NBA: What it is now to what is was then

I gave up watching the NBA back in the 2000-2001 season. Maybe its because my Knicks are awful, but maybe its because the game is not what it used to be.

My favorite years was the late 90's. Jordan, Miller, Malone, Stockton, Ewing, Starks, Mourning, Hardaway, Olajuwon, Pippen, Rodman to name a few. These were players that were both excited and frustrated me. Obviously we know Ewing and Starks got me excited. The other players were frustrating by knocking the Knicks out of the playoffs all of the time. But I still liked the way they played.

But it seemed like the players had more emotion and more heart for the game back then. Now it seems players are just in it for the money. And to show them selves off. What happened to the game I once loved to watch?

Back then, if you shot the ball, you actually went for your rebound if you missed. Now players just run back to play defense. A ton of teams now can't score 80 pts and I bet even some NCAA teams can beat them. Big point scorers are gone. Loyalty from a player to his team was always there. No big name players left for more money to another team. They stayed put.

So called rivalry teams are not existent anymore. If anyone remembers the Knicks and Heat in the playoff in the late 90's...wow...now thats basketball. They fought (and really fought) it out on the court. Each possession mattered. You passed the ball and got it to the open player. You could feel the heart, emotion and hard work pay off as each player put in 100 % effort. Today's NBA just doesn't have that.

I have tried watching today's NBA multiple times. I get bored. Maybe I am wrong and maybe I am missing something, but the game is so much more different now. Let me know how you feel about today's game compared to then.