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There was a time in the NBA when if you weren’t 6’10” and built like a vending machine, you were basically the intern.
From the 1970s through the late ’90s, the league was a big man’s buffet. Coaches didn’t ask, “Can he shoot from 30 feet?” They asked, “Can he post up, drop step, elbow somebody politely, and make two free throws while chewing gum?”
Now? If you can’t shoot from the parking lot and cross someone into early retirement, you’re getting traded before All-Star break.
Let’s break this down Errol Marks style — loud, honest, and slightly disrespectful to 7-footers everywhere.
🏗️ THE 70s–80s: “FEED THE BIG FELLA AND GET OUT THE WAY”
The NBA in the ‘70s and ‘80s was a construction site. Everything was built around giants.
You had:
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with the skyhook (most unblockable shot ever — you needed a ladder and permission from God to contest it).
- Moses Malone grabbing every offensive rebound like rent was due.
- Hakeem Olajuwon dancing in the post like he had salsa lessons before practice.
Even when the point guard was flashy — like Magic Johnson — he was 6’9”! That’s not a guard. That’s a power forward who stole someone’s dribble package.
The offense? Dump it inside. If the big man scored, great. If he missed, he got his own rebound. Guards were basically delivery drivers. “Here’s your package, Mr. Center.”
Photo Credit: Alexander Hassenstein, Getty Images
💪 THE 90s: “BULLY BALL & POST MOVES”
The 90s said, “Oh, you like finesse? That’s cute.”
This was the era of:
- Shaquille O’Neal breaking backboards and team payrolls.
- Patrick Ewing living in the paint like it was rent-controlled housing.
- David Robinson built like a superhero created in a Navy lab.
The Knicks used to win games 84–79 and feel proud about it. That wasn’t a basketball score. That was a halftime score today.
Point guards like John Stockton and Gary Payton ran the offense — but they weren’t the offense. They were chefs. The big men were the meal.
Defense was physical. Hand-checking was allowed. If you drove into the lane, you needed life insurance.
THE 2000s SHIFT: “THE RULES CHANGED AND SO DID THE GAME”
Then the NBA said: “Let’s speed this thing up.”
Major changes:
- Hand-checking restrictions (goodbye wrestling matches on the perimeter).
- Defensive 3-second rule (no more 7-footers camping in the paint like it’s Yellowstone).
- More spacing.
Suddenly, quick guards had room to breathe.
Enter:
- Allen Iverson — 6’0” on a good day, cooking entire defenses.
- Steve Nash running pick-and-roll like it was a science experiment.
- Tony Parker living in the paint without being 6’10”.
The Suns under Mike D’Antoni basically said, “Seven seconds or less. If you don’t shoot it, you’re benched.”
The revolution had started.
Photo Credit: Jeff Chiu, Associated Press
THE 2010s–NOW: “WELCOME TO THE POINT GUARD PLANET”
And then…
A human cheat code named Stephen Curry pulled up from 35 feet and broke basketball.
The league looked around and said:
“Wait… we can score THREE points instead of two? From THAT far??”
The analytics movement backed it up. More threes. More spacing. Faster pace. Less post-ups.
Now you’ve got:
- Stephen Curry changing defensive schemes before the ball even crosses half court.
- Jalen Brunson cooking defenders with footwork so smooth it looks like he’s playing in Timbs at Rucker Park.
- Luka Dončić controlling the game like he’s playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers.
Today’s offense isn’t “throw it to the big man.”
It’s:
High pick-and-roll.
Spread the floor.
Let the guard cook.
If the big can’t shoot? He better learn.
Even the centers now — like Nikola Jokić — play like oversized point guards. He’s basically a 7-foot quarterback throwing no-look lasers.
📊 WHY THE CHANGE HAPPENED
1️⃣ Rule Changes
Perimeter freedom = guard dominance.
2️⃣ Analytics
Three > Two.
Midrange? “We don’t do that here.” (Unless you’re Brunson cooking in the clutch.)
3️⃣ Skill Development
Kids now grow up practicing step-backs, not drop steps.
4️⃣ Pace & Space
Spacing pulls bigs away from the rim. Guards feast.
🆚 THEN VS NOW
| 1980s–90s | 2010s–2020s |
|---|---|
| Post entry pass | High pick-and-roll |
| 85–82 final score | 128–123 final score |
| Big man double team | Trap the ball handler |
| Bruises in the paint | Ankle breakers at the arc |
| Centers rule | Guards rule |
Back then, if your center fouled out, you panicked.
Now? If your point guard fouls out, the entire offense collapses like a bad Jenga move.
The NBA didn’t just change.
It evolved.
From paint domination to perimeter creation.
From power to pace.
From skyhooks to logo shots.
The “little guys” took over the league — but somehow everyone is still 6’7”.
Basketball went from a heavyweight boxing match to a track meet with flamethrowers.
And if you ask me?
As long as Jalen Brunson is cooking in the Garden and Stephen Curry is launching from the logo…
The point guard era isn’t ending anytime soon.
Twitter: @ErrolMarks34
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My name is Errol Marks and I’d like to tell you why I believe I can be a major asset to your station. I’m from a small town in Long Island, NY and from a very young age I’ve always had a love for sports talk radio. Growing up, I would listen religiously to shows like Mike and the Mad Dog, Mike and Mike, and Imus in the Morning and studied what made those shows so great. I’ve made it my goal to be as influential as the hosts I grew up listening to, and with my knowledge of all major sports, enthusiastic and fearless personality, and my preparation skills, I know I can get to that level. This is an art and a medium that I’m passionate about and one that I feel can never be replaced.
What makes my story so unique goes beyond my 10+ years of experience in sports media. In addition to over ten years of creating and hosting sports talk radio shows, I created the World Wide Sports Radio Network - one of the first ever digital sports radio networks - in 2012. Since the network began, we have had some of the best content in digital sports media. We have six quality shows on our network covering all sports and sports betting. I’m currently hosting New York’s Sports Loud Mouth, and you can find that show and the rest of our great shows at https://worldwidesportsradio.com/.
Our network’s content and listenership has grown significantly year to year and, in the past year, we’ve achieved 3.6 million minutes listened on our audio stream, over 29k followers on tik tok, 500k viewed on YouTube, 1.7 million downloads on Apple Podcasts, and 906,917 plays on Spotify. While we are enjoying a continued increase in growth, I feel that we can take this to a new level and a new audience with your help.
My goal since the day I started is to become the greatest and most recognizable sports radio show host in the country. I can guarantee that nobody in this industry currently has my passion, personality or ability to shape the future of sports broadcasting and entertainment like I do. If given the opportunity, I hope to further share my story and many talents with you and your station.
Twitter: @ErrolMarks34
LinkedIn: Errol Marks
Instagram: @rollothamouth34
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