3/15/24

Jay C. Brandriet

A bunch of “young fans” are attempting to shame a decade of hoops they didn’t see in real time.

Some are telling lies, because it’s natural to assume that what came before them was not as good.

Others are naive and trying to manipulate the G.O.A.T. debate.

The 1990s NBA bashing stops here!

MY OBJECTIVE POINT OF VIEW

My initial decade of enjoying the NBA was the 1980s.

That would make the 1990s the first time I’d seen a decade in its entirety.

The most basketball I’ve consumed was between 1999 and 2005.

The highest volume I’ve seen in person at the arena was the 2003 to 2010 window.

I still watch the game today.

The depth of star quality players has never been deeper.

Rules and styles change over time.

Let’s only focus on WHO played in the 90s.

MORE LEFT IN THE TANK

These men continued making an imprint in the 1990s.

MAGIC JOHNSON

LARRY BIRD

ISIAH THOMAS

JAMES WORTHY

KEVIN MCHALE

ROBERT PARISH

TOM CHAMBERS

MOSES MALONE

BERNARD KING

MARK AGUIRE

FAT LEVER

ROLANDO BLACKMAN

TERRY CUMMINGS

LARRY NANCE

BRAD DAUGHERTY

BUCK WILLIAMS

ALVIN ROBERTSON

BILL LAIMBEER

THE CAST THAT CARRIED THE LOAD

The elite players, combined with those that were on the court most during this stretch.

MICHAEL JORDAN

HAKEEM OLAJUWON

CHARLES BARKLEY

KARL MALONE

DAVID ROBINSON

JOHN STOCKTON

SHAQUILLE O’NEAL

CLYDE DREXLER

SCOTTIE PIPPEN

GARY PAYTON

PATRICK EWING

REGGIE MILLER

PENNY HARDAWAY

GRANT HILL

SHAWN KEMP

DIKEMBE MUTOMBO

CHRIS MULLIN

DOMINIQUE WILKINS

ALONZO MOURNING

DENNIS RODMAN

JOE DUMARS

JASON KIDD

TIM HARDAWAY

LARRY JOHNSON

MITCH RICHMOND

CHRIS WEBBER

KEVIN JOHNSON

MARK PRICE

GLEN RICE

HERSEY HAWKINS

JEFF HORNACEK

MID TO LATE ARRIVALS

This group came in mid-decade or later, but also put in legit work.

TIM DUNCAN

KEVIN GARNETT

(THE 1996 NBA DRAFT)

KOBE BRYANT

ALLEN IVERSON

STEVE NASH

RAY ALLEN

STEPHON MARBURY

JERMAINE O’NEAL

SHAREEF ABDUR-RAHIM

PEJA STOJAKOVIC

ANTOINE WALKER

MARCUS CAMBY

ZYDRUNAS ILGAUSKAS

BEN WALLACE

UNIQUE NAMES AND GAMES

A lot of stars are listed here as well.

MOOKIE BLAYLOCK

DETLEF SCHREMPF

HORACE GRANT

GLENN ROBINSON

EDDIE JONES

MICHAEL FINLEY

REGGIE LEWIS

DRAZEN PETROVIC

LATRELL SPREWELL

DERRICK COLEMAN

ANTHONY MASON

NICK VAN EXEL

RICKY PIERCE

SEAN ELLIOTT

JOHN STARKS

VIN BAKER

CLIFF ROBINSON

CEDRIC CEBALLOS

ARVYDAS SABONIS

STEVE SMITH

MARK JACKSON

KENNY ANDERSON

SAM CASSELL

RIK SMITS

DALE ELLIS

CHARLES OAKLEY

OTIS THORPE

VLADE DIVAC

TERRY PORTER

ALLAN HOUSTON

DANNY MANNING

JAMAL MASHBURN

DAN MAJERLE

TERRELL BRANDON

ROD STRICKLAND

JALEN ROSE

RON HARPER

XAIVER MCDANIEL

ANTONIO MCDYESS

JUWAN HOWARD

KEVIN WILLIS

MAHMOUD ABDUL-RAUF

TOM GUGLIOTTA

NOTE THESE NAMES WHO LIFTED OFF IN THE 90s

They may have only been here for a minute.

These pro journeys were all technically born in this era.

VINCE CARTER

PAUL PIERCE

TRACY MCGRADY

DIRK NOWITZKI

CHAUNCEY BILLUPS

RASHEED WALLACE

ANTAWN JAMISON

JASON WILLIAMS

CONCLUSION

Notice a lot of these players went on to compete well into the 2000s?

Careers are layered that way.

Put it in perspective.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were drafted, just three and half years after the 1990s ended.

Even LeBron battled against “90s players.”

So?

It wasn’t the 1890s.

In the not-too-distant future, fans will have to convince a new generation how amazing Giannis and Steph Curry were.

Have your opinions and tastes.

You can’t question an era that showed the world why it should love basketball.

Do you see the list of beasts I named?

Several were left off.

I do know this.

You’ll never rip on 1990s NBA again!

Jay C. Brandriet