NBA Champion Says Oscar Robertson Could Not Play In Today's Game

Shandel Richardson | Oct 14, 2024

February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NBA great Oscar Robertson is honored for being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Present versus the past is one of the biggest NBA discussions.

Yesterday's stars feel they are better than today's. And vice versa.

It's rare for an old-school player to give credit to the new generation. Former player Jason Williams is the exception. During a podcast appearance with ex-player Stephen Jackson, Williams said the game has changed too much nowadays for the past to compete.

"All these older players were great but to me, the game has evolved," Williams said. "I think it's hard to compare these players. They were all great in their own way."

Williams played from 1998 to 2011. He won a championship with the Miami Heat in 2006. He buys into the argument of players being bigger, faster, stronger. It's not a knock against yesterday's stars but today's game is different.

He thinks players like John Stockton, Muggsy Bogues and Steve Kerr would struggling in today's game.

"Oscar Robertson is one of the greatest ever," Williams said. "He can't play today."

Williams is entitled to his opinion. Robertson was named one of the NBA's top 75 players because he was the first master of the triple-double. It's tough to say he couldn't play today but you have to respect Williams for stepping out of the box on this one.

It's probably best to leave alone the comparisons of today versus yesterday.

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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