plus this generation travels… all the time… even look at Magic Johnson, he never traveled nor palmed the ball when he dribbled… imagine if some of those past players had the nutrition, equipment, medicine… besides being able to travel. Wilt would be unstoppable…
@@belchmelch It looks like J.J Reddick has found a tool, as for getting attention, which is; "Making Blind Critical Comments", and using his "NBA Veteran Tag" as a prop! Lol
Pro players up through the 70s needed off-season jobs because they weren't multimillionaires. Every player carries the ball and travels on a layup. They didn't train as much, didn't have the best diets, worked second jobs.
@@antonpalmer-smith4829 lmao you forgot to mention one guy played in the 50s and 60s when even the sport of basketball was relatively new and the other guy retired not too long ago , really helps to be a player 60 years in the future with all the advanced tech, medicine, nutrition and training
@@Redeemedmed oh...you're a idiot...you're dumb ass doesn't even realize, that what YOU said is exactly why there is no comparison between the 50's and 60's...compared to now...fuckin dickhead
People forget Bill Russell ended his career in the 1969 season which formally ended in the 1970 calendar year, only 9 years prior to Magic Johnson’s rookie season! Wilt Chamberlain retired less than 9 years prior to Michael Jordan being drafted. It’s wildly disrespectful what JJ Redick said.
What you wrote is so true! All too often, people very much neglect the fact that there were/are players who overlap & connect 1 generation to the next. Just as you rightly pointed out, there was only a 9 year window between the end of the Russell-Chamberlain era & the beginning of the Bird-Magic era. W/out a doubt, there were players whose careers linked those 2 eras together, & can attest to the greatness of players from both generations … not that bench player/know it all J.J. Redick would acknowledge those men - some of whom may be Hall of Famers themselves, like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, Rick Barry, etc - never mind give them their due respect! Redick should just thank Bob Cousy for laying the foundation for successive generations of NBA players to be able, fiscally, to play basketball as a well-paying PROFESSION, so that they don’t have to work side jobs in their off-seasons … then he should shut his arrogant mouth! Redick should also, maybe, try to gain some perspective on basically EVERYTHING, but in particular, how significantly his life has been blessed bc of the sacrifices & successes of men like Bob Cousy … but I very much doubt that he’d deign to do so.
So what? Steph curry transformed the league in 10 years. There are a bunch of players from 2012 that could not make an nba team today. Teams are demanding shooting from 40 feet for big men now. 7 footers have to have crossover dibbles. 10 years is a lot of time. Whatch a basketball clip from 1950 and compare it to 1965. Total transformation.
I was a young kid in the mid-50s and I absolutely loved watching the Celtics on black & white tv play whomever their opponent was. They defined team basketball with the rapid passing of the ball, stellar team defense, and team cohesiveness. They were so good it made me love basketball and want to be an NBA player until I went to college and realized that it was a pipe dream. Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Sam Jones, K. C. Jones, Tommy Heinsohn, and all the role players for their championship teams were just incredible to watch. And they had something intangible that you just don't see today in professional athletes: loyalty to their team and the city of Boston that loved them so much.
People simply don't understand.they see the modern euro step, and they see the crazy dribbling moves and they say the game has evolved because of it. but they fail to recognize that those moves wouldn't fly in those older eras. I have a theory that as we evolve as a society we have far more distractions. I would argue players put more time into their craft back then than they do now.
As Elgin Baylor said..."If you were to allow Oscar Robertson to 'carry-over' or 'travel' like today's players, you'd literally see an unstoppable player." [paraphrase]
Baylor, Robertson, and Walt Frazier would still be all stars superstars today. They have enough athleticism, lateral quickness, and ball handling to make it today. Sorry Bob, I don’t see you making it today!
I was thinking the same thing....my dad used to always say Magic "carried" the ball everytime and dudes would travel all the time. Cousy & Oscar played a different game. Can't compare era's ....only can judge against your contemporaries.
@@DeeNice681 Cousy played fine against Baylor and Robertson..remember he was still winning championships and playing at a high level in the early 60's past his prime! Baylor and West NEVER beat them and Oscar couldn't even make it to the Finals till he teamed with Kareem in '70!
