Anthony Edwards makes controversial statement on past NBA eras

In the history of NBA basketball, there have been endless individual talents bringing countless skillsets and their personal areas of expertise to the game. These players are not isolated to one era, but they have always existed since the inception of the league in 1947, far before the Minnesota Timberwolves came into being.

Yes, counter to what a certain sect of modern media might tell you, there have always been talented and skilled players in this league. After studying the history of the game, it is clear to see how many unique individuals have impacted the game in their own way, altering the course of hoops history in the process.

Now, does every basketball fan need to be a big history buff? Not necessarily. But to ignore history altogether is a different story. Doing so can lead you to making somewhat questionable statements like the one Anthony Edwards recently made in speaking with the Wall Street Journal.

Edwards: No one was skilled in Michael Jordan's era

When asked about how the modern era of basketball differs from past eras, Edwards had plenty to say. "I didn't watch it back in the day, so I can’t speak on it," he said. "They say it was tougher back then than it is now, but I don't think anybody had skill back then. [Michael Jordan] was the only one that really had skill, you know what I mean? So that’s why when they saw Kobe [Bryant], they were like, 'Oh, my God.' But now everybody has skill."

Now, we can argue that players today are *more* skilled now than they were 50 years ago. The introduction of stringent training routines, modern workout facilities and resources in conjunction with top-of-the-line dieting will naturally produce that kind of outcome. But to say players of the past had no skill at all is simply not true.

It is certainly generally accepted that Michael Jordan was the most dominant player of a generation, if not the best of all-time. But the fact that he was so far above his peers should not serve to diminish his competition or the league from that time as a whole.

These kinds of takes are increasingly popular from a younger generation of fans, and I believe it is important that the NBA community question the legitimacy of such controversial claims. Whether one era was better or more talented than another will always be debatable, but tearing down one player or era to build another up is not how we should want to see the popularity of the sport grow.