly, the people who are 15 years younger than you will be talking about Stephen Curry, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and the rest in that exact same way 15 years from now, once some new kids start running the league.

No way. Those guys aren't even in the same conversation as the names I mentioned.

Anthony Wright30 said:That’s a tough one to call, though I suppose we’ll find out eventually. This current era of sports seems to belong to others; he isn't quite at that same level of cultural icon status that Michael Jordan enjoyed back in the 90s, so perhaps the conversation won't reach those heights.

The only way to truly cement that would be if he managed to pull off a three-peat with the Lakers. 😁

Besides, I feel that the NBA itself lacks much of the charisma it possessed twenty or thirty years ago. It has evolved into this highly profitable, somewhat polished product, yet in that process, it seems to have lost some of the raw charm it used to hold.

Bringing a title to Cleveland in American sports is basically the same as winning the UEFA Cup in London.

LeBron James will eventually retire as a top-three player of all time. But honestly, it’s the pure talent and the mental clarity he showed—especially during his second stint with the Cavaliers—that actually cemented his spot on those eternal lists.
We can debate this forever, but who knows where his career would be if the incompetent Gilbert Arenas hadn't failed to bring in anyone better than Mo Williams during the first half of his career? Who even is Mo Williams, as Jessica Gonzalez asks? Exactly. ☕

Elizabeth Mendoza said:The NBA is facing the exact same issue they dealt with before Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. The league is getting stale because we just don't have any true superstars on the level of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or LeBron James right now.

Once LeBron James hits the end of his career, who is actually going to be the next big poster boy? Honestly, nobody is even close. The lineup of legends we saw during the 90s and the first decade of the 2000s was on a whole different level compared to today.

No way. Those guys aren't even in the same conversation as the names I mentioned.

Lol, okay.

But honestly, you totally killed me with that counterargument. Ten years from now, nobody is even going to be talking about Stephen Curry, for real. The guy just doesn't have that charisma.

Elizabeth Mendoza said:But honestly, you totally killed me with that counterargument. Ten years from now, nobody is even going to be talking about Stephen Curry, for real. The guy just doesn't have that charisma.

I don't even have an argument for you there. I guess anyone who drops something that ridiculous is totally entitled to believe it without anyone bothering to push back, cheers!

Elizabeth Mendoza said:The NBA is facing the exact same issue they dealt with before Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. The league is getting stale because we just don't have any true superstars on the level of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or LeBron James right now.

Once LeBron James hits the end of his career, who is actually going to be the next big poster boy? Honestly, nobody is even close. The lineup of legends we saw during the 90s and the first decade of the 2000s was on a whole different level compared to today.

No way. Those guys aren't even in the same conversation as the names I mentioned.

Honestly, the league has never been more packed with talent. You have ten guys in a row just waiting for their moment.
I might actually prefer it if we didn't have someone like LeBron James constantly hogging all the oxygen in the room. It’s starting to get a little exhausting.

Susan Kim2 said:Honestly, the league has never been more packed with talent. You have ten guys in a row just waiting for their moment.
I might actually prefer it if we didn't have someone like LeBron James constantly hogging all the oxygen in the room. It’s starting to get a little exhausting.

We all know how things usually play out with top prospects... time will tell. So many talented players have drifted through the league without ever making the kind of impact they were promised.

Underestimating today's players is such a reach—honestly. The entire science behind fitness and conditioning has leveled up so much that everyone playing right now is insanely prepared for this kind of grind. I’d argue the league has never seen athletes with this kind of raw physical capability before.

We'll never know for sure, but I'm convinced guys like Charles Barkley or Hakeem Olajuwon would dominate in any era, just like LeBron James or Kevin Durant would. Some people are just built different. All that "this player is playing in a weaker era" talk? It just doesn't hold water for me.

steelharbor9 said:I guess that's just how it goes for every single generation in every single sport, once the fans survive that first wave of athletes.

Everyone always thinks the guys from before were the legends, and the current ones are just nothing, right? Maybe it’s just human nature, I guess. 😁

But honestly, the people who are 15 years younger than you will be talking about Stephen Curry, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and the rest in that exact same way 15 years from now, once some new kids start running the league.

