Is the NBA at its Best Right Now?

There is always a debate on which decade of NBA basketball is the best. For most, they would immediately point to the 90's calling it the golden age of basketball. The league was filled with stars from Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, and so much more. There are too many names to list. In the 90's there were also newcomers such as Jason Kidd, Shaq, and Grant Hill were all emerging as stars. And then, late in the decade, fans were welcomed with one of the best draft classes of all time with Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant being the two top names associated with the 1996 draft.

For some folks, the 80's were the best decade in basketball. The rivalry between the Celtics and Lakers was renewed with new faces leading the teams. Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson was always the talk surrounding the NBA. Throughout the 80's and especially the 1984 draft fans were introduced to young players who would become the future stars of the league. The 80's were also Julius "Dr. J" Erving's final seasons in the NBA. A passing of the torch from one of the most iconic basketball figures ever.

If you are old enough or have grandparents who loved basketball, the 70's might be their favorite decade of basketball. Dr. J was the face of the ABA and was a polarizing figure in that league. In the NBA players such as Lew Alcindor (A.K.A. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Bob McAdoo, Elvin Hayes, and much more were setting the league on fire. It is crazy to think at one point in this country there were two big professional basketball leagues. The merger mid-way through the decade would bring over some rules from the ABA into the NBA. The most relevant one being the three point line.

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All this leads to today. The NBA is having the most commercial success the league has ever seen before. TV ratings are up, the league is making a lot of money, records are being broken each year, and there is an endless amount of talent. For all these reasons people debate that the NBA is at its best right now.

Now there is a reason why the word debate is in the title. There is no clear answer as to if the NBA is at its best. Statistically, in terms of money, performance, and player performance the league has never been healthier. Then again each decade was different. The NBA never had as much coverage as it does today mostly due to the technology that is available now. It is also unfair to compare decades to each other because each decade is different. Older rules may affect how well current players perform or new rules may hinder players of past generations. Also, we will never be able to see players from one decade play players from another.

The short answer is, yes the NBA has never been more successful. As always comparing players from one decade to another is just not feasible. It is all speculation and a matter of opinion. The best thing to do is just enjoy what these players are accomplishing right now.