NBA Analyst Defends Older Generation After LeBron James' Comments On 1970s

Shandel Richardson | Mar 30, 2025

Nov 4, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; ESPN analyst Chris Broussard reports from the baseline during a game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 96-86. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

Longtime NBA analyst Chris Broussard recently defended players from the older generation.

After LeBron James said Giannis Antetokounmpo would average 50 points in the 1970s, Broussard stepped up in defense of the likes of Elgin Baylor, Earl Monroe and Wilt Chamberlain.

"It looks disrespectful to the previous era," Broussard said during an appearance on FOX Sports' First Things First. "Younger guys, all the talk about is the athleticism, the guys are so much more athletic today versus back then. First off, two of the three best players in the league today are not athletic, so stop it. Jokic can't jump over a phone book and he's the best player in the world and Luka is right there in the top three. Kill it with the athleticism."

Broussard said it's tough to compare because of different playing styles. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recently told Broussard he would have played like Antetokounmpo in today's game. Back then, players simply did the roles their coaches suggested. It would have been the same way for Antetokounmpo in those eras.

"Shaq can do everything Giannis can do and better," Broussard said. "Because back then, whether it was his choice to say, `I'm gonna dominate on the block' or more coaches putting you on the block, that's what you did. If Giannis was in the `70s, he would've played on the block."'

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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