I love how casuals call other people casuals. Bob Cousy was a 13 nba all star, 10 time All nba first team,2 time nba second time, 1 MVP, and 6 time NBA Champion. Bob Cousy and Bill Russell won championships over Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, Bob Pettit, Wilt Chamberlin and Hal Greer ( so underrated), and the Big O. I also would like to point out the Cousy along with other players start a union( the Players Association) so that the guys who had to work jobs in the offseason could make more playing basketball. I am sure not every young guy is as ungrateful as JJ Reddick they are probably grateful for the multimillion dollar contracts they get because of those old timers like Bob Cousy. But then again Mr. Reddick sounds like a typical classist person who looks down at people who have manual labor jobs like plumbers, carpenters, and butchers etc...
Older generation shits on the younger generation every chance they get, younger generation makes one little joke and now the old heads blew out their diapers. Only reason JJ went there is because people like Mad Dog (who the old heads just absolutely adore) CONSTANTLY disrespects players from the younger generation like they wouldn’t absolutely kill everybody in the 50’s 60’s and 70’s. Just like you old heads want your greats to be respected, we’d like ours to be respected too. Go back and actually listen to why JJ said what he said and tell me BOTH guys weren’t be disrespectful to BOTH eras.
@@gregorywillis8400 whether the number of black players was whatever it was back then, look up some of his highlights. The way he was passing to teammates was something no one else in his era was doing. Reminds me of a prime Jason Kidd. I had only heard of him but never saw his highlights until now.
Lol jj reddick would be a goat in that Era and I’m young and I know bird and magic and Jordan is the real reason the nba is where it’s at not because players pre 1980 lol and sure some great players but you also act like the old heads are respectable when it comes to the new gen ,they constantly disrespect the talent and skill in this era and twist shit like defense for there agenda and narrative ,jj didn’t say anything disrespectful but facts and only thing that was off was acting like they all had jobs like that which isn’t true but in general the main argument is cp3 and Cousy ,Cousy literally came out a college in my city which nobody does that tells me everything I need to know about that era and the talent and skill level ,and Cousy can definitely pass but bruh can barely dribble left handed and shoot I mean these guys shot 37 percent and it’s not because the defense was that crazy the era just sucked and the few great players shot well and had insane numbers like Oscar west wilt ,even russell is one of the most overrated players ever this guy Would be Ben Wallace in this era 😂good player but nothing to crazy and mind you these great players had some insane inflated stats because how the era was jj has also said any great player can play in any era .. it ain’t that deep
2012? Are you forgetting about his 2020 ESPN Award for the only active player to have made the NBA playoffs for 13 straight seasons without a ring 🔥 JJ is the GOAT of this era
It almost brought a tear to my eye.. no I didn't get to watch his Era play I was born in 91 but the reason it made me get emotional I think about the pain and sacrifice they went through in those days and combine that with the NBA Street Vol.2 Nostalgia that introduced me to players like Bob Cousy himself, Elgin Baylor, Connie Hawkins, Jerry West etc. Remember the banner that used to say "I love this Game" I miss real Basketball and I wanna shout out all the vets who came before my favs from the 90s and 2000s.. peace!!! From North Carolina
The thing that always gets ignored is that the development programs, nutrition, injury management, etc. are so much more advanced. If the old time players came up in today's game they would be just fine. They were the elite athletes of their era, and they would be elite athletes in any era with the same resources. I like a lot of what Redick does, and he was coming from a point of view where modern players are getting dissed by the older players and that bias came out and he took it too far.
JJ was right tho, hes just salty coz its true.. players had jobs and basketball was more of a side gig.. JJ just spoke the truth.. he didnt say that with the intention of throwing shade at Bob, hes intention was to argue about CP3's greatness..
@@paulorivera1569 that's true, but it is true of all professional sports during that era. I remember the backs of my baseball and football cards letting me know what each individual player did during the off season.
@@paulorivera1569 his comments were disrespectful and I’d say unintelligent . The irony is , who cares about JJ and no one will know who he is in 10 years but Cousy will be remembered .
It's about respecting your past and putting things into perspective. Nothing happens a success overnight. Everything starts small, and a continuous build up to what it is today. So, to disrespect the players in the 60s is just like disrespecting what they helped built today.
But that argument doesn’t go both ways. Ppl constantly say ppl in the 80s and 90s would have dominated todays game. Like athletes today don’t work as hard at their craft like the olds did.
