"Some of those guys that think they are MJ? Bro, you would have come off our bench" - Kenny Smith humbles modern-day players about how they would've been "average" in his era
There's long been a growing sentiment that players from the rough-and-tumble 1980s and '90s might struggle to adapt to today's NBA, where versatility and shooting are cornerstones of success. In contrast, others argue that modern stars - who thrive on pace-and-space offense, mid-range pull-ups, and deep threes would dominate if dropped into any past era. According to two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith, the reality is far more nuanced.
Advertisement
Moreover, "The Jet" believes while it's true that players in each era learned that game differently, not every modern-day hooper would've made the cut in the golden age of hard-nosed basketball. Smith confidently stated that many players today, especially those who tend to overthink their skill set and imagine themselves to be on Michael Jordan's level, would not even crack the starting lineup in the '80s and '90s.
Smith laughs off at players who believe they could've been greater in past eras
Back then, basketball was built on structure. Teams ran set plays religiously, designed in practice, and executed to perfection in games. Centers lived in the paint, and perimeter players earned every bucket by driving into traffic and absorbing contact.
So for Smith, he admitted while speaking on "The Mark Jackson" s podcast, modern-day superstars like Kevin Durant, who boast elite shot-making and a deeper understanding of the game, could have thrived in his era, majority of others wouldn't have fared as well.
Advertisement
"Great players today, would've been great. Kevin Durant would've played in our era and been great. Go down the line, top five players. But then, it starts to get sticky. That's all I'm saying. It starts getting sticky because of the rule changes. Guys who are in the league now, would not be in the league. Even some of the guys we had wouldn't be in this league because they couldn't shoot. Some of those guys that think they are Michael Jordan? Bro, you would have come off our bench," the two-time Champ said. "You would've been an average back then if you are average now."
Related: Luc Longley on why he and Michael Jordan couldn't get along: "Mike was doing what he did to rookies, what he was doing to me"
Smith also fired shots at modern-day guards
And while today's NBA is flooded with highlight-reel moments, where guards like Anthony Edwards and Ja Morant soaring over seven-footers, Smith takes issue with the assumption that today's players are more athletic. As a former Dunk Contest participant himself, he pushed back against the idea that modern guards are more explosive or skilled. He insists athleticism and talent were just as present in his day; they were simply displayed differently.
Advertisement
"Today's era of people, they always say, 'Oh, we more athletic,'" Smith once stated. "I don't believe that they are more athletic. How many point guards been in the Dunk Contest? I was in the Dunk Contest three times, I came in second once to the great Dominique Wilkins."
Ultimately, the 60-year-old former Rockets guard admitted it is hard to predict how players from one generation would perform in another, given how dramatically the game has evolved. But one thing he's certain of — the true greats of today, with their elite feel for the game, adaptability, and constant adjustments, would have shined in any era. That level of basketball IQ and skill transcends eras, no matter the competition.
Related: "One girl got smart and said, 'I want 10 thousand'" - Shaquille O'Neal explains why he loves to leave big tips
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
22 minutes ago
- USA Today
What the De'Aaron Fox deal means for Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle
The move will likely put the Spurs in a bind when Wemby, Castle, and Harper all come due, but the Spurs are deciding to worry about that 3 or 4 years from now. Fox just now entering his prime. De'Aaron Fox has reportedly signed a four-year, $229 million maximum contract extension with the San Antonio Spurs. So what comes next for this team? Fox is now under contract with the Spurs until 2029-30 and will collect an average annual value of more than $57 million per season. In a vacuum, the deal makes sense for San Antonio. Several of the players in their young core are still a few years away from requiring a similarly major pay day, so the franchise could afford to retain Fox. If the Spurs had not given this deal to Fox, they would have risked losing him as an unrestricted free agent next summer. Instead, they have shown they are committed to their next chapter of winning around Victor Wembanyama rather than rebuilding. But there is still a major question about whether Fox or someone else is the point guard of the future in San Antonio. They selected Dylan Harper with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and also have 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year winner Stephon Castle on their roster. If they continue on the right development path, they project as the likely backcourt of the future for the Spurs. Fox, however, is far more of a "win-now" caliber player than either of his younger teammates. They