Maybe it isn't just an impression, but a reality. There isn't a Charles Barkley anymore, no pure white playmaker like John Stockton, none of that intense New York versus Miami rivalry, and nobody hitting like Shawn Kemp. Everyone is just a "one or two season wonder" like Curry, or someone tells me Klay Thompson is just a role player, whatever. Everyone is too soft now, obsessed with a million Instagram photos and flashy cars covered in glitter.😁

I don't really have enough free time to actively follow the whole season. I might catch maybe 10 to 15 games total, so I don't bother posting much about Basketball since there are plenty of people way more dialed in than me who watch everything through game recaps and Inside the NBA. But personally? I really miss that old-school physicality in the NBA. Especially in the paint—centers just aren't what they used to be.

Nowadays, everyone is just chucking threes. Almost every single game lately ends up scoring way over 100 points.

There are plenty of superstars out there; personally, I’ve always found Damian Lillard to be one of the most likable players, and then you have established powerhouses like the Golden State Warriors, featuring guys like Kevin Durant and James Harden, alongside the younger generation led by Luka Dončić and Jayson Tatum much more prominently.

I suppose I don't particularly care that modern basketball seems to have evolved toward quantity over quality—though I'm not entirely sure how else one might describe that shift, honestly😁. From an aesthetic standpoint, it just doesn't quite hit the mark for me. I find myself drifting off to sleep during about 90% of regular season games out of pure boredom. Plus, I feel like we're missing those intense rivalries we used to see, like that brief, electric feeling when the Snake signed with the Golden State Warriors.

steelharbor9 said:Lol, okay.

So go ahead. Draw some parallels between today's players and the ones I just listed. Tell me who has more character, who actually carries more charisma? Be my guest.

Social media has a massive impact on the NBA today—it's being tracked more than ever before. You find out what a player had for breakfast in a split second, let alone anything else. I’m convinced that if social media and this kind of constant monitoring had existed back in Michael Jordan's era, everyone would have looked at them in a completely different light.

I really miss seeing players like this nowadays. Personally, I’ve always been a huge fan of playing center in basketball, but let's be real—big men just aren't what they used to be.

Ethan Cook said:So go ahead. Draw some parallels between today's players and the ones I just listed. Tell me who has more character, who actually carries more charisma? Be my guest.

The guy below pretty much nailed the whole point of this story.

dustyviper8 said:Social media has a massive impact on the NBA today—it's being tracked more than ever before. You find out what a player had for breakfast in a split second, let alone anything else. I’m convinced that if social media and this kind of constant monitoring had existed back in Michael Jordan's era, everyone would have looked at them in a completely different light.

Twenty-five years ago, even for Americans—let alone people over here—Charles Barkley and his crew were basically mythological figures. You’d stumble upon a newspaper clipping and read it fifty times. If you were lucky with the local news stations, maybe you’d catch one game or at least a couple of highlights. That was it. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong; I wasn't actually there, after all.

Nobody is walking around wearing a John Stockton or Shawn Kemp jersey these days, but it’s obvious why people growing up back then saw them as gods. It's for the exact same reason kids today will look up to Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook, or the youngest ones will worship Luka Dončić—and I'm sorry if you don't want to see it that way! There isn't really a "correct" answer to who was the bigger legend. Everyone's hero is just whoever they spent those nostalgic moments watching. I guess Stephen Curry's shimmy against OKC in 2016 is more iconic than Scottie Pippen's dunk over Patrick Ewing—but if I say that to someone ten or fifteen years older, their blood pressure might hit 200 because of the blasphemy!

For me, the 2002 World Cup is still the strongest memory, even though everyone older than me says it was one of the worst ever. Man, it was the first one I followed live. I watched every single second they showed, and even now, I can remember most of the scorers and results. Nothing will ever hit that emotional level for me again, I guess.

Did I completely misread the room here? Are we really going to act like nobody will be talking about the greatest shooter to ever play the game fifteen years from now? It’s not just that he’ll be mentioned; people will be debating exactly where he sits within the top 10 or 15 basketball players of all time.

Russell Westbrook is being brutally, absolutely undervalued right now, but once people realize a decade from now that this man was averaging triple-doubles for three straight years, I truly believe that perception is going to shift significantly.

As for Kawhi Leonard, he cemented his legendary status with that shot over Serge Ibaka, which will go down as one of the most iconic moments of this century—especially when you consider he spearheaded that entire run to bring a championship to Toronto. 🙏

I followed them back then and I still follow them today—maybe not with the same fanaticism as before, but enough to see that things just aren't what they used to be. Anyway, I respect a different opinion and appreciate the response 👍

Nothing is ever quite the same as it used to be, I suppose. It’s much like how someone who actually followed the game back in the 70s or 80s might argue that everything following those eras just wasn't what it once was.

And why should he be any less right than you are?🤷