Why You Can’t TRUST NBA Legends… 

Which former player has the best takes?

The Dillon brooks shade had me weak 🤣

Ironically KD is one of the better ones. He praises current players as they are while also giving respect to legends that paved the way. Which is what it should be

Rodman is on my all time team, but let's be honest Bird lit him up back in the day.

Barkley once said "I dont think anyone is better than me, why? Because if I did that, then they would have an advantage over me."

If Larry would be playing in Europe then that means Rodman wouldn’t have made the league using his own logic

The Plumber comment 💀

This is why I'm even sadder that Kobe isn't with us right now. Post- Professional Play, Kobe had real objective takes that don't glorify himself (watch any of his breakdowns of his own games, he calls out every mistake he thinks he made during the game. He was turning into a great analyst and we lost him at the time we needed someone to have a great mind breaking Basketball down.

The Dillon Brooks dig🤣🤣🤣

When Paul Pierce said Duke could beat the 18-19 Cavs😭

My opinion Kobe Bryant Had The Best Takes

Fun fact: Tim Duncan is both a psychologist and Mechanic

Hakeem Olajuwon is also great when it comed to his takes on Centres and gives constructive criticism unlike another great center who likes to blast centers unjustly... cough...cough SHAQ lol

I seriously love when you troll or get petty. That Dilon brooks picture got me

Larry Bird is so good that Jonny felt it completely unnecessary to defend him 😂

Very well stated take. One thing that I thought spoke well of Michael, during the Last Dance, after he referred to Isiah and the Pistons disparagingly, he then immediately talked about Isiah’s skill as a player (I believe he said, second only to Magic as a point guard). His personal opinion was shared, but evaluation of Isiah as a player was separate from his personal beef. Meanwhile, Isiah early in his commentary career referred to Jordan as the greatest a few times, but as he became older and more bitter he pushed Jordan further down the list, to the point where he now claims Jordan was not even his competition. I believe he came out one or two games ahead of MJ in playoff series, and was swept by him… not even his competition, ok. Zeke’s takes seem to be much more grounded in bitterness and less so in basketball knowledge. It takes character to show character.

"Legendary levels of pettiness," couldn't have said it better. Grown men who won't let things go!!

Jonny becoming little by little my favorite NBA RU-vid Channel

Speaking of MJ and The Last Dance...MJ admitted that he 'hates Isiah Thomas and the Pistons' for sure but he also said outloud that he appreciates Isiah's basketball talent and accomplishments, that those things are undeniable. He also stated that Zeke is in his opinion the 2nd greatest player of his position just behind Magic. Some people just hate, hate and hate, and then diminish others. MJ was able to admit his personal feelings towards others but also appreciate those players' talents and accomplishments. One does not need to like everyone else but it's still a sign of greatness to be able to admit their greatness.

Nasty Celtics fan? Just remember 3-9. Lakers record against Boston all-time. From a nasty Celtics fan that likes your videos.

7:07 “or even a nasty Celtics fan” 😂😂😂😂😂😂

Nasty Celtics fan though😭😭😭 love your channel

Accurate video. Too many people take sides instead of thinking through what's being said for themselves. It's like an evolution of "feelings vs truth".

Great video. Another point I'd like to add is that in addition to personal biases, just because someone is a great player does not mean they are good at game analysis, interpreting history, evaluating talent, or coaching. Those are all different skills.

One of my favorite Bird stories is when Rodman was closely defending him and he yelled to his teammate "Hurry, nobody's guarding me, I'm open".

Jonny on top !!❤

MJ even if he hates ISIAH but he always says he is the second PG of all time after Majic.

Lmao Dillon "Mario" Brooks

Thank you Jonny, can’t wait for part 2 of your 150 questions answers video! 🙂

Well said!

Your delivery and research or top-notch keep it going j baby

Your intro makes me always comeback to watch your vids❤

This is such an amazing video. Everyone has a bias, and it affects the outcome of your thinking.

Great points, Jonny. I agree and think everyone has their own biases shaped by each person's life experiences. The advice you gave at the end about critical thinking is applicable for so many aspects of life. Hope you are having a great Sunday :) Looking forward to part 2 of the 150 Q&A! Do you plan to have a Dream Team video for the 4th of July? Just curious b/c I remember seeing some Dream Team videos posted by you on previous Independence Days.

7:07 Jonny, may I use you, a Lakers fan, as an example about describing Celtics fans LOL

That’s why from you’re 4th video posted I knew you where the goat in nba content. Simple put nobody understand the overall game as you do. You are 100% correct in this video!

He's really good at analyzing. We would've been beat friends on High School.

The NBA legends/vets who have had great takes imo were Kobe Bryant and Chauncey Billups

This new upload schedule 🔥🔥🔥🔥

The quick shot at Brooks at 1:01 was a nice touch 👏🏽

If you have a question about racing you ask the racer, not the car. When you have a basketball question you ask a coach or executive, not a player.

Great video! I agree

Calling me a nasty Celtics fan got you a like, it’s the banter I’m here for

Great take!