now have the next three seasons to decide the right combination of guards to complement Wembanyama, the obvious face of the franchise. From a salary perspective, they won't have much to worry about until then with no other major contracts interfering on the books. From a basketball perspective, though, it gets more interesting. For what it is worth, per PBPStats: The Spurs outscored opponents by 3.07 points per 100 possessions in the 740 minutes when Wembanyama played with Castle but not Fox last season. There was a less significant sample size to evaluate when Wembanyama played with Fox but not Castle in 2024-25. But notably, the Spurs were outscored by 12.99 points per 100 in the 237 minutes in which Fox and Castle shared the court. We don't know how the group will fare with Harper in the mix as well, but they will have plenty of time to experiment with that this season. Fortunately for the Spurs, neither Castle nor Harper is undersized, so it is entirely possible that it could work out that all three could play together. A promise was likely made last February and Spurs stuck with it despite we move on and hope for the best 3-4 years from nowFox is a great talent to have on board. Perhaps by the end of Fox's extension, it is incredibly obvious that the right mix for San Antonio involves involves Harper and Castle as their starting one and two. By then, maybe they will have to trade Fox and clear up that log jam. Because his salary is so large, it might feel difficult for the Spurs to move him at that price tag. But it may have value for value-matching purposes if, by then, San Antonio is looking to potentially add a star through the trade market. At the end of the day, it seems the front office believes that Fox puts the team in the best position to win now. The good news is that because Harper and Castle are still a rookie and sophomore, respectively, they have time until it will become too expensive to keep all three. Until then, the Spurs are simply building a team with as much talent as possible and letting it develop naturally. It would feel unfair to criticize them for that, especially with a superstar like Wembanyama in the mix.
USA Today
22 minutes ago
- USA Today
The Lakers have set Luka Dončić up to succeed as long as he's willing to wait
No one ever turns down an opportunity to be the face of the Los Angeles Lakers. Anyone who has ever been handed the keys to one of the most prestigious sports teams in the world takes them without hesitation. Luka Dončić is no different. You may have already heard the weekend's news. On Saturday, Dončić, who is a top-four player in the world on his worst day, agreed to a three-year, $165 million contract extension that should keep him in Lakers purple and gold until at least the summer of 2028. Contrary to some reports (and misunderstandings), Dončić did not take a discount by "only" getting $55 million in average annual value. Following his trade from the team that drafted him, the Dallas Mavericks, this was the maximum yearly salary Dončić was eligible for. Taking that amount of money wasn't a favor to the Lakers. However, Dončić's choosing to sign an extension now was, in fact, a gesture of good faith. It is him relinquishing his options and all the leverage he could've had by delaying the contract decision for another year. It is the All-NBA caliber forward's tacit acknowledgement that he'd like to see through his time with the Lakers, however long it will be, while giving them momentary peace of mind. As conversations about LeBron James' basketball future swirl, Dončić taking pen to paper now is his saying he genuinely believes the Lakers can construct a championship team around his talent. Dončić has every right to believe this. Recent foibles aside, the Lakers' historical precedent with superstars and contenders is unmatched. No one else in the NBA builds juggernauts overnight quite like the Lakers. No one else stacks and collects stars quite like the league's marquee franchise. That they got Dončić for pennies on the dollar in the first place is prime evidence of this phenomenon. To the chagrin of everyone outside of their bubble, this is what the Lakers do. The catch for Dončić is that he'll have to bide his time, smack dab in the middle of his prime, before the Lakers can find him a viable running mate. As it stands, James' contract is still eating up a sizable portion of the Lakers' salary cap sheet. That is, of course, money that will eventually be allocated toward an attempt at signing someone like, say, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Barring a shocking trade of James, it seems pretty likely that his deal will be a financial anchor of sorts on Los Angeles until next summer. The issue for the Lakers is that while they'd probably prefer to get active in signing someone to pair with Dončić right then and there, most franchise players who are worth the money won't become unrestricted free agents until 2027 at the earliest. So, at best, Dončić is spending two years of his career on a Lakers team that is slowly, gradually preparing a red carpet for his sidekick. He'll be 28 by the time the Lakers are ready to put a bona fide heavyweight supporting cast around him. To put it lightly, even if Dončić is seemingly starting to take better care of himself, this sort of basketball Purgatory