Which Generation Had the Best Players?

When I was in High School I remember thinking how great the NBA players were at that time. I grew up watching Dr. J, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Dominique Wilkins, and Michael Jordan. I remember smirking each time I saw black and white footage of players like Jerry West, Bill Russell, Oscar Robinson, Bob Cousy, and Elvin Hayes. I always thought "Those guys may have been good, but the players of today would destroy them."

These days I hear kids saying the same thing about the players from my generation. They now hold guys like Kobe and Lebron up on a pedestal and think they are the greatest players of all time. I'll admit the long striped tube socks and short shorts of the 70's and 80's may not have help the comparisons, but I still think the original Dream Team players were the greatest group. I admit that athleticism has evolved over time and that the younger athletes keep out performing their elders, especially when it comes to trick stuff and dunking. Most young punks today can dunk between and under their legs by the time they are in Jr. High.

I've also noticed that it's hard to compete with the "coolness" of today's street ball players. They have names like Hot Sauce, Mr. 720, and Skilz. Compare that with old fashioned names like Bank Shot McGee, Lefty Jones or Hook shot Taylor. At least you didn't have to listen to crappy rap music with F-bombs throughout the song when you watched the old timers highlight videos.