Interesting questions. And you raise a good point, that players--as great as they were--still bring their biases to the conversation--much as a fan brings his bias as a hometown fan of this or that franchise. The solution to the problem? Take in a lot of information from the most diverse sources as possible, weigh it all into the mix, & then--good luck drawing a firm conclusion. As to the GOAT, for example, in any category, good luck in narrowing it down to any top 10, let alone 5. Futile as it is, it's always a fascinating process for fans of the game.

Held this opinion for a while, thank you for this video

I remember the 50 Greatest episode of Open Court where Shaq put Penny over D Wade despite having won a ring with him, then got mad when Reggie and Isiah called him out over it. This was after the big 3 broke up, so Wade already had his 3rd ring

Legendary levels of pettiness....lol

My answer to the question at the end: anytime anyone has called anyone “delusional”. It’s such a watered down world at this point.

5:28 Wilt's not afraid to tell the truth!!!! 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣

That’s JA!!! Great video as always!!

The only legend i would trust on opinions of older and newer players is Jerry West. Mostly because he never left the indistry. Every single year from 1960, he was involved with the NBA in some way shape or form as a player, coach, general manager, consultant, etc.

Wish people would just stop reacting to analysis like SAS or Shannon former co -host who say dumb stuff ON PURPOSE so it can get engagement. The more twitter gets mad about what they say the more money they get when the next contract comes around

Many players tend to overrate Kobe, and I believe there are two reasons. Younger player usually grew up while Kobe was doing well in the league, and older players remember once when Kobe used his best "volume scoring" to get over 50 points on them. I think nobody, apart from Garnett, is speaking about Tim Duncan the same way as they are about Kobe, and yet Timmy is widely considered as TOP10 all time (with being possibly the greatest PF of all time), while Kobe is usually outside TOP10.

Can you do a video on the top 10 best NBA sophomore seasons

Dyllan Brooks the plumber 🤣🤣🤣

Johnny Johnny Johnny 🔨🎯💯

man how do you make so much content

3:13 I'm not a younger fan and Wilt is my fav player of all time but i'm pretty sure the league has in fact evolved alot. almost everything evolves over time, that's natural. it's just not always fair to compare eras since rules and other circumstances were different.

I think when you want to know how great a player was, their peers they played with have some great insights. Earl Monroe "The Pearl" has a great interview talking about his experience with Wilt Chamberlin and why he's his number one of all time. And every player has an amazing story about Kobe Bryant

A Simple Rule in Life. Facts over Feelings.

Bruh Dillon Brooks be catching random strays in this video😂

Exactly. As much as they are the best players in the world, the players still view the game in the same way fans view it. They may use other terms to describe it but as you said, they are as biased if not more than regular fans.

Honestly, I automatically disregard any comment by any NBA legend when he says something like: "LeBron, MJ, Bird, Magic, Duncan, Giannis, etc., wouldn't survive in X-Era" because, for me, there are truly great players that would be great in any era

That’s why everybody loves Allen Iverson, respects the greats and gives credit to the young cats

Wilt was right about Shaq. Offensive fouls were very strict in his day and he made over 60% of his buckets on fadeaways. Had he been allowed to drop his shoulder and dunk on dudes he would have averaged 50 for his career. The dudes bench press was like 60 lbs more than Shaq.

My take is: Arnett is the NBA videos GOAT.

My man popped a picture of Dillon Brooks for plumber 😂😂

Hey do a video on the best player in each jersey number in NBA history...it sounds like a fun detour lol

Rodman is talking what he knows, athleticism. When it comes to skills he is baffled, he can't comprehend what he never possessed...

One of the older examples for me was Jerry West. As old as he is and knowledgeable I never understood his Indifference if not low opinion of Pistol Pete. They played in the same era so you expect him to give him more credit for changing the game but the point you mentioned everyone is prone to bias

One thing I don't feel is me mentioned enough when we talk about Jordan's take on Isaiah Thomas during the Last Dance documentary is that he also credits Isaiah with being the second best point guard of all time behind only Magic Johnson.

Great video. I don't understand how Bird wouldn't flourish in a less physical NBA that emphasize 3 point shooting make it make sense. And yes we as fans and all of you stans need to stop recycling shit from media and players like it's gospel. Case in point Kevin Durcant

Also sometimes great athletes/artists don't really understand what made them so great. That's why not every good player is a good coach and not every great painter is a good art teacher.

Kareem has good takes on other players

1:52 - Yeah. There is something to be said abut third person perspective.

Rodman is trying to protect MJ no matter how Remember MJ gave Rodman a second chance when people and nba teams did not

Another W video!

Wow Jonny,! A video that really gets you wondering about what some players say and whether it is legit. However I wouldn't say (all) players are like that. A respectable and honest guy like Clyde Drexler's opinion is one I would consider as valid.

Jonny, don't be dirty with Brooks and the Celtics fans, they are humans too☠☠☠.

