Magic Johnson did it! Isaiah Thomas did it! And now Kevin Garnett has voiced his honest opinion about Anthony Edwards’ controversial comment regarding the lack of skill in the NBA’s older generation. “They say it was tougher back then than it is now, but I don’t think anybody had skill back then.” With this claim, Ant-Man seems to have hit a nerve among the legends. Sure enough, KG had a brutal response, “If I’m being honest, bro, I don’t think anybody in this generation could have played like 20 years ago.”

With both parties taking their opinions to the extreme, veteran insider Chris Broussard attempted to pacify the situation by giving the superstars a harsh reality check and slamming Kevin Garnett in the process.

Has the battle of the eras gone too far? Is KG over-exaggerating?

Sure, the new generation vs. old generation debate has been going on for ages. While most of the time, it used to be limited to Jordan vs. LeBron, Broussard believes this time things have gotten more serious, “It’s almost become a battle of eras now not just a battle of Jordan vs. LeBron and the young boys are going way too far in ripping the 90s and I get it. But this is KG going too far on them.” However, it is understandable why Garnett was bothered by Ant’s claim because he was one of the most dominant stars of his era. And no player would want their peak days to be disrespected.

But responding the way that he did might also have crossed the line as Broussard remarked on The Odd Couple pod, “KG is going too far though in saying none of these guys could play 20 years ago.”

As per Garnett, the league was far more physical in the past and the players of that era thrived on one main factor, which seems to be the missing factor in this generation. “20 years ago, you couldn’t get to a triple step back… And then if you shot that [expletive], it had to go in. You know why? Because we had efficiency, back in the day, my dude, and it was so [expletive] hard.” KG said, backing his point.

Well, while both stars confidently defended their era, it seems unlikely that either one will back down. That’s because Garnett has always been a vocal athlete and many have even deemed him one of the best trash talkers ever.

Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards has also shown at a young age that he is extremely confident in what he says and does. Because of that, Draymond Green even claimed that his personality is “very close to being cocky” but it’s not necessarily a bad thing, “Having that belief and being a little cocky is actually what separates him.” So, while Broussard said that the debate has gone too far, it can escalate even further.

Chris Broussard ‘nullifies’ Kevin Garnett’s bold claim after Anthony Edwards argument

While KG used the physicality and efficiency argument to defend his era, it might be similar to the newer generation claiming that they are better because they can shoot way more threes and have much better handles. Nullifying both parties’ claim, Broussard said, “My point that trumps them all is this… the superstars of every era will be at least stars in any era.” Yes, regardless of what Garnett says, to believe that Anthony Edwards or any other young star might not be as dominant in the 90s is a bit of an exaggeration.

Sure, it will take them some time to adjust to the rules of whichever era they play in, but they are still some of the best players in the world. The league is less physical now because that’s how the fans and the NBA want it to be. Had the rules never changed, Anthony Edwards would have grown up to play a similar style of basketball and adapted. Similarly, if the players of the past had the green light to shoot as many threes as they want like they do today, they would have also improved that aspect of their game to be better shooters.

Adding more weight to his point, Broussard pointed out a legend who played in the 50s, “You really watch Bob Cousy’s tape and you’ll be like ‘Oh my God’… Give Bob Cousy all the benefits that Steve Nash or John Stockton or Isaiah Thomas had. Charter flights, better sneakers, year around play, you didn’t have to work another job, right? Weight training, nutritionist, and Bob Cousy would be just as good as those guys.”

Obviously, many would argue that the game had not developed a lot during Cousy’s era, but he was still dominant without the resources and technology that the players get today. So maybe, the athletes from different eras should stop competing among themselves in hypothetical scenarios and just appreciate each other’s greatness. Do you agree?

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger