http://www.complex.com/sports/2013/05/20-reasons-why-the-nba-was-better-in-the-90s/

This probably comes to a shock to you young fans but there was a time—before press conference fashion shows, Twitter groupies, and flopping big men—when the NBA was about basketball. There was no “search for the next Michael Jordan” because homie was rattling backboards on the nightly. The Heat’s “Big Three” was Tim Hardaway, Alonzo Mourning, and "Thunder" Dan Majerle. And we didn’t have to talk **** because our And1 T-shirts did it for us. So, grab a pencil and take notes young’n as we school you on 20 Reasons the NBA Was Better in the 90’s.

The 80's and 90's were good decades for the NBA. I miss those days. Back then there was a lot of good teams and it's not like that anymore. I remember when the east had a lot of good teams and now there's about maybe 4 good teams in the east. I miss the former players like Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Mark Price, Ron Harper, Brad Daugherty, Larry Nance, Reggie Miller, Akeem Olajuwon, Karl Malone, David Robinson, Shawn Kemp, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Clyde Drexler, Kevin Johnson, Tim Hardaway, Larry Johnson, Derrick Coleman, Alonzo Mourning.

I agree with you, Isaiah! Even though most of those players you named didn't win rings, but many of them played with heart (derrick Coleman?) but anyway, defense was better back then, they had star power and it was better on NBC. Loved the theme song and the triple headers. I also loved NBA inside stuff on saturday mornings.

many of today's players do not match up. they lack heart, charisma, and it's just watered down. It's stinks on ABC. I'm sorry to dwell in the past, but I just know my basketball.

I agree with you, Isaiah! Even though most of those players you named didn't win rings, but many of them played with heart (derrick Coleman?) but anyway, defense was better back then, they had star power and it was better on NBC. Loved the theme song and the triple headers. I also loved NBA inside stuff on saturday mornings.

many of today's players do not match up. they lack heart, charisma, and it's just watered down. It's stinks on ABC. I'm sorry to dwell in the past, but I just know my basketball.

Ever since Disney bought abc/ESPN, it has gotten TERRIBLE and yes, NBC will ALWAYS be better than abc/ESPN

and BTW, did you know that the theme to the NBA on NBC was composed by John Tesh of Entertainment Tonight Fame?

and also, I might do a topic on the NBA on NBC

and plus, TNT and NBC has BETTER commentators than abc/ESPN

Most of them STINK and ESPN gets too nitpicky when it comes to the NBA always talkin' about Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, they ought to give credit to the likes of the Chicago Bulls and Tim Duncan and the Spurs and I also get SICK and TIRED of hearing about Dwight Howard all the time, too

The 80's and 90's were good decades for the NBA. I miss those days. Back then there was a lot of good teams and it's not like that anymore. I remember when the east had a lot of good teams and now there's about maybe 4 good teams in the east. I miss the former players like Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Mark Price, Ron Harper, Brad Daugherty, Larry Nance, Reggie Miller, Akeem Olajuwon, Karl Malone, David Robinson, Shawn Kemp, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Clyde Drexler, Kevin Johnson, Tim Hardaway, Larry Johnson, Derrick Coleman, Alonzo Mourning.

Interesting you had Mark Price, Brad Daughtery, and Larry nance who were on the Cavs. I made an article about The Cavs during the Orange and Blue Years.

Another thing, though The Bulls were the team that had the advantage...at least there were teams that had some competition, the Cvas were one of them...now we only have The Heat that has nothing but self-centered players and are a powerhouse!

its nice

The 80s and 90s were both better than the current NBA... and the 80s were better than the 90s. Nothing since has come close to L.A/Boston during that period... Bird/Magic McHale, Parrish, Dennis Johnson, Bill Walton (for 1 year), James Worthy, Jamaal Wilkes, Bob McAdoo, Kareem... all HOFers...

Oh, and CBS (80s) was WAY better than NBC when it came to broadcasting the NBA. NBC started the downward spiral. No question ABC during the 2000s was the worst, they still don't know how to broadcast an NBA game. All they care about is stupid camera angles and mic'ing the stupid coaches... oooo, we really learn a lot from that! :rolleyes:

Yeah the Lakers and Celtics finals series in the 80's were classic. Magic vs Bird was legendary. I never saw their finals series because i was a kid when they played those series and i didn't start watching basketball until 1987. I miss the Bulls and Pistons rivalries in the 80's. Those games were very aggressive because the Pistons used to beat up on Michael Jordan and his teammates. Bulls finally beat them in 1991 after losing to them for 3 straight years from 1988-1990. Detroit players walked off the court early in the 4th quarter without shaking the Bulls players hands and that was immature because it was alright as long as Detroit was beating them hahahahahahaha.


I used to be a Pistons fan because i liked Isiah Thomas(my username on here is named after him because he was one of my favorite players)and Joe Dumars but i didn't like the way their teammates beat up on their opponents. Joe Dumars was the only player on the Pistons team who had class because he shook the Bulls players hands after the last game in 1991 of their playoff series. I think John Salley also shook the Bulls players hands. It's funny how Dennis Rodman ended up on the Bulls since he used to beat up on the Bulls players especially Scottie Pippen. I also liked the Bulls and Knicks playoff rivalries in the 90's and i liked the Bulls and Cavs playoff rivalries in the 80's. When Michael Jordan hit the game winner on Craig Ehlo in 1988, i was upset because that was the year Cleveland was supposed to win it all because they had the best record in the east and Magic Johnson picked the Cavs to go to the finals. Cavs had a good team that year and i liked the players they had such as Ron Harper(i will never get over Cleveland trading him), Mark Price, Brad Daugherty, Larry Nance, John(Hot Rod)Williams.

I agree with you guys 80s and 90s were better in the NBA and all other sports leagues too!

The Sixers vs. the Lakers was one of the best NBA finals ever. Dr.J's first and only NBA title!

Ever since Disney bought abc/ESPN, it has gotten TERRIBLE and yes, NBC will ALWAYS be better than abc/ESPN

and BTW, did you know that the theme to the NBA on NBC was composed by John Tesh of Entertainment Tonight Fame?

and also, I might do a topic on the NBA on NBC

and plus, TNT and NBC has BETTER commentators than abc/ESPN

Most of them STINK and ESPN gets too nitpicky when it comes to the NBA always talkin' about Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, they ought to give credit to the likes of the Chicago Bulls and Tim Duncan and the Spurs and I also get SICK and TIRED of hearing about Dwight Howard all the time, too

The ABCs of ruining the NBA, Part 1. (http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2007/01/abcs-of-ruining-nba-part-1/)

The ABCs of ruining the NBA, Part II (http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2007/01/abcs-of-ruining-nba-part-ii/)

1/30/11: The NBA On ABC Sucks (http://nba247365.com/?p=1195)

Guest Column: Why ESPN’s NBA Coverage is Second-Best…and How To Fix It (http://fangsbites.com/2012/06/guest-column-why-espns-nba-coverage-is-second-bestand-how-to-fix-it/)

TNT puts ESPN’s NBA coverage to shame (http://www.lsureveille.com/sports/men_basketball/article_c4abec6a-abc1-11e2-bc38-001a4bcf6878.html)

Better NBA Product: TNT or ESPN? (http://www.thebiglead.com/index.php/2010/11/23/better-nba-product-tnt-or-espn/)

ESPN's NBA studio show can't compete with TNT crew as Magic Johnson only blowing stale air (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/espn-nba-studio-show-compete-tnt-crew-magic-johnson-blowing-stale-air-article-1.1092756)

NBA: TNT vs ESPN/ABC (http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/72344-nba-tnt-vs-espnabc/)

Amped up for NBA finals, but worried about ESPN-ABC coverage this week (http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-06-10/entertainment/bal-nba-finals-espn-abc-magic-johnson-mike-wilbon-20120610_1_espn-and-abc-chris-broussard-hype)

ESPN’s NBA coverage catching up to TNT, judging by survey (http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2010/11/20101122/Media/Espns-NBA-Coverage-Catching-Up-To-TNT-Judging-By-Survey.aspx)

ABC NBA coverage improving, but still lacking. (http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2008/03/abc-nba-coverage-improving-but-still/)

The NBA on ABC: My Issues (http://thepaintedarea.blogspot.com/2007/01/nba-on-abc-my-issues_116981979859675884.html)

Is anyone else disappointed with ABC/ESPN coverage (http://forums.lakersground.net/togo/thread.php?topic_id=60707)

NBA on ABC is terrible (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=265275)

That NBA on NBC theme song was cool eventhough Tesh isn't!

