The controversy that Anthony Edwards stirred with his ‘skill’ remark on the Michael Jordan era is not coming to an end. The debate seemingly has entered a whirlpool where the facts keep rotating endlessly between the 80s and the current era. However, there is a person who is standing strong alongside Anthony Edwards in all this mess. It is ex-Warriors star Gilbert Arenas who has extended his support through his podcast. This time, Kenyon Martin joined in to debate the justification of Ant’s remark only to be hit by a retro comparison.

Backing up the Wolves star with his analogy, Gibert asserted, “You’re smarter (than the 80s). Your IQ level is a lot higher because you couldn’t do things that they do. You couldn’t jump over everybody, you have to learn how to dribble, pump, fake do all this. Evolution has changed it.”

“So from his evolution standpoint when he looks and goes back at the film and he says y’all can’t do what I can do, He’s right, “ Gilbert Arenas extended his support to Anthony Edwards’ remark. However, NBA legend Kenyon Martin did not agree with the fact that someone, after watching a few clips, was preaching to him about skill and everything.

But the former Warriors icon’s adulation for the shooting guard’s statement continued further as he said, “In this era, if these (MJ era) guys are tens and these guys are nines, all you do is compare the nine, the skill has evolved. He’s looking at it with his lenses…” The moment Gil was about to get his point, Martin barged in to add, “In a disrespectful way!”

However, Arenas was firm in his stance and replied on Gil’s Arena, “The 80s said nothing about the 60s but nobody gave a f—!!” While Gil tries to now dump the heat onto the 80s stars with this line, does comparing today’s generation to any era in the past make sense, regardless of whether Ant was doing the same thing as his NBA predecessors did?

Does comparing eras give relevance to the alleged Anthony Edwards era?

Conclusively, comparing eras can just be referred to as the game of putting someone down, who is above everyone else in the current league. For example, Giannis Antetokounmpo is a basket freak when he is on the court. No defense can stop the Bucks icon from scoring. Critics often compare him to the greats of the game like Wilt Chamberlain. As Austin Rivers claimed on the Off Guard podcast recalling Wilt’s 100-point game, “He would have broken Wilt’s record. He would’ve had a game with like a 140.”

But the truth is, he is not playing in that era. Similarly, Anthony Edwards got more access to game recordings, icons, new moves, and methods to improve himself. However, the Michael Jordan and the era before him was different. In their perspective, what they were competing against were all greats. Rather, on the other end, the NBA is now filled with such players because of the evolution of time.

So to rise among those leaders is the same as it was in the MJ era. Why? The reason is since the skills have surged, the competition will turn outrageous automatically. So, it doesn’t matter whether the current NBA players are more skilled than the ones in the past. The point is that no one can ever surpass the legacy of an individual like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, or LeBron James.