is not ideal. I have sincere doubts that Dončić would ever seriously consider leaving the Lakers. They usually do what they want and get who they want, after all. He knows that. But don't discount how this semi-transition roster of players will present itself over the next two seasons. These Lakers might not be veritable Tier 1 title contenders, but they can't afford to tread water with someone like Dončić, either. How they fare competitively may determine just how patient Dončić is willing to be with the Lakers' plans for him. Please put the Giannis speculation to rest (for now) Look, I'm not going to pretend that Giannis Antetokounmpo is an absolute lock to be a Milwaukee Buck for life. There's a reason I mention him as a potential 2027 target for the Lakers. Two years is a long time, and the Bucks are far from stable even after an eventful and productive offseason. But for now, no one in Antetokounmpo's inner circle, no one in the Bucks organization, and not even Antetokounmpo has hinted that he still potentially wants to leave Milwaukee before this coming NBA season. In fact, the only reputable person still fanning the flames is ESPN's Shams Charania. On Monday, the reporter claimed that Antetokounmpo remains undecided about where he wants to play. Not in the long term, which is a lot safer to describe as up in the air. In the short term, with Antetokounmpo already clearly giving the Bucks a longer rope to figure things out. So, until I hear someone else closer to the situation verify these Antetokounmpo trade "rumors," I'm taking them with a grain of salt: "After the conclusion of the draft and free agency, all 30 rosters around the league are more or less set in stone. Anyone who would ostensibly even have the space to trade for [Giannis] Antetokounmpo now probably has much less flexibility to do so without moving mountains around their salary cap sheet. Everything has been accounted for, and it would be a huge headache to dig things up again. We're also roughly two months out from the start of NBA training camps. That sort of short turnaround timeline doesn't lend itself to one of the best players in the world making a seismic change in his career at this specific point." Here's more on the latest (speculative) update concerning Antetokounmpo. Shootaround This was Layup Lines, For the Win's basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
De'Aaron Fox reportedly agrees to 4-year, $229 million max contract extension with San Antonio Spurs
De'Aaron Fox has agreed to a four-year, $229 million contract extension with the Spurs, according to ESPN's Shams Charania, as San Antonio continues to revamp its roster with sights set on building a bona fide contender around ascendant superstar big man Victor Wembanyama. Fox, 27, averaged 23.5 points, 6.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 36.1 minutes per game last season, shooting 46.3% from the field, 31% from 3-point range and 82.7% from the free-throw line across 62 total appearances for the Spurs and Kings. He had the second-highest individual scoring performance of the season, pouring in a career-high and Kings franchise record 60 points in a November win over the Timberwolves: Aug. 3 made it six months since Fox landed in San Antonio in a three-team trade that ended his tenure with the Kings, seven and a half seasons after Sacramento drafted him out of Kentucky with the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Fox agreeing to a multi-year deal seemed all but assured from the moment he arrived, given the clear preference for being in San Antonio that he publicly confirmed to ESPN's Michael C. Wright after the trade … Once his agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, informed Sacramento of Fox's desire to join the Spurs, reports surfaced of the guard telling the club he had a list of preferred teams. "There was no f***ing list," Fox said. "There was one team. I wanted to go to San Antonio. So, a lot of people are mad at me, saying I handcuffed the team by giving them a destination. Well, this is my career. If anybody else is in my position, you'd do the same thing. It's not my job to help build your team. I'm not about to just go where [the Kings] want me to go. I wanted to have a destination." Even after reaching that destination, though, hitting the six-month mark was key. Because while Fox was eligible to sign an extension with the Spurs as soon as the 2025 NBA Finals ended, he had to wait a bit longer to be able to ink the most lucrative deal available — one that signals the Spurs' belief that the former All-Star and All-NBA point guard can serve as a championship-caliber running buddy and table-setter for Wembanyama for years to come. Fox is one of the NBA's quickest, most explosive and most prolific scoring guards — a three-level scorer who can break opposing defenses down off the dribble, get into the teeth of the coverage, and punish opponents by either pulling up from midrange, finishing at the cup, or drawing contact to get to the foul line. He has averaged 24.3 points and 6.2 assists per game on 47.8% shooting over the past six seasons. The only other players to hit those numbers over that span? Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Dončić and LeBron James. That's pretty decent company — and a pretty surprising peer group, considering the relative lack of success that Fox was met with for the bulk of his time in Sacramento, as Vivek Ranadivé's Kings bounced from coach to coach, executive to executive, vision to vision and, largely, loss to loss throughout Fox's first five professional seasons. And then the Kings hired Mike Brown, and suddenly, Sacramento got serious. An overhauled motion offense built around the dribble-handoff chemistry of Fox and playmaking center Domantas Sabonis surged to the top of the NBA in offensive efficiency, rocketing the club back to relevance. 'Light the Beam' became a joyous meme, a rallying cry, an article of faith. Both Fox and Sabonis earned All-Star and All-NBA berths. Fox's remarkable late-game shooting and playmaking earned him the NBA's inaugural Clutch Player of the Year award. For the first time in 16 years, the Kings made the playoffs, taking the Bay Area big-brother Warriors all the way to seven games in the first round of the 2023 postseason; it took Fox breaking a finger on his shooting hand in Game 4, and Stephen Curry exploding for 50 points in Game 7, to end the Kings' breathtaking run. That, it turns out, was as good as it would get. Despite continued stellar play from Fox, Sabonis and sixth man Malik Monk, the Kings took a slight step back in 2023-24, dropping from 48 wins and third place in the West to 46 wins and the ninth seed as the rest of the conference rose up around them. They'd exact a measure of revenge by eliminating Golden State in their first play-in tournament game, but would lose to the Pelicans in their second, preventing them from returning to the playoffs proper for the second straight season — and setting the stage for things to get uncomfortable if the next campaign got off to a rocky start. Fast forward to December 2024, and … well, things got rocky: Already under .500 30 games into the season, the Kings had a chance to end a four-game losing streak by knocking off the upstart Pistons the night after Christmas. But Fox fouled Detroit guard Jaden Ivey in the act of shooting a 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds to go, resulting in a four-point play and a fifth straight loss. Afterward, Brown was critical of, among other things, Fox's defense on that decisive final play. One day later, the Kings fired Brown — a sudden, sharp decision that led some to speculate, especially in the absence of any press conference by the front office to clarify the rationale for the move, that Fox had gone to Sacramento's brass to call for a change. Fox vehemently denied that, and as the Kings' decision-makers continued to leave the circumstances surrounding Brown's firing unclear, the All-Star point guard grew increasingly dissatisfied with the state of affairs in California's capital. "I was like, 'Yo, I've been here for going on my eighth year. If Mike gets fired, I'll be going on my fifth coach,'" Fox told ESPN. "And I told them, 'I'm not going to play for another coach. I'm going to play for another team.' … You fire the coach, and you don't do an interview? So, all the blame was on me. Did it weigh on me? No. I don't give a f—. But the fact y'all are supposed to be protecting your player and y'all let that happen. ... I felt at the time the organization didn't have my back." Frustrated by that lack of support, and reportedly fearful of 'the prospect of wasting his best years on a team that was mired in mediocrity,' Fox and Paul made it clear that he felt his future lay outside of Sacramento. Specifically, in San Antonio — just a couple hours west of Katy, Texas, where Fox played his high school ball; where his wife, Recee, grew up; and where a certain 7-foot-3 Frenchman seems poised to take over the sport. 'It's like playing with Steph,' Fox told ESPN. 'Everybody can't play with Steph because you always have to look for him. But at the end of the day, that motherf—er can win championships. And I think Vic can win championships.' The Spurs barely got to see Fox and Wembanyama together, with a pair of ailments — Wembanyama's deep vein thrombosis and Fox's fractured left pinky finger — limiting them to just 120 shared minutes across five games, with San Antonio getting outscored by five points with them sharing the floor. The new agreement represents a vote of confidence that, with a clean bill of health and a lot more reps, the pairing can produce significantly more positive results. It also allows San Antonio to give Dylan Harper — whom the Spurs drafted No. 2 overall in June's 2025 NBA draft after a surprise rise in the lottery — a longer developmental runway, affording him the opportunity to come along slowly behind a high-level pro playmaker rather than being pressed into immediate duty and expected to provide elite service to Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, and the rest of a Spurs roster expected by many to make a leap this season. Just how significant a leap depends primarily on Wembanyama, who's been cleared to return in time for training camp and could well be ticketed for MVP consideration in his third season. Just how significant a leap Wembanyama makes, though, could depend a lot on Fox — the kind of offensive engine who could make his life a lot easier, and who could give San Antonio the sort of inside-out one-two punch that makes Western Conference opponents' lives much, much tougher.