The ABCs of ruining the NBA, Part 1. (http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2007/01/abcs-of-ruining-nba-part-1/)

The ABCs of ruining the NBA, Part II (http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2007/01/abcs-of-ruining-nba-part-ii/)

1/30/11: The NBA On ABC Sucks (http://nba247365.com/?p=1195)

Guest Column: Why ESPN’s NBA Coverage is Second-Best…and How To Fix It (http://fangsbites.com/2012/06/guest-column-why-espns-nba-coverage-is-second-bestand-how-to-fix-it/)

TNT puts ESPN’s NBA coverage to shame (http://www.lsureveille.com/sports/men_basketball/article_c4abec6a-abc1-11e2-bc38-001a4bcf6878.html)

Better NBA Product: TNT or ESPN? (http://www.thebiglead.com/index.php/2010/11/23/better-nba-product-tnt-or-espn/)

ESPN's NBA studio show can't compete with TNT crew as Magic Johnson only blowing stale air (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/espn-nba-studio-show-compete-tnt-crew-magic-johnson-blowing-stale-air-article-1.1092756)

NBA: TNT vs ESPN/ABC (http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/72344-nba-tnt-vs-espnabc/)

Amped up for NBA finals, but worried about ESPN-ABC coverage this week (http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-06-10/entertainment/bal-nba-finals-espn-abc-magic-johnson-mike-wilbon-20120610_1_espn-and-abc-chris-broussard-hype)

ESPN’s NBA coverage catching up to TNT, judging by survey (http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2010/11/20101122/Media/Espns-NBA-Coverage-Catching-Up-To-TNT-Judging-By-Survey.aspx)

ABC NBA coverage improving, but still lacking. (http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2008/03/abc-nba-coverage-improving-but-still/)

The NBA on ABC: My Issues (http://thepaintedarea.blogspot.com/2007/01/nba-on-abc-my-issues_116981979859675884.html)

Is anyone else disappointed with ABC/ESPN coverage (http://forums.lakersground.net/togo/thread.php?topic_id=60707)

NBA on ABC is terrible (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=265275)

My brand new Facebook page:
ABC and ESPN Can't Broadcast the NBA Correctly (https://www.facebook.com/pages/ABC-and-ESPN-Cant-Broadcast-the-NBA-Correctly/275212645955693)

I agree with everyone on here that NBA was better the NBA was better in the 80s ' 90s them it is now, Players then played with Charisma and because they loved the game, now most players have a big Ego and a chip on their shoulders. Also back then you had 7, 8 maybe even 10 teams that were good every year and now it only 2, 3, 4 or 5 teams every year.

Yeah the Lakers and Celtics finals series in the 80's were classic. Magic vs Bird was legendary. I never saw their finals series because i was a kid when they played those series and i didn't start watching basketball until 1987. I miss the Bulls and Pistons rivalries in the 80's. Those games were very aggressive because the Pistons used to beat up on Michael Jordan and his teammates. Bulls finally beat them in 1991 after losing to them for 3 straight years from 1988-1990. Detroit players walked off the court early in the 4th quarter without shaking the Bulls players hands and that was immature because it was alright as long as Detroit was beating them hahahahahahaha.


