Ranking the 10 Most Skilled NBA Players of the ’90s | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats & Rumors

Anthony Edwards sent shockwaves through the NBA debate last week when he shared his thoughts on the NBA of the 1990s with The Wall Street Journal.

“They say it was tougher back then than it is now, but I don’t think anybody had talent back then,” Edwards told Lane Florsheim. “(Michael Jordan) was the only one who really had talent, you know what I mean? So when they saw Kobe (Bryant), they were like, ‘Oh, my God.’ But now everybody has talent.”

Of course, that caused some commotion.

During a meeting with Stephen A. Smith, Magic Johnson said, “I never respond to someone who’s never won a championship.”

Kevin Garnett also got involved.

“If I’m being honest, bro, I don’t think anyone from this generation could have played 20 years ago,” Garnett told Paul Pierce on Ticket and the truth“When I’m 100.”

It’s not hard to see why some of these legends would be offended by Edwards’ comment, but it’s not like their team is entirely innocent here. For years, many retired players around the league (though not necessarily Magic or KG) have ridiculed current stars with comments similar to KG’s above.

The fact is that the commentary on both sides of this argument is wrong. The truth, as is often the case, lies somewhere in the middle.

Yes, rule changes and star-friendly refereeing have made scoring easier in today’s game. But that doesn’t mean today’s players couldn’t thrive in earlier eras. They would adapt. And the versatile games of modern stars would not only help them do that, they would make them stand out.

NBA players are generally more skilled than in previous eras. Basketball is far from the only human activity in which its participants have improved over time, and that trend has made today’s NBA more talented and skilled than ever. Most current players must be able to dribble, pass, and shoot at a high level to survive, and that goes for even centers.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the league didn’t have skills in previous eras. In fact, if you spend any time looking for skills in the 90s, you’ll find them. You’ll find a lot of them. And that’s one skip that Edwards apparently skipped.

“I didn’t watch it at the time, so I can’t say anything about it,” Edwards told Florsheim.

Well, thankfully yes. As a kid in the 90s, I watched a lot of NBA basketball. And just watching that era is the most important step in determining who the best players were.

That is the basis of the rankings below, but many numbers (both advanced and basic) were also consulted. The shooting and passing measures were particularly important, as these are the two most important skills in the game.

So, without further ado, and with a nod to Ant, here are the 10 most skilled players of the ’90s.