Comparing eras in the NBA has always been one of the most frequently discussed topics in basketball. Fans and analysts are trying to cook up several “what if” scenarios here. They’re trying to keep the conversation going, wondering how NBA stars would fare in a different era. Stephen Curry, a 4-time champion, is one of the most influential players of this generation. But many older fans doubt that the 2-time MVP would not have had such an illustrious career in the Michael Jordan era.

After Stephen Curry called himself the Greatest Point Guard of all time, Michael Jordan’s arch nemesis and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley expressed his thoughts about Curry playing in his era.

Charles Barkley thinks differently about Stephen Curry

In the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Charles Barkley expressed his thoughts about Stephen Curry playing in the 80s.

“Can you imagine if the Bad Boys would beat the hell out of him?” Barkley said. He wonders if Curry would survive against the ruthless Bad Boy Pistons. Bad Boy Pistons era started in the late 80s and continued through the early 90s. The Detroit Pistons got this infamous tag because of their aggressive playing style and physical defense. The Bad Boys core consisted of Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Joe Dumars, and Isiah Thomas. With their physicality and toughness, they dominated the NBA in the late 80s, winning back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990.

Bad Boy Pistons would break their opponents with extremely physical plays, which would have led to a direct ejection or maybe even a suspension in today’s NBA. “You really think Steph Curry wouldn’t break?“ Barkley said, questioning Steph’s ability to survive the physicality of Bad Boys. The Baby Faced Assassin has mastered his game according to how the game is played today, which is less physical than the 80s. He even sustained an ankle injury earlier in his career. But, Barkley and Bill think Steph’s ankles would have ruined his career in 6 years if he played in the 80s.

The Bad Boy Pistons era shortened NBA careers

This isn’t the first instance people are talking about the Bad Boys Pistons era. This topic was heavily discussed in Michael Jordan’s Last Dance documentary. They used Chuck Daly’s ‘Jordan rules’ on Michael in the playoffs, stopping him from winning the games by any means necessary. With the amount of physicality and hard fouls in the Michael Jordan era, many careers were shortened due to physicality and lack of advancement in the medical field.

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Barkley and Bill believe that players like Larry Bird and Isiah Thomas would have had longer careers if they played today. “A 13-year career for a point guard was like a lot”. Bill Simmons said, talking about small guards playing in the 80s.

Stephen Curry was always an underdog until he proved the world wrong with his dominance in the NBA. We will never know how he would have fared against the Bad Boy Pistons. Maybe he would have had a brief career, or maybe he would have changed the game in the Michael Jordan era as well.

Do you think Steph would have dominated in the Bad Boys era? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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