I used to be a Pistons fan because i liked Isiah Thomas(my username on here is named after him because he was one of my favorite players)and Joe Dumars but i didn't like the way their teammates beat up on their opponents. Joe Dumars was the only player on the Pistons team who had class because he shook the Bulls players hands after the last game in 1991 of their playoff series. I think John Salley also shook the Bulls players hands. It's funny how Dennis Rodman ended up on the Bulls since he used to beat up on the Bulls players especially Scottie Pippen. I also liked the Bulls and Knicks playoff rivalries in the 90's and i liked the Bulls and Cavs playoff rivalries in the 80's. When Michael Jordan hit the game winner on Craig Ehlo in 1988, i was upset because that was the year Cleveland was supposed to win it all because they had the best record in the east and Magic Johnson picked the Cavs to go to the finals. Cavs had a good team that year and i liked the players they had such as Ron Harper(i will never get over Cleveland trading him), Mark Price, Brad Daugherty, Larry Nance, John(Hot Rod)Williams.

Yes, the Pistons used to handle the Bulls pretty well in the mid-late 80s... the guy they really used to beat up (literally) was Scottie Pippen. They knew that at that time, Pippen could be intimidated by physical play, and they were so right. But just as you could see the Pistons getting better and better each year (even though the Celtics ruled most of the 80s), you could also see the Bulls getting better each year, as Pippen became more mentally tough.

I loved Joe Dumars as a player, and as a person. Pure class, all the way. And while I didn't like the bad-boy Piston teams, I had a lot of respect for them, just as I had a lot of respect for the Bird-led Celtics . I was a Laker fan, and you knew you had to play great basketball to beat those Piston and Celtic teams.

I remember hearing about Isaiah Thomas when he was in high school, and hearing people like Hubie Brown saying that he was probably the first HS guard who actually could have gone to the NBA and made it. When we heard he was going to Indiana, we were excited because we knew we'd get to see him on TV every now and then.

And yeah, I liked those Cav teams with Daugherty, Nance, Harper and those guys. Fun team to watch.

I also think that ABC should actually show games. I mean ESPN shows more games than ABC and I think thats a problem. The Finals are on ABC and thats were a lot of the games should be on. NBC showed the NBA Playoffs including the Finals so did CBS. ABC shows maybe a half a dozen games on ABC before the Finals. They regulate everything else to ESPN.

Also, the staggering start times and the fact they dont have tripleheaders on ABC like NBC used to do has something to do with it as well.

My brand new Facebook page:
ABC and ESPN Can't Broadcast the NBA Correctly (https://www.facebook.com/pages/ABC-and-ESPN-Cant-Broadcast-the-NBA-Correctly/275212645955693)

Thanks for posting those links! I've just had time this morning to check out the first two, looks like good stuff. ha ha the articles even mention the stupid camera angles ABC uses, just like I posted earlier...

Well I didn't watch much NBA on CBS, but I do watch the highlights on YouTube and CBS Sports Network, but I do LOVE the NBA on NBC from 1990-2002

and yes, back in the 90's up to 2002, the NBA on NBC is what got me PUMPED UP and FIRED UP for an NBA Game

I mean, you had all the names that isiahthomas has listed and I also want to add Tim Duncan as well and don't forget about Chris Mullin and Xavier McDaniel

and plus, the NBA on NBC had better commentators than the ones on abc/ESPN today

People like the legendary Marv Albert, Mike Fratello, Bob Costas (before he became a you know what), Doug Collins, Ahmad Rashad, Hannah Storm (before she went to CBS and ESPN Sportscenter), Summer Sanders (before she went to FSN) and Magic Johnson (after he retired from the NBA Court)

and plus, the theme to the NBA on NBC which is called Roundball Rock which is performed by John Tesh of Entertainment Tonight Fame is IMO, THE Best NBA Theme EVER

I like what Marv Albert always says:

"Jordan...OH, A Spectacular Move by Michael Jordan!"

"There's Paxton for 3...YES!"

"Drexler...with a Tip by Olajuwan!"

There's no NBA player named Mitch Hill. You're talking about former player Mitch Richmond. Mitch Richmond was very good when he played with Golden State and Sacramento.

There's no NBA player named Mitch Hill. You're talking about former player Mitch Richmond. Mitch Richmond was very good when he played with Golden State and Sacramento.

My mistake, I changed it, yes, I do remember Mitch Richmond, but I meant to say Chris Mullin from the Golden State Warriors

I changed it though, I remember the face

Thanks for the correction