Lakers: Kevin Garnett pleads with fans to start appreciating LeBron James and other superstars instead of focusing on the past

NBA legend Kevin Garnett believes the basketball world needs to live in the present and not focus on the past.

In a conversation with sports analyst Stephen A. Smith, Garnett passionately explained that people “miss out on greatness” by recalling past legends instead of appreciating what the NBA currently has to offer.

He pointed to Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry and San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama as a few examples of modern greats.

“I think the problem today is we get so caught up in the culture and the history that built the league yesterday, man, that we miss the greatness that’s right in front of us,” he said. “LeBron James is 38 years old and doing things we’ve never seen before. We got a 7-foot-6 French guy in the damn league. He’s a rookie who looks like a two-year-old At three, he looks like a guard. …Listen, if we told Wilt Chamberlain that a 6-foot-10 power forward playing center and jumping this high is the best, He’s rolling over his grave now.”

Garnett cut himself off before he could finish his last sentence, but he seemed to be referring to Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic, who many consider to be the best player in the NBA today.

“Man, we gotta get out of it, man,” he continued. “Man, we gotta get out of here. You know why, Steve? I say this, man, I’ll say this. I’ll say this to the world. I’m glad we’re here. But we gotta get over it This. Michael Jordan, Magic (Johnson), they’re a thing of the past. We have to accept this new thing. Man, we haven’t seen Steph Curry. We’ve never seen anyone like Steph Curry. Man, Steph Curry shot from Mars. We talk about Jerry West all the time. Hats off to Jerry West, he was a super thug and did great things for the league, but yeah, We’re in a new era, man. “Jerry West has never seen this type of range. “

Garnett’s career began in the 1995-96 season and lasted through the 2015-16 season. He has played in the NBA for 21 years and has experienced many eras, so he is fully qualified to talk about such topics.

While some believe the NBA has gotten weaker and gotten worse over the years, others believe the league has never been more talented.

James is undoubtedly the epitome of modern NBA greatness. The future Hall of Famer turns 39 next month, but is still averaging 25.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.7 assists in his 21st season.

At the same time, players like Wembanya represent how bright the future of the league is, and the vast difference between superstars like Jokic and Curry shows how today’s game allows many types of Players succeed.

Instead, some will always prefer past NBA legends like Jordan, Chamberlain, Johnson and West, who all played during the NBA era and are barely recognizable to many modern basketball fans.