@@factthatdude4059 THANK YOU!! It goes both ways. Older generation disrespects and discredits the younger generation literally every chance they get but we’re just supposed to get on our knees and worship them lol
Lol “respect your elders” cool.. still doesn’t change the fact that JJ had point. Bob Cousy gets cooked by ja morant tf let alone Chris Paul. Just use your eyes 😂😂 the man is doing a fucking hook shot in chucks from what looks like the foul line ! Gtfoh
They literally in hard soled converses back then, imagine the toll it took on their spines and knees. I know guys who can even shoot around in converses without their feet hurting after 15 mins
Excellent points, guys! The fact that these players in this era laid the foundation and built the association cannot be overlooked. That alone is worth a subscribe!
As Chris Broussard said in his show, if Bob Cousy had the benefit of today's NBA technology and other stuff, he would've been as skilled as Chris Paul, or might have been better. Remember, Cousy can dribble and pass the ball like Magic Johnson IN THE EFFIN 50s and 60s!!!
I just don't get it. All a person would need to do is give them the shoes of today. It's fricken basketball. Great basketball will always be.... Great basketball. People make me laugh. You can either play basketball or you can't in ANY era.
@@bettyrose959people really thought that humans today are super robots compared to the humans back then lol give then modern training then they will playing like that too if not better
@@dxtremecaliber Modern training? It's basketball. Bet you played that game. You don't think you could today? Anyway, all they needed was the shoes. Go play a week in Chuck Taylors and get back to me. It's still basketball. You can either play it, or you can't. Act like Babe Ruth couldn't hit a baseball today. It's still baseball. smh.
I love JJ Redicks commentary and analysis for the most part. He's the last guy to call players of that era fireman and plumbers cause he would qualify as todays era of a fireman or plumber. Dude averaged 12 PTS, 2 ASSISTS AND 2 REB in his career, man stop it
I agree but just like Kyle Korver he brought a specific skillset. Doesn't give him the right to disrespect the legends and pioneers tho, Cousy made passing cool
Mr. Bob had it right, mediocre players trying to make a name for themselves and get attention in this talk sh** era. One thing is to do it on the court with your opponent to win the game; it's a completely different thing to do it to hype yourself and try to get a check.
These firemen and plumbers were my childhood basketball heroes. Cousy mentioned about half the Lakers roster, and I got to see them play in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Basketball was just as tough back in the day than it is now.
Of course they had full time jobs, they didn't make big money back then, that's when men were 100%real, Jack Dempsey had a full time job then boxed 20 rds on the weekend, how can you ever diss that
Steve Nash won back to back MVPs in the mid 2000s and never made a dunk in his career. In fact he only attempted 1 dunk which he missed. You mean at a time when Duncan, Kobe, KG, and many other great athletic players were at their primes, not even including a young Lebron. They let that small unathletic guy get 2 mvps? It’s almost like the game is more than athleticism.
@@FB-ch5yz I mean look who’s the 2X reigning mvp. A dude who looks like a Serbian farmer. Yet he’s so damn smart and efficient. That’s why Jokic is regarded (rightfully so) as one of the games very best today.
Wouldnt say steve nash wasnt atheltic.. he was really quick and fast. Not saying he was dunkin but you aint gotta be dunking to be athletic. Just sayin
I just clicked on this video without realizing this was JA and Michael Holley! Two of my favorites from the glory days of Around the Horn. Very good points. I'm a huge history buff when it comes to the NBA. So much respect for what Cousy brought to the game. The Celtics really created the fast break, and Cousy was throwing passes never before seen in the early years of the NBA. He brought excitement and magic to a sport that was trying to establish itself as something that was worth fans investing in. I love the game today, and enjoy diving into all the footage and information about the past as well. But the debt of gratitude owed to the pioneers like Cousy, Mikan, Wilt, Oscar, Pettit, Russell, Wilt, Elgin, West, and the like is truly beyond measure. The NBA could have folded pretty easily, but these guys made it viable so the next generations could take it further. Much respect.
I met Mr. Cousy about 10 years ago when I was his guide and hostess at BC’s graduation where he received an honorary degree. He’s bigger than you think and his hands are BIG. That’s how he dribbled and passed the way he did. VIPs from Boston College transformed into little kids when they saw him. “Mr. Cousy, big fan. Can I get a picture?” Over and over all afternoon. I’ve met and been around many famous people but I’ve never seen that kind of reaction. He is a LEGEND!
