The game of basketball has come a long way. The NBA has changed a lot throughout the years, from the rules, the stars, and the way the game is played as a whole. If you don't agree, just take a look at Stephen Curry and the 2018 Golden State Warriors.
We don't think that's a bad thing at all. On the contrary, it's great to see how much the game has evolved through time. And, even if some may like old-school basketball the most, today's NBA is still pretty enjoyable.
Even so, given the way the game is played nowadays, some old-school players believe that they would completely own today's stars. That's the case with Knicks legend Patrick Ewing, who recently said that he could be as dominant as Michael Jordan.
Patrick Ewing Says He'd Be As Dominant As Michael Jordan If He Played Today
"There's not that many great centers. I'd be Michael Jordan in this era. It's definitely changed, the way that teams play, the way that everybody spreads the floor. Most big guys, instead of posting up, they want to get out and shoot 3s," Ewing said, as quoted by Statline.
Ewing was a force on both ends of the glass, averaging 21.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game on 50.4% shooting. So, he could definitely stand his ground against today's bigs. As for being as good as Jordan, we're not so sure.
Michael Jordan Still Trash-Talks Patrick Ewing
Ewing sure knows one thing or two about Michael Jordan. Besides being one of his fiercest rivals since high school, Jordan was the most successful player in the league during Ewing's prime. Up to this day, he still makes fun of him for never winning a ring:
“You know it’s funny, Michael and I are very good friends," Ewing told ESPN. "As a matter of fact, he was the one who got me into coaching. He started my coaching by giving me an opportunity here with the Wizards. But back then, we have known each other from high school. But we had some remarkable, great battles and the crazy thing is, he talks so much trash that even today he lets me know that I was never able to beat his team.”
“It was like, ‘The only time you beat the Bulls was the year that I retired’. If it wasn’t for him and his team, I might have been able to possibly have an opportunity to win one, maybe two rings. But he was just so dominant and such a great competitor, that it wasn’t in the cards for me," he added.
Ewing is a Hall of Famer for plenty of reasons. He's one of the best players of all time and no one can take that away from him. But maybe saying that he would be as good as Jordan is a bit of a reach.
