This stuff never stops coming up. The question about how would some players today fare in the 1990's, or if guys now are soft. Just a few weeks ago, New York Knicks legend Charles Oakley made the hilarious, bonkers claim that Giannis Antetokounmpo wouldn't even start in his era. I guess Oak felt more comfortable with Charles Smith flanking him in the front court than he would have with Freak, oh well. Good luck beating Michael Jordan without Giannis, Oak! Let us know how that goes.

But it just feels like some retired player or another is always taking shots at this current generation, saying they're not as good. When so many of us who have seen both eras can clearly see an evolution in the game being played. Kevin Durant weighed in on the subject after Dallas Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie's walk off game winner buried the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.

With monster performances by Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 60 a couple nights ago, Kyrie Irving, who did the same in Orlando on Tuesday, Durant's own recent 53 point game, and some all around stellar play, Durant was asked to comment on where the league is right now.

“It's in a great place. Talking to people everyday about the game, having conversations about our game,” Durant said. “A lot of people wish they could go back to the '90's, early 2000's I guess, 'cause it was a little bit more physical, more fights, less technicals, not a lot of ejections. And that's cool, that's fine if you like that s–t,” the Nets star continued.

KD came into the league in 2007. Originally drafted by the Seattle Supersonics, he didn't play in the '90's or even the early 2000's. So it makes sense he would stand up for the next generation that he's a part of. You can read between the lines a little that the Nets star is saying “OK great, it was tougher and there were more fights, but were they straight up better and more skilled?”

On the other hand, KD doesn't seem like a guy who'd overtly disrespect David Robinson, Allen Iverson or Patrick Ewing, or Michael Jordan. On the contrary, he's given props to many of these guys just this year. Remember when Slim Reaper passed The Answer for all time career points back in Nov.?

Instead, he makes the case his generation learned from many of those legends and incorporated elements of their games.

“When you watch us now, you seeing big fellas, look at Joel Embiid, what he can do, [Karl-Anthony] Towns, what he can do, look at our guards in our league, we got a 6'7” point guard we just played against [Luka Dončić, who dropped 37 points, 9 assists, 9 rebounds, 1 block, 2 steals], you know what I mean? We got one on our team as well,” Durant said.

“So the talent and the skill level, it just evolved from what we've seen in the past,” the Nets star continued. “And we wouldn't be as good if it wasn't for us emulating and watching and trying to evolve what guys before us did. So it's just a cycle and next generations gonna add on to what we did and so on and so forth. That's why the game is so beautiful it's always evolving…. I'm just happy that I'm a part of it at this time.”

https://twitter.com/MavsNationCP/status/1504247109804908546?s=20&t=R4yxnM9joB0GfrEuo1JJ1Q

It's often an annoying subject to talk about. Some people think that the legends would demolish todays stars and it's disrespectful to suggest todays guys could ball out in prior eras. But we think Durant threaded the needle here where he's giving today's superstars credit where credit is due and bluntly saying yes, obviously the game has evolved. And that's natural. Like he says, his generation literally emulated the guys like A.I. So it makes sense some might add his long-cross over, and then a MJ pull up or a Dirk one-legged fadeaway, a Larry Bird step-back, a Kevin Johnson cross over or a Charles Barkley up and under.

The game is in good hands, and we're shaping up to have a blood bath of a playoff with all of this talent. And yes, Brooklyn Nets superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving would absolutely smash in the '90's also, if not more.