Its not a tough subject at all. You either adopt a historical perspective with respect, or you operate under ignorance like the JJ redicks of the world. People like him choose to be assholes.
Legends and greats had the utmost respect for each other.. it is to be expected for JJ Redick to belittle Bob Cousy... Because he was neither great or a legend😮😮😮
I’m 39 years old I heard of Bob Cousy in the 80s & never forgot He’s considered one of the greatest players of all time JJ is considered as being one of two to three thousand or more best players of all time
i DON'T SEE THAT IS THE ISSUE. Bob C took offense it seems because JJ referred to the firemen and plumbers like it was a slight diss. It's just A GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCE THAT HE DIDNT THINK THROUGH. I'm sure he didn't mean any disrespect. Several of today's players could have just said that because they never lived in that 1950s world EVEN THROUGH THEIR PARENTS like I did.
When today's players play in Chuck Taylor's, we would get to see just how "athletic" they are. The character of the old players is far above the trash we have now.
If the old time players had the advantages of today’s players there is no telling how good they would be. Not only the shoes but all the advances technology of equipment, nutrition, training, medical procedures including rehabilitation of injuries, better travel conditions and contracts where players make enough that they don’t need jobs outside of basketball to support their families. Not only those advancements but the fact the game is called a lot different today. The players today would be called for traveling and carrying over every single possession. If the old time players were allowed to handle the ball like today’s players do they would be unstoppable. Could you imagine the big O or Elgin Baylor being allowed to take five steps and carry the ball over instead of hand having to be on top of the ball?
@@jimmulcahey9312 The JJ Redicks of the world forget that rules were actually enforced before Jordan started dunking from the free throw line. Palming being called would turn these guys into average looking athletes.
Yes Bob Cousy. Thank you for saying it to this no talent JJ . He was a sub par player. Hr cant even prololong his nba carrer. Disrespectful dude. In our caountry he is even a known player.
All I know is one can tell a lot about how somebody feels about themselves on how they treat other people. Unfortunately JJ never hang around to one place long enough to make a difference. I love how Bob Cousy talked about all these firemen all of them Hall of Famer’s. Beautiful
JJ Reddick was a role player in the 2000’s who wouldn’t be able to get off the bench in the 60’s the game was more physical the pace was extremely fast and there was no 3 point the lane was extremely packed and we know JJ Reddick isn’t finishing at the rim in traffic
If you dropped JJ from the 2000's in the 60's, he might avg near 30. If you dropped Cousy from the 60's in the 2000's we'd say, "Who??"😂 He wouldn't even make the GLeague.
@@na_k dumb take. If Cousy was born in 2000 he’d still have more talent and skill than JJ. He’d just grow up shooting the ball with different form and practicing different movements. That’s why this whole argument is dumb and not even worth opening.
That was Bob Cousy, 94-year old former NBA star, breaking JJ Redick's "new media ankles" just as surely as he would have broken JJ's physical ankles back in the day. Cousy actually sounds mentally sharper than JJ. With apologies to Pat Riley: "If needed someone to make shot to win a game, I'd pick Michael Jordan. If I needed someone to make a shot to save my life, I'd pick Larry Bird. But if -- in order to stop Thano from snapping his fingers and destroying the universe -- I needed someone to make an global/viral ass out of himself in less than 15 seconds, I'd pick JJ Redick.
One of the First Basketball shoes was a Bob Cousy - Bob Cousy was very much like the Later Steve Nash - and Lastly he was Known as the Houdini of the Hardwood - and he was a Leader on one of the Greatest Teams of all time- what a Marvel he was and is
Nah Mr Cousy, respect but JJ was right. The level of competition nowadays is ridiculous. Better is better. Each generation does its part to improve the next. When that happens, the players of the current generation as a collective will outmatch their previous until there is no more room for improvement. The product that comprises the NBA keeps improving for whatever reason u may apply. There’s no way that a product that is ‘several’ generations removed is going to compare to the current era. In a vacuum this era is much better as a collective than that of Cousy’s era easy-all due respect to the greats it consists of.
@@truth.74 To your point, this is the most open the league has ever been. There were what, 5 legit title contenders this