Thank you for making this video. Ive been saying this for so long but didn't know how to explain it. Even outside of bias people who don't play the game can be just as knowledgabe about it. Why would teams hire coaches, trainers and scouts that aren't always former players if they "knew nothing because they weren't players." Plus this argument is only used when someone doesn't like your opinion. If they agree with you then it doesn't matter that, "you weren't a player". The whole thing is so stupid.

Another Basketball RU-vider I watch said the same thing,U cant ask players for an opinion on another player's greatness,u have to ask the experts.

Just like in scientific analysis often times the players with the best takes are the ones that can speak logically and to the mechanics of the game. Ray Allan I think is a great example of someone who doesn't just give you an opinion but breaks down the reasoning behind it in a manner that is consistent and backed by basketball data itself with little to no variance on whoever/whatever part of the game he is talking about.

We as fans often struggle to put our biases aside and to give an objective opinion without mixing it with our emotions or feelings, so imagine players who are extremely competitive and their whole life is basically around basketball only. It’s no surprise they give the weirdest takes ngl.

What is going on with the comparative heights of the legends in the photo at 6:55?

It’s crazy to me that legends say this about other legends they played with/against. Like bro you got cooked by that individual/carried so how does that make you look😭

Yeah I might ask a mechanic about my car issues. But what's his reputation and ratings online? Am I going to get someone that tells me I have blown gaskets when I don't; or am I getting someone honest and reputable? Jj Reddick and Kendrick Perkins are 2 examples of shady mechanics.

Of course if you dislike someone or something you already have a small bias to it. So a greater rivalry would make the bias bigger.

outside of these biases we have decades worth of examples that prove being good at basketball doesn't mean you're good at judging NBA talent

By far and away the dumbest thing that an NBA player has said was when Scottie Trippin Pippin said “I’ve seen Michael Jordan play before I came to play with the Bulls. You guys seen him play … He was horrible player! He was horrible to play with. It was all 1-on-1, shooting bad shots. All of a sudden, we become a team and we start winning. Everybody forgot who he was. He was a player who was really not at the top of his category. It was scoring.” Scottie, if Michael Jordan was a horrible player, what the hell were you? You weren't anywhere near as good as MJ! 6 finals MVPS vs 0, 10 scoring championships to 0, a ROY to 0, 3 all game MVPs to 1, a DPOY vs 0, plus the eye test is evidence that you're full of it! And were you nice to play with when you abandoned your own, even when Toni Kukoc made the game winning shot against the Knicks? About the "all of a suden, we became a team and we started winning" comment, Scottie, you and I have different definitions of "all of a sudden". Because if 8 years, from 1984, to 1991, is "all of a sudden" then there's something wrong with your math! And then the everybody forgot who he was that's laughable, on so many levels, that I won't even bother answering that stupidity! MJ is the GOAT, whether you like it or not Scottie, period, end of story!

1:05 one of your most savage moments lol

Jonny is the goat

Jxmy high roller (another great basketball RU-vidr) made a video on this same topic not too long ago, and in it he said, “if you can do, do. If you can’t do, teach.” In other words, you don’t have to be a current or former player to have good analysis on the game, just as how being a current or former player doesn’t mean you have good analysis

I remember watching one of them legendary trash talking video about bird and danny ainge (i think) said larry called for the ball saying he’s open, with dennis rodman right there attached to his hip listening to the whole disrespect 😂😂 i love drod is in my top 5 favorite player but come on now.

Isiah Thomas saying that Rodman was fine until he started playing for the Bulls. Everyone knows most of his issues either began in Detoit or San Antonio. Also we knew Thomas hated Jordan and wanted any opportunity to smear him.

I'm so glad someone finally called them out on this 💀 -Ron, The Almighty Rat King

1:01. I usually ask the players from the 1950s.

Plumber joke about Dillon Brooks was wild💀

I'm glad you made this video. I've seen people cherry pick just about all of these comments from the greats that you highlighted. It's very easy to tell there is a big bias from them. Along with the bias that comes for and against players based previously being teammates or being enemies, the other major one is often former players or on-air personalities LOVE to say controversial things just for the publicity. I can't stand JJ Reddick and Kendrik Perkins, they just seem like they are trying to get attention. Much like Skip Bayless, Steven A Smith and other loud personalities. I tend to take opinions as follows: 1. The broader nba community of former and current players and not so much individual opinions. I try to keep in consideration that current players, especially younger players, are not likely to know much about basketball before 2000 and their opinions will have lots of recency bias. Older players often tend to devalue current players but I think that impact is smaller than current players recency bias. It's natural to have recency bias. 2. The broader opinions of basketball analyst, especially those that use advance stats. This group is almost unanimously picking Jordan as the greatest player of all time. But I also take into consideration that no stat is perfect. I've also noticed a 'recency bias' with a lot of these stats as well. They often create advance stats that make sense in the context of the current game or they fail to take into account how the game has changed so an advance state in 2023 might not be easy to compare directly with the same advance stat 20 years ago and 40 years ago and 60 years ago.

"Playing in Europe" isn't the burn he thinks it is with the emergence of Luka, Giannis and Jokic.