Generational Bias

Something about the NBA from the late 2000s and the early 2010s invokes such profound feelings of nostalgia within me. In my opinion, the modern NBA lives in the enormous shadow of the former NBA. Sure, I approve of and respect the current commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver. That said, the era of David Stern is uniquely memorable for me. As a result of boredom and a general lack of access to cable television, I essentially stopped watching sports around the year 2016. And when I've tried to watch the NBA today (featuring players like James Harden, LeBron James, and Luka Doncic), I am immediately discouraged (and disgusted) by the endless antics. I see a great abundance of intentional foul drawing and a severe shortage of diligent defense. The combination of these two phenomena yield a framework for low-grade, predictable entertainment. I don't know if it was the athleticism, the aura, the effort, the explosiveness, the passion, the X factor, or all of the above aspects. But nothing can compare to watching players like Derrick Rose, Kobe Bryant, and Russell Westbrook live from 2008-2012.