Stephen A. & JJ Redick GO AT IT debating whether the NBA has turned soft 🗣 | First Take
Stephen A. Smith, JJ Redick and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo discuss Draymond Green questioning 80s and 90s players who say the league has lost its toughness.
#FirstTake #NBA
☑️ Subscribe to ESPN+: https://plus.espn.com/
📱Get the ESPN App: http://www.espn.com/espn/apps/espn
🏀 Subscribe to NBA on ESPN on YouTube: http://bit.ly/2yxs3Og
☑️Subscribe to ESPN on YouTube: http://es.pn/SUBSCRIBEtoYOUTUBE
☑️Watch ESPN on YouTube TV: http://es.pn/YouTubeTV
Rockyyz
June 8, 2022 at 7:40 pm
I’m kinda disappointed in JJ. Even tho the players are way more physically and skilfully advanced today the game itself is clearly not as physical on top of ticky tack touch files. I think he a lil sensitive cause it includes his era. There’s no denying the rules are more catered to the offensive players nowadays tho. Offense sells it is what it is.
SPACE GHOST
June 8, 2022 at 11:49 pm
Exactly it is what it is, the rules should be catered to the offensive players it makes for a much more sellable product. Nobody wants to watch a 75-83 basketball game. Let’s stop blaming the players as if they were writing letters to David Stern at 5 years old so that the rules were changed by the time they made it to the league. It’s not their fault.
Raymond Adorno
June 8, 2022 at 7:41 pm
The defensive rules have made the game soft. And the big man has decided to be less physical and be a shooting guard instead of being in the paint.
dbreiden83080
June 9, 2022 at 2:43 am
What you are not addressing or maybe you don’t understand is that the defenseive rules were changed because the fans wanted them to be changed. Fans were sick and tired of watching NBA playoff games with the final score of 77 to 75. They wanted the players to score points.
PontesDeLeon
June 8, 2022 at 7:43 pm
JJ says you can’t bring up that Boston team but loves bringing up how Jordan couldn’t beat that team by himself in a 5 game series 🤡🤡🤡
900evan CHARLOTTE
June 8, 2022 at 7:48 pm
Draymond green cannot match up with any star PF from the 80s 90s
ubadman1
June 8, 2022 at 8:06 pm
Green is one of the best defenders ever. Who couldn’t he gaurd in the 80s or slow paced 90s?
Jaquantavius
June 8, 2022 at 7:55 pm
Stephen A already interrupting people. No wonder they keep Molly around
David Avila
June 8, 2022 at 8:09 pm
The nba is SOFT
Scott MichaelS
June 8, 2022 at 8:16 pm
Skip Bayless made people think that Steven A had great “takes” because Bayless’ were so off the walll. Steven, would say something ridiculous and Skip would say “hold my beer”! When he and Skip split up, he had someone who didn’t have all these batshit crazy takes named Max Kellerman. Steven A couldn’t handle be called out by Max, so Steven wanted him gone. Now he’s got JJ Reddick, who played the game that Steven A claims to know best. So when Reddick calls b.s. on Steven A, he’s got the receipts! JJ is Max Kellerman on steroids. It’ll be interesting to see what ESPN does because I’m sure Steven A is already calling for JJ’s job. I bet Steven is longing for the Skip Bayless days.🤣
NBA TALk
June 8, 2022 at 8:22 pm
JJ keep cookin!!!!!
Jye Murillo
June 8, 2022 at 8:48 pm
It’s nice to have Skip back with First Take. 👏🤔
blablablaa
June 8, 2022 at 8:50 pm
Dude they literally changed the rules to make the game more soft. You know how many modern day flagrants would be called in 90s basketball? AI would be going to the foul line 30 times a game. They literally wanted a more offensive higher scoring game so they can sell guys like Lebron and they changed the rules to make that happen and the game got soft with it. That’s why we have a regular season with 120-105 games every day and no one cares until the playoffs when players and refs let the game be aggressive again
blablablaa
June 8, 2022 at 8:53 pm
Steven A was super right here. Players aren’t softer but the game is because that’s how its officiated these days
MartyNextDoor
June 8, 2022 at 9:23 pm
And 90% of the league in the 70’s -80’s couldn’t play today.
99 THEGREAT
June 8, 2022 at 9:24 pm
Can we please have former players as ANALYSTS ONLY not journalists pls
Anthony Gonzalez
June 8, 2022 at 9:49 pm
Most of these players today are soft
Brandt Maxwell
June 8, 2022 at 10:33 pm
JJ just can’t face the facts. No players including Jordan complained about calls 1/10th as much as todays players
Jerrold Williams
June 8, 2022 at 11:03 pm
True Draymond Couldn’t play for those teams like Celtics,Pistons or Lakers of the 80s, too small. But, we pretending like Rick Mahorn, Kurt Rambis, even Robert Parrish could play in todays game?it’s a different sport. Imagine Lambeir attempting to guard on the perimeter 😂
Andres Velasco
June 8, 2022 at 11:19 pm
Chris Russo is the best thing on ESPN
AyoHop
June 8, 2022 at 11:26 pm
Stephen A is about to Max Kellerman JJ Reddick right off this show lol
Tommy Gunn
June 9, 2022 at 12:51 am
Send Mad Dog back to radio to cover baseball please.
joel concepcion
June 9, 2022 at 1:08 am
Yeah Stephen A is the worst, it’s good to see someone school him everyday on his own show
Denny Lam
June 9, 2022 at 1:21 am
It’s pretty ridiculous for Mad Dog to say that Draymond can’t play in the 80’s or 90’s. True he is no Rodman in terms of his rebounding, but Draymond can do just about everything else that Rodman can do. Also true he probably won’t be able to play for the 86′ Celtic’s, but he can replace the likes of Jerome Kersey, who was a pretty good player.
BUT equally ridiculous for Reddick to say that the current NBA player are more skilled. That’s simply not true. In fact Mad Dog is correct that the current NBA is less functionally sound than in the past. Case in point in this year’s finals and semi finals; even the top 4 teams of the year don’t have the ability to control or stop the momentum of the game. The best players of the game can stop a 20 pts run for the life of them. Can you imagine Isiah Thomas, Michael Jordan, Bird, Magic, Shag, Kobe, Hakeem, Barkley, Duncan, Malone and etc… letting their opponents go on a 20-0 run without responding. The OG’s have a much better understanding of the fundamentals of the game in order to allow that.
Stevencl12
June 9, 2022 at 1:25 am
I’m loving the New Media. These guys ( JJ Reddick, Draymond Green, CJ and other players killing the narratives that SAS, Skip, Rob Parker and other people have lied about the NBA eras
Elias
June 9, 2022 at 2:31 am
I don’t wanna name any names…
but the 76ers recently traded a guy who was too embarrassed about his jumper to suit up and play…
…and the 76ers more-recently traded a guy who was too embarrassed about not shooting to try to play again.
Some people call that soft.
But I don’t wanna name any names.
Roger Hurt
June 9, 2022 at 2:48 am
I don’t care if the players disagree & voice their opinion about calls. The thing that bugs me is when they essentially give up on the next play because they’re wasting time with the refs. Giving up on the play when you know the previous call aint changing is why the current players are viewed as soft & whiney. Jordan, Magic, etc complained, but they got back on defense, or got back into the next play more often than not.
RDLPunk14
June 9, 2022 at 2:53 am
I agree with JJ and Smith. Players aren’t soft but what Smith said the rules changed. I feel a lot of the change has a lot to do with the CTS and other injures that were either ignored or not looked at deeply.