Top 5 Star Players Who Would DOMINATE the 80s 

Who is the modern player that you think takes the biggest leap forward if you drop him in the 80s?

1st game against the pistons Joel would be out injured for the next 5 years

Embiid is constantly injured despite having access to the best sports medicine and playing in a league that doesn’t allow defenders to be physical. Now imagine him wearing converses and playing in a league that didn’t call flagrant fouls. Instead of getting free throws on almost every play he’d constantly be called for offensive fouls. If he can’t get past Al Horford and Robert Williams he won’t get past Kevin McHale and Robert Parish

Just looking at KD at 4:14 he takes three steps after his last dribble to get that layup, that's a traveling call right there.

7:32 Yeaaaah. And considering no 3 second rule, Wemby's throwing a block party.

I can agree with all 5. Embiid is iffy given how prone he is to injury, but that's hypothetical. I am curious how much damage Wemby could do as a blocker in that era as well. I'm seriously waiting to see if he starts competing with the great blockers like Hakeem, Mutumbo, Kareem and Mark Eaton.

Here are some of my issues with this list. Giannis would love the open court opportunities, but would be less effective in the half court due to congested lanes. Embiid and Jokic are currently at an advantage in this current league as teams aren't particularly geared to defend the big man as much as in the past and would meet more resistance in the paint than in the current league. As for Jokic and team play, he plays on a team that focuses on team play right now and that is why he is as impactful as he is. Issue is that he would likely be surrounded by less shooters, limiting his space and giving him tighter spaces to pass into. None of this is to say that these players wouldn't be very good in the 80s, but it may not be as seamless of a fit as it is being made out to be.

I honestly don't know if Giannis could deal with not being able to travel constantly and I like Giannis

Can u do a video of the reverse?

Dribbling would be a major issue for any star since the game today really diluted 😂😂😂

7-8 blocks per game average sounds soooooooo insane...lmfao... great video as always Sir Jonny

Why you gotta call that boy Fat by his government like that?

Man... you NAILED the comparisson about Alex English and KEVIN DURANT!!! Fun fact: same as KD I was born on september 29th as well...

Zion would be a beast in the 80’s, he’s like a bouncier, quicker, more powerful Barkley/Larry Johnson with handles. He’s always going for highlight blocks and steals. He’s made for the fast break and would be tearing down backwards before Shaq could force engineers to change how they were constructed. That is, if he could stay healthy and not get out of shape.

Just remembering FAT LEVER earns the LIKE on your video! Keep up your great work!!!

If derozan played in the 80s he would be the 3rd jordan copy

Love your picks, but the issue for Durant is that he would certainly be played as center in the 1980s ans asked to bulk up, he would not have started as a 2 or 3. Embiid with 80s' playing conditions healthwise, as well as the way it was played, would likely get hurt even more often.

I really enjoyed this video and would like to see some of nearly the opposite subject too Like which 80s legends style would struggle today and which of today's best players styles would struggle in the 80s.

I don't know that KD would be allowed to get in his bag like that in ages past-- a sentiment that KD agrees with, famously having listed himself as being shorter than he is in order to try to avoid being listed as a post player. I think the 80s would have been tough for KD, simply due to the culture.

I like these types of videos Shows that you're more level headed than most of the older fans and newer fans Fair on both sides

Great video, Jonny! The 80s is one of my favorite decades of NBA history to learn more about, so it was great getting to learn even more through your video today. I especially like how you showed examples of 80s players with similar styles, like Alex English and how he's similar to KD. I was initially surprised both to see Wemby and him being #1 on this list. However, your argument is solid and convincing. It's amazing how he's averaging 20-10-3.5 in less than 30 MPG. I agree that he would bring excellent shot blocking. I agree also that his handles and vision would be great assets also. One concern that I do have though is how he would fare against the more physical defense. As you mentioned with Giannis, the flagrant foul wasn't introduced yet and I'm sure Wemby would be fouled hard. He's a good free throw shooter, but I wonder how much his body (especially given how he's 7'4 and how other players who were so tall, like Yao Ming, had career-hampering injuries) could take hard fouls if he were to play in the 80s. Still, you make a solid case and I think it would've been fun to see Wemby play then. Have a wonderful weekend :). Take care.

I do think Wemby would have had more blocks in the 80's, but people misunderstand the numbers. Yes 3 pointers are up, but so are shots at the basket. It's the midrange shot which has vanished. Now that said, Wemby blocks a fair share of mid range jumpers too, lol

Wemby is basically a healty and young Arvydas Sabonis! He would be insane in the 80's

I just noticed hoopers Wemby blocked in this rookie season, SGA, KD, BOOKER, GIANNIS, LBJ ... 🤯 Just from this short unrelated video

Jonny I think that this video could benefit a lot if you analise non star players, because most of star players would be insanely good in any era, and role players or above average players could benefit more in a more specific context. I really like your channel, grettings from Spain

Demar would go hard in the 80s with all the middies tho

You the real goat

Most great players would still be great in any era. It would be very interested to see a list of good players today who would not do so well in the 80s

