A New Golden Age In The NBA Is Upon Us

By Court Zierk @courtzierk on October 31, 2014

There are certain eras in every sport that fans look back upon with nostalgic bliss; that elicit the type of memories best reflected upon in an armchair with a bottle of your favorite beer in hand. The players that define that era are legendary, the teams that are dominant become etched in the fabric of history, and comparisons between eras become futile as your certainty over the supremacy of that era is unwavering.

For me, I look back upon the basketball played in the early to mid-’90s as the “golden age” of the NBA. When Michael Jordan was dominating the league. When Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing and Shaquille O’Neal were in their collective primes. When there were true rivalries that created a passionate dislike between teams, fans and cities alike. Nothing has even approached the level of talent that existed across the NBA during that era, until now.

It occurred to me as I was watching the opening night of the 2014-2015 NBA season that I was witnessing something truly special, something that we may not see again for another 20 years. Every team not named the Philadelphia 76ers is absolutely brimming with young talent, and even the 76ers have talent sitting in suits on the bench or playing ball in Europe. The superstars that we have become so familiar with are equally as transcendent as the endorsement giants of the ’90s. The equality of competition is at the highest it’s been in years, and not because it is watered down; because there are a lot of really good teams.

Competition

One thing that defined the 90’s was the sheer number of good players across the league, making for some incredibly tough competition and a fairly level playing field. Even though Jordan’s Chicago Bulls dominated the decade, competition for the crown was fierce year after year, and if it wasn’t for a once-in-a-lifetime talent on a uniquely talented team, we would have seen a variety of teams winning the final game of the season.

There is an argument to be made that competition is at an even higher level than it was in the ’90s. Last season, it took 49 wins to make it into the playoffs in the Western Conference. The highest number of wins an 8th seed team had in the ’90s was 44 by the 1996-1997 Washington Bullets, a team that consisted of Chris Webber, Juwan Howard and Rod Strickland, all in their primes.

Star Power

It is difficult to think back on the ’90s without thinking about some of the iconic commercials stemming from that era. Mr. Robinson’s neighborhood, Michael Jordan and Mars Blackmon’s “it’s gotta be the shoes”, Larry Johnson as Grandmama, Anfernee Hardaway’s Lil’ Penny. The star power in the ’90s was at an all-time high, and it made rooting for those guys really easy.

Fast forward to today, and there are arguably even more players that have that level of star power. LeBron James, James Harden, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant. These are only a few of the names that infiltrate our TV screens during every single commercial break. Without a doubt, the NBA boasts the most recognizable stars out of any of the four major sports.

Hall of Famers

More than 20 Hall of Famers played their basketball during the ’90s, not to mention the surefire players that will be inducted once eligible — Shaq, Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant. Eleven of those players were featured on the international stage as part of the initial Dream Team, inspiring a new generation of players from countries all over the globe.

Looking across the league today, there are at least as many players who will inevitably be inducted someday, barring any significant setbacks, and that doesn’t include players like Kyrie Irving, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook who will definitely make a strong case when their careers are over.

Physical basketball

The ’90s featured some of the most brutal, hard-nosed, physical basketball ever played. Altercations were almost a nightly occurrence between teams like the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers, who featured some of the most physically imposing players to ever lace up. Charles Oakley, Xavier McDaniel, Latrell Sprewell and Dennis Rodman were some of the grittiest players of their era, and probably the most physical players we will ever see.

The rules have changed significantly, in ways that have legislated a lot of the physicality out of the game, so it isn’t even possible to play the physical brand of basketball seen throughout the ’90s. That said, through the first few games of the season, I have seen more tempers flare up than usual, more hard fouls that lead to the exchange of verbal pleasantries, more natural opposition between big-time players than anytime since the ’90s.

Kobe and Dwight Howard have already ignited a fierce rivalry, following Howard’s elbow to Bryant’s face, and the ensuing exchange through the media. Kenneth Faried and Josh Smith are at each other’s throat following one of the more physical Denver Nuggets games I have seen recently. Hell, there was even an altercation in the preseason that led to multiple suspensions for the Washington Wizards, thank you Paul Pierce.

It may not be the all-out slugfest that it used to be, but we are certainly seeing some high tension early on in this season, and I doubt that it will slow down given the incredibly competitive nature of today’s players and the evenness of the competition in general.

Conclusion

Sometimes, when we are in the midst of something great, we are unaware of how special what we are witnessing truly is. It is easy to take for granted what has become the new normal in the NBA, to overlook how truly amazing of an athlete LeBron really is, or how exciting the prospect of a decade-long run of dominance by Anthony Davis is. It is easy to forget how amazing the San Antonio Spurs are, or how fun it will be to watch the Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers duke it out this season.

So, as you watch the NBA this season, try to savor every moment. Take in the greatness of Griffin and Paul, appreciate the ease with which Carmelo Anthony scores the basketball. Trust me, you will be glad you did.

Court Zierk is a Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @CourtZierk, “Like” him on Facebook or add him on Google.