Over the last few years, many players from the recent past or who are still playing in the NBA have talked about the difference between today’s game and how it was played during Michael Jordan’s era in the 90s.
The rules have changed drastically from when Jordan dominated the competition as the undisputed leader of the Chicago Bulls while winning six NBA titles in six appearances in the NBA Finals.
However, former player Gilbert Arenas, who started his NBA career in 2001, believes he would’ve put up monster numbers in the league during Jordan’s era, claiming he’d be averaging 100 points per game if he was taking all the shots like Jordan was with the Bulls, via “Gil’s Arena.”
Gilbert Arenas roasting 90s basketball and says he would average a 100.
“If you are telling me that I’m taking all the shots with my skills set and these guards with 28-inch vertical. What am I dealing with here?”
(via @GilsArenaShow) pic.twitter.com/HtJFiBZ6hh
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) October 12, 2023
Even though Arenas was known for being a dominant scorer during his time in the league and dropped 60 points on Kobe Bryant during the prime of his career, claiming to put up 100 per game, even if he’s exaggerating, is a bold statement.
Unlike when Arenas played, the league was much more physical in the 90s, with defense being much different compared to how it’s played today, even if you don’t think it is actually played in today’s game.
The only significant difference from Arenas’ era is the three-point shooting, which became a point of emphasis in the later part of his career.
Arenas definitely would’ve had the advantage there, but he also would’ve had to deal with players like Gary Payton and Jordan getting up in his space, so it’s easy for him to make this statement in retrospect, but in reality, he’s not scoring at the clip that he thinks he would’ve.
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