NBA legend and basketball Hall of Famer Julius Erving thinks players today are a bit privileged that they have grown “softer” compared to the players of his era and before that.
In a recent appearance on “Nothing Personal with David Samson,” Erving opened up about his experience as a pro in the NBA, noting that they didn't have the benefits that players are enjoying today. Specifically, he highlighted how they had to fly commercial during games and even share room with other teammates during road games.
“That was the good old days, it kept the humility intact,” Julius Erving said, per CBS Sports. “You felt honored to be a professional athlete and not privileged, because there was just some things you just had to suck it up and go do. We depended a lot on our trainers and equipment managers and what have you to move the franchise from city to city, and you always had to catch the first flight out the next morning so we didn't have a lot of the conveniences they have today, but that's okay. I think it's made some of the players a little softer than the '70s, '80s, '60s and '50s players, but there's fan appreciation for the softness and the finesse and it is what it is.”
Dr. J dominated the NBA back in the '70s and '80s, way before the league grew in popularity behind the ascension of Michael Jordan and wider global coverage of the game. With that said, the league didn't have the money back then compared today where franchises are raking in hundreds of millions of dollars.
Of course players can't be blamed for that. The NBA playing style has also been revolutionized to involve more shooting compared to the previous eras where physicality and dominance in the paint were of more importance. Not to mention the several rule changes that seem to promote less physicality and more skills.
At the end of the day, it's just difficult to compare various eras in the NBA given how things have changed–on and off the court.
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