Well this one should get the old-timers talking.
Golden State Warriors forward David West Is not only one of the oldest players in the NBA, he’s also typically seen as one of the toughest. The 36-year-old big man is in his 14th season, and most recently won the 2017 NBA championship with the warriors.
Speaking to on the Open Run podcast, West was Said he didn’t think that the NBA these days was soft, and in fact some of the tougher, strong big men who weren’t particularly skilled from generations past would not be able to cut it in today’s NBA.
Quotes via CSN Bay Area:
“I don’t think the game is soft,” West declared. “The rules have had to change to adjust to the physical nature of the players ... the game is so skilled now, you have to start asking the question: ‘Could guys of the past who were unskilled play in today’s NBA?’ I don’t think so.
“The role of just that guy who can just foul and hack and play physical -- there’s no space for you anymore in the NBA. You gotta be skilled.”
I think Steve Kerr said it best when he said, “Guys in the 50s would’ve destroyed everybody. It’s weird how human evolution goes in reverse in sports.”
Looks like Kerr and West are on the same page on this one.