I was worried who you were going to pick, but that was a good 5 players who would translate to a different era. I think the most difficult hump to get over would be health. I don’t know how well Embiid would hold up in a more physical era when he’s already often injured in this era. But that aside, he would fit right in with those great Centers in the 80’s. Plus he’d get much more appreciation for his defense because there was a heavier emphasis on defense. I think it’s a little premature on Wembanyana, only because we just don’t know if his body will hold up. History is against him and he looks like he lands awkwardly when he jumps. Outside of that, there is a bit of a nostalgic feel about Wembanyama’s game. I hope he’s able to stay healthy because I’d love to see how his game blossoms. Great stuff as always Jonny! 👍🏻🇺🇸

Great video, I agree with your picks! Wemby in particular looks a lot like Kareem, if he can stay heatly and become bigger I think we will be looking to one of the best 3 or 4 centers of all time! I love Giannis, but I'm so glad you talked about the travelling as it's become a plague these days and if it's true the referees in the 80s and 90s use to look the other way some times when some superstars like MJ did something (like some offensive fouls or maybe some fouls against defenders which were almost no fouls at all) but still carrying and travels in the 80s and 90s and even 2000 were called much much more than today and to me it's a big problem to solve, even bigger than load management to me 'cause it's about rules and travelling in particular is still very easy to understand and still written inside the current rule book of the NBA!

All of them. Even Jordan Poole would be a legend.

Idk if you’ve done this already but I’d like to see a top 5/10 flashiest players of all time video

Jokic will be what Magic is to the lakers to his team in the 80s

09:25 “That’s an additional 64 shots that a guy like Wemby won’t have a shot at contesting”. Well, yes, if you assume that he would try to block his own team’s shots.

Kevin Love or The Joker when it comes to outlet passes?

Nice list, I don't disagree. It would be interesting to do a part 2 for this video, restricting it to players under 6'11". Everyone on this list is really tall.

Thanks for mentioning the fast pace of 80's basketball. Today's youngsters created a false narrative that goes like this: “Basketball today has evolved in nutrition, medical care and training methods, and is much faster than old days basketball.” Although progress has been made, the pace difference is a myth. They have no clue what “run and gun” was.

Anthony Edwards is basically a clone of young Michael Jordan. Their rivalry would be epic

I think Kyrie and Luka would be fine in the 80s. Kyrie is a good enough ball handler to take players down without carrying or traveling. Luka is a 2020s Larry Bird

Jimmy butler would also be remarkable in 80s

Most of the players today would be just fine in the 80s

ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY FOUR THOUSAND!!🎉🎉🎉🎉

Problem for durant would be that coaches would probably most likely put him under the rim because hes so freakishly tall. Not at the wing like he does now

Every player from today would dominate in the 80s

Who is an average player now that would be an all star in the 80s or 90s?

I'm not mad at the list, all these guys have either won an MVP and in the case of Victor I think WILL, when I think about this topic I think about guys that are not at that level whose legacy would take a huge boost and I think of somebody like DeMar DeRozan play who if he played in the 80s or I guess maybe more particularly had his prime in the 00s would be thought of a lot more highly

Surprised Curry isn't on here. There wasn't as much emphasis on 3 point shooting in the 80s so players trained far less to defend against it. I just don't imagine 80s NBA really having an answer for his sharpshooting capabilities.

Victor is a bad fit for 80s, simply because of how aggeessive players were back there. He would be fouled so much that his body wouldn't be able to withstand it

kd and wemby woulf have massive issues with ball handling rules and physical play... for that matter so would the greek freek... cant shoot or do ft. and he would have issues without steroids.

if KAT played in the 80s, people would be saying he’s the American version of Arvydas Sabonis

In europe the drinking age is 18 for most places

Today's players trying to play in the 80s would have to overcome the fact that fouls are going to rain, carries, charges, illegal screens and travels will be called, flops will be ignored or laughed at, defense MUST be played if you want time in the game. Some could adjust and some would ride the pine.

a video on what if the IBM Award was given to the truly most statistical impactful player a video on what if the ABA MVP was given to the best player

EMBIID would be like EWING...

Great video! You should to an inverse version - players whose games don't translate to a given era

My Top 5: #1 Giannis #2 LBJ #3 Jokic #4 Embiid #5 Russell Westbrook

🏀

There are hundreds playing today who would dominate the 80's 🤣

I would throw Curry into the conversation. The playstyle of the time was not emphasizing the 3pt shot but his degree of mastery of that weapon would probably convince any coach who could figure out some very simple math that they should green light him to shoot at crazy volume from 3, and that would radically floor raise any team who could fit him on their roster.

Embiid would struggle without the ability to flop

@jonnyarnett, hey Jonny here are my suggestions. I don't know if you agree with me. Lebron - though I know he's old now, but let's say in his early 30s, he would thrive. the same reasons you gave to Giannis, is the same with Lebron, but he's like Magic as well, who can distribute as good as his finishing ability. Luka - A Larry Bird v.2, need we say more? Yes I know Luka is not as good as a defender as Larry was, and maybe one thing about Luka is we think that he's not as tough as Larry, but man, Luka has that dog in him. You can see it. Demar Derozan - A midrange maestro who can also fly above the rim. The 80s are full of players like Demar.

