Rank The Eras

[swi7ch]

90s = best because that's the era the unanimous GOAT played in

[Nevaeh]

90s = best because that's the era the unanimous GOAT played in

90s was definitely the most popular. But best? From an overall B-ball standpoint? I don't think so. Big money kinda f@cked the game up for a while, with guys thinking they were great based more on their bank accounts than their actual game on the court.

[Money 23]

90s was definitely the most popular. But best? From an overall B-ball standpoint? I don't think so. Big money kinda f@cked the game up for a while, with guys thinking they were great based more on their bank accounts than their actual game on the court.

You're talking late 90's and all the money being spread around that MJ made for the league as a whole, which as you explained made many athletes complacent in their skills and abilities.

But surely you jest. From a Bball standpoint? The early to mid 90's was possibly the pinnacle of basketball, in my opinion. It has the fundamentals and skills / style of the 80's. Fused with new strategies and modern and more sophisticated team defensive approaches. Dominant big men still ruled the game, while dynamic wing and perimeter players were a plenty as well.

Modern athleticism was showcased quite a bit, but balanced out with role players with actual college basketball experience which made them smarter and more well rounded players with true niches in a team structue. Not so much uber versatile athletes, but better BASKETBALL players.

To me '89 - '95 was the right mix of pretty much all the positives from all the eras, with little of their weaknesses.

[97 bulls]

When you say the Bulls had a dominance no team has ever had before it seems to me you forgot the part where 1 team won 8 straight titles and 11 out of 13 neither which the Bulls did.

No I didn't. I think teams were more competitive in the modern era. The Bulls set single season records for wins, and differential. And they brought the game to a whole new level. Had Jordan not retired, the Bulls could've won 8 straight championships.

[97 bulls]

80's were the best decade, get over it and stop making ridiculous claims.

What ridiculous claims? There's nothing that makes the 80s better than another ddecade.

[Vertical-24]

- Early to mid-90s
- 00s - Present
- 80s
- 60s
- 70s
- 40s/50s

[andgar923]

I'd chop up the time frame a bit differently
1-88-97
2-08-present
3-60-72 (could cut it off around 69 too I guess)
4-78-87
5-98-07
6-73-77
Reasoning- 88-97 (especially the middle part of it around 90-95) had what was probably the largest number of true super stars in the league, and the distribution of talent was very even
08-present
similar to 88-97, but fewer true superstars, and the bottom 10-20% of the league is very very weak. However 80% of the league is probably more competitive then it has ever been. I don't remember teams like Phoenix or GS before they tanked ever being so far from the playoff race with a reasonable record.
60-72
Excluding the Celtics, the talent was pretty evenly distributed, and had plenty of top tier players.
78-87
Reasonably amounts of talent, but for the most part it was very unevenly distributed. Celtics, Lakers, 6ers and Pistons were the only teams with championship caliber for pretty much all the 80s.
98-07
No clue why, but there is a pretty clear drop in talent here.
73-77
ABA took away about half the NBA's all star caliber players, so it's clear why this era sucks.

This is closer to the truth.

We can't group an entire decade. Eras are usually divided into smaller timeframes and split up across decades, just like with music.

[andgar923]

You're talking late 90's and all the money being spread around that MJ made for the league as a whole, which as you explained made many athletes complacent in their skills and abilities.

But surely you jest. From a Bball standpoint? The early to mid 90's was possibly the pinnacle of basketball, in my opinion. It has the fundamentals and skills / style of the 80's. Fused with new strategies and modern and more sophisticated team defensive approaches. Dominant big men still ruled the game, while dynamic wing and perimeter players were a plenty as well.

Modern athleticism was showcased quite a bit, but balanced out with role players with actual college basketball experience which made them smarter and more well rounded players with true niches in a team structue. Not so much uber versatile athletes, but better BASKETBALL players.

To me '89 - '95 was the right mix of pretty much all the positives from all the eras, with little of their weaknesses.

This.

And you touched on the reasons why.

it was the combination of 80s style of play, teamwork, fundamentals, but with a more advanced defense and superior athletes on a broader scale.

Nutrition, training and technology were improved and resembled closer to what we have today.

[iamgine]

The more a single team dominates its peers, the less competitive the league is.

[Money 23]

The more a single team dominates its peers, the less competitive the league is.

That's not true at all ...

Miami will probably be headed to their third straight Finals this year.

Weak competitive league? Hardly.

2008 Boston Celtics, barring KG's injury in 2009 was basically competing for a ring every season for the past 4 years.

Lakers went to three straight Finals in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

[iamgine]

That's not true at all ...

Miami will probably be headed to their third straight Finals this year.

Weak competitive league? Hardly.

2008 Boston Celtics, barring KG's injury in 2009 was basically competing for a ring every season for the past 4 years.

Lakers went to three straight Finals in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Winning rings does not automatically equal domination.

[Money 23]

Winning rings does not automatically equal domination.

LOL ... then what is domination? Do explain.

[RaininTwos]

So many agendas

[nycelt84]

No I didn't. I think teams were more competitive in the modern era. The Bulls set single season records for wins, and differential. And they brought the game to a whole new level. Had Jordan not retired, the Bulls could've won 8 straight championships.

Thoughts and speculation. I don't care about could have won 8 straight because he didn't. Whether teams are or we're more competive is a thought. A team actually did win 8 straight and 11 out of 13, neither which has ever been approached since.

[AK47DR91]

Not saying you're wrong but do you mind explaining why you ranks the 00's over the 90's?

Of course a Celtics fan would not rank the 90's high.