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USA Today via Reuters
May 19, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots a basket over Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the first half of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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USA Today via Reuters
May 19, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots a basket over Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the first half of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The Showtime Lakers were one of the best teams the league had ever seen. Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kareem were the big three of the team. The 80s were owned by the Lakers. At that time three-pointers were just a last-second option and the big men were more dominant in scoring.
While the game has changed drastically in the last 10 years, the 80s and the 90s had a different recruiting system. No team would’ve wanted a player who’d attempt 5 threes a game. Even the great Michael Jordan dominated in the mid-range and wasn’t that good of a three-point shooter.
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James Worthy doesn’t seem happy with today’s game
Worthy was a key player in the Showtime era. He only played for 11 years and averaged 17 points and 5 rebounds. Worthy believes in mastering the fundamentals of the game. These days, players rely more on shooting. Today’s game presents more iso plays and outside shooting.
James recently said, “All they do is practice threes, lift weights, get tattoos, tweet, and go on social media.”
James Worthy rips current NBA players: ‘All they do is practice threes, lift weights, get tattoos, tweet and go on social media’ https://t.co/MP1HfKCbQn
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) May 27, 2022
Referring to today’s players who mostly practice outside shots while maintaining their physique, James is not a fan of the modern game. It’s not because of an outside influence that players have changed the way the game is played. In fact, the league’s very own player has managed to impact the whole game.
Stephen Curry transformed the game of basketball
Stephen Curry and his splash brother Klay surged the league with threes starting from 2015 to 2017. Their offense gave every team a hard time trying to guard them. This, in turn, had teams looking for shooters, either from draft or any possible trade. Young players had to add shooting attributes to their game so as to get noticed by scouts.
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It can be said that the game is in the middle of a revolution, but from James’ perspective, fundamentally strong players are not seen. It is true to some extent, as players rarely look into working on basic stuff and focus more on scoring. Regardless of the current era, the game seems to be more entertaining to the fans in one way or the other.
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WATCH THIS STORY: NBA Twitter Sends Warning to Luka Doncic After His Shimmy on Stephen Curry in WCF Game 3 vs Warriors
What is your take on today’s game in the NBA? Has it changed for better or for worse? Let us know in the comments below!
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