Any iso player is going to do great with only one guy on him. Ex: kd kyrie. Curry would let it fly every time

The question is, WHEN do you put them into the 80s? Because there are so many paradoxes if they were born in the late 60s to be a college player in the early 80s and then a pro. If you have them grow up in the same period, they’re trajectory would be totally different. Durant would likely be asked by his coaches to set up down low and be a center. So he wouldn’t have that shooting touch because they wouldn’t allow him to shoot 3s. Guys like Jokic might not even be playing basketball because basketball wasn’t that popular internationally yet. This is the problem with kids saying “__ will cook everybody in the 80s” and also old heads saying their guy would dominate todays soft era. The old guys would likely be soft today

Kevin Love have the argument to be the best outler passer beside Nilola Jokic.

To be honest I like this list and yeah wemby would probably do better he’d be like a taller skinny shaq who could shoot because in shaqs rookie season he averaged 22 13 and 3.5 blocks which are a bit better but similar to wembys stats

No Kyrie!?? 🤯

Thank God he actually admitted people travel way.More in the days league 😅

Of course they would. Defense is so much stronger under those rules that they'd be forced to raise their game to overcome it. It's why Luka Doncic said the NBA, supposedly the most elite league in the world, is easier to score in that Euroleague. Also why I hate this era. So much missed potential. These players should be EVEN BETTER than they are, but they've never had to overcome real resistance.

Players today get injured without play hard so imagine in the 80 or 90 ,Jokic is good offensively but defensively he is poor and back in the days you need to play a good defense

You could say Joel thrived better in this era cause of the scoring volume and 3pt attempts for bigs

I dont see those players vs handcheck

The fact that you don’t have Lebron on this list is a complete abomination

I can see KD flourishing, but he’d have to toughen up considerably. Guys like Coop, Pippen, and Moncreif would give him the flux.

All would have their games more diminished due to traveling violations.

Embiid would be hurt all the time having to bang down low. No way

Embiid would be gassed in the first quarter, get injured in the second and amount of caring and double dribbling would be laughable

Rules have changed since then. Just on the first clip Luka would be called for travelling. Keep that in mind at all times making these kinds of comparisons.

Embiid would be worse, the physicality in the 80s would make him more injured, plus his competition in the paint is much much tougher with guys like kareem, hakeem, moses malone, eaton, etc.... and the strict dribbling rules. Honestly do you think coaches back then would allow embiid to take a 3????

Going back just a little but Carmelo King James Dwade Ebbing Durant

I would love to have a prediction for the stats of these players. What could they possibly average, because the stats are different nowadays. I know it would take more time to speculate this, but it would be an interesting addition

Current players with the current skill set they have and you drop them in the 80s with no flagrant fouls and rules are actually enforced well they will have a lot more TURNOVERS TURNOVERS TURNOVERS 😂😂😂😂

Giannis, Jokic, Kawhi, Zion and Edwards would be GREAT if not BETTER in the 80’s.

Giannis Embiid Haliburton Derozan Westbrook

Teams can adjust to cover jokic. Embid would be injured. Giannis would dominate. Also Durant. Wemby would be Wemby.

I think lebron would be one of the best of the 80's if be played in that era

AWESOME Video!! Lets sub Joel Embiid for Jimmy Butler

KD be looking for a trade to the Lakers and Embid be injured 80% of the season with the fouls

embiid would be in goat debates the way defense was played back then like dawg evb over hypes the defense and says “oh oh uhhh physicality” like bro what? have you seen the way they played ZONE DEFENSES BRO. i promise any superstar from the modern era even with the added physicality from back then is averaging 36-40 a game due to spacing and js shooting like is everyone js dumb??

WEMBY would be a smaller S.BRADLEY in the 90s or a weaker YAO on the 00s. WEMBY cant even play against SENGUN who scored 45 points on him and got 5 steals. EVERY BIG with a large body in EUROPE demolishes WEMBY.. WEMBY cant even have a 40% FG game against BIGGER BODIES...

Manute Bol lmao

Wembanyama would be the greatest defender in NBA history if you dropped him in the 80s and 90s😂

I wouldn’t put wemby in the top 3. His stick body would get snapped, and he would be injured like every other game

Wemby top five some way idk

All the carries and travels would be called. They'd just turn the ball over all game.

i doubt wemby would last, they would chop him down at the knees like ralph sampson.

Best player of the 20s is 2nd best player of the 80s Best player of the 30s is the 1st best player of the 80s

Sooooo no guards??? 🤔🤔🤔

ALL-TIME GREAT PLAYERS .. WOULD BE ALL-TIME GREAT PLAYERS .. IN ANY ERA ..

Kawhi ???

you really think the Slim Reaper would be anywhere near as successful in the 80s? add 40lbs of muscle and stop him from cupping the ball to his chest every damn dribble, its physically impossible for him to be a perimeter oriented ball handler. KD has mediocre handles, he relies entirely on cupping, staggering and carrying to face up. he has great footwork though and absolute best case he'd match prime Dirk's numbers, he aint ever touching 30ppg in his life