Kevin Durant explains why old-school NBA wasn’t tougher: “It always looks more physical on tv…” – Michael Jordan could never…

Kevin Durant debunks claims that the NBA has gone soft, arguing that modern gameplay demands more strategy, skill, and defensive adaptability.

For decades, basketball fans have been embroiled in a debate that refuses to die down: Was the NBA tougher in the 1980s and 1990s compared to today? Pundits, ex-players, and fans have often derided the modern game as “soft,” citing many factors, including a lack of physicality.

There are no “Bad Boys” as in the old Detroit Pistons or too many players who epitomize rugged physical dominance. However, not everyone buys the idea, and this debate might be deeper than viewed.

The physicality of the game

The ban on hand-checking coincided with the rise of “positionless basketball,” traditional roles like power forward and center blurred into versatility-driven lineups. Critics argue that these changes watered down the intensity and physicality of the game, making it less exciting for viewers. However, NBA superstar Kevin Durant addressed this thought.

“It always looks more physical from the TV when bodies are in a tight space… It’s inevitable that players are gonna push and shove in that circumstance,” the Phoenix Suns star wrote in an X post in response to one fan questioning the current NBA’s physicality.

The argument about physicality began with the league’s rule changes. In 2004, the NBA officially outlawed hand-checking, a defensive tactic in which players used their hands to impede an opponent’s movement. In hindsight, this seemed to have favored offensive players more.

The shooting evolution

In the current game, players can avoid contact by pulling up for jumpers instead of driving into the lane. Many often point to this evolution as evidence that the league’s physicality is losing its touch and that the game is softer, but KD offered a compelling counterpoint.

“It’s easier to play defense when you aren’t worried about somebody outside the paint, defense is hard in this league when everybody on the floor can shoot, and you on an island, and your teammates afraid to help off a sniper,” Durant said.

“In today’s game tho, u set that up by utilizing the whole floor, spacing and knocking down 3s and touching the paint… defenses are too good to just sit in the midrange all day… u gotta diversify,” he continued.

He has a point. Defending in today’s game isn’t just about brute strength but speed, agility, and an uncanny ability to anticipate a shooter’s next move. The days of collapsing defenses around dominant post players like Shaquille O’Neal may be gone, but guarding five perimeter threats simultaneously presents its brand of difficulty.

While fans pine for the “good old days” of physicality, the numbers paint a different story about engagement. According to ESPN, NBA viewership has seen a 28 percent decline in recent months, sparking discussions about whether the league’s modern style alienates traditionalists. But pinning the blame solely on a perceived lack of toughness ignores the broader picture.

Durant suggests that the modern game is more about skill diversity and strategic planning than ever before. The criticism of the NBA’s current state may be less about its actual physicality and more about nostalgia for an era when basketball was different—if not objectively better.