“The Last Dance” has led to more cross-generational basketball debates at once than ever before. (Also doesn’t help there’s no live basketball being played due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.)
The latest chapter in the neverending debate involves ESPN’s Michael Wilbon, who covered Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls plenty during his time as a columnist for the Washington Post.
On Friday, Wilbon made a declaration on ESPN’s “Get Up” about the 80s and 90s that involved a certain Brooklyn Nets forward:
There’s no one now who would’ve dominated the 80s and the 90s. No one. Not even as great as KD (Kevin Durant) and LeBron [James] are, they wouldn’t have dominated [Isiah Thomas’] Pistons, Michael’s Bulls, the Celtics, the Lakers, they’re not dominating anybody back then; athleticism, evolution or not.
Mike Wilbon says KD and LeBron wouldn’t dominate the 80s and 90s
"There's no one now who would have dominated the 80's and the 90's.”
(🎥 @GetUpESPN ) pic.twitter.com/hXFUPmXY4k
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) May 1, 2020
Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie doesn’t agree with Wilbon’s take:
These dudes are high. Basketball just like everything else follows a path of evolution. Nobody [average] 50 in today’s NBA. If anybody was gonna do it KD would’ve.
After stating, “MJ had the best prime NBA years of all time,” Dinwiddie also added:
Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] is the basketball GOAT. But y’all thought MJ was a God in the 80’s/90’s because he was 6 [feet] 6 [inches] with a 40. I’m 6 [feet] 6 [inches] with a 40 in 2020 and y’all think I’m unathletic.
Dinwiddie’s mentions on Twitter probably won’t be favorable for the next day or so.