Entering the Golden Age of the NBA

By Stephen Pierce

          

Image via Yahoo Sports

The definition of golden age is the time of peace, prosperity, and happiness. We have seen the golden age in Greece which gave us great monuments, art, philosophy, architecture, as well as literature which were building blocks to our own modern civilization. We saw the golden age also hit sports such as baseball which included players such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, and many more that changed the game.

I believe the Golden Age of the NBA is beginning to happen before our very eyes. Wilt Chamberlin and Bill Russell changed the game, but they did not make it a global sport. Michael Jordan made the sport more global with his amazing highlight plays and never before seen signature sneaker line which still impacts the culture today. But besides Mike there were not a lot of players impacting the game in a major not saying there were not good, but they did not change the game. But today there are so many players that affect the game in so many ways, it makes more inviting and entertaining.

The time line for the golden age begins with the 2003 NBA draft which brought in not only one of the greatest players in NBA history (G.O.A.T) but the best ambassador for the game in LeBron James as well as others such as Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and Carmelo Anthony. These 4 young guys took the NBA by storm and took it to new heights.

Image via Clutch Points

During this time period we also saw Kobe Bryant turn into a complete savage. After his 2003-2004 season he averaged no less than 25 points per game for the next nine straight years.

After the 2003 NBA draft it began to get kind of slow and there wasn’t a great amount of NBA talent entering the game. We have some offensive juggernauts such as Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Kyle Lowry but besides those guys there were not a lot of players that stuck around and truly affected the game.

Image via Rolling Stone

But in 2007 we saw one of the greatest scorers in NBA history in Kevin Durant aka the Durantula, aka the Slim Reaper, aka KD. Before Kevin Durant we never saw a player of his height and length that could be lethal not only in the paint but the mid-range and the three-point line. Kevin Durant by himself influenced guys of his stature to be more than just paint players but a threat across the floor as well as incorporating a nasty handle to their game.

In 2008 we were introduced to the two most athletic point guards in NBA history, both players set the new standard in what teams look for in their point gaurds and their names are Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook. This draft also included NBA Champion and 5x All Star Kevin Love.

2009 NBA draft probably has the most impactful players that completely changed the game and how it will be played. They had Blake Griffin who is the highlight flying dominant power forward who is a 6x All Star, 4x All-NBA, and Rookie of the Year. He is known as the person who brought the dunk contest back to relevancy and the person with some of the nastiest poster dunks in NBA history. But he was not the first or second-best player in this draft. Drafted at the third spot in this draft was ‘The Beard’ James Harden, 7x All Star, 2017-18 Scoring Champ, 2017-18 Most Valuable Player, 5x All-NBA, and the player with the nastiest step back jumper in NBA history. He is changing how fouls will be called in the future and he is basically a human cheat code. Last but not least it’s the Baby-Faced Assassin Steph Curry. He is a two-time MVP and 3x NBA Champ, he alone made three point shooting the most relevant shot in the NBA. He is not the most athletic but that is what makes him so marketable because he is more relatable to the average man even though most people will never be the greatest shooter who ever graced a basketball court.

Years after that we saw players like John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Paul George, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and many more. These players are all great and have taken the NBA by storm and are continually putting out a great product and making the NBA the greatest sport in the world.

The young guns such as Joel Embiid who is arguably the greatest center since Shaq as well as Karl-Anthony Towns, Kristaps Porzingis, Ben Simmons, Jayson Tatum, and Donovan Mitchell are going to be the new greats that completely change the NBA as well.

Image via Joel Embiid's Twitter

Since 2003 there has been so much talent and skilled players we have become almost spoiled with how great the NBA product is. These guys have raised the overall value of the NBA and they are getting paid a lot higher than their predecessors. In 2003 the average value of NBA teams was worth 248 million but in 2019 they are now worth 1.9 billion dollars. This also just the beginning because there is only going to be more talent that enters the NBA that will change and spread the popularity of the NBA.

Image via USA Today

The one player who has the capability of taking the NBA even higher is Zion Willamson. Nobody knows what he will be capable of in the NBA, but his athletic ability and physical gifts alone will cause there to be more viewers in the NBA next season. The viewership will not just help the teams make more money but the players as well.

The NBA’s golden age is truly entertaining, and it continues to impress every season. It might not be as impactful as the golden age of Greece, but we will look back at this time 30-40 years down the line and say this was the greatest era of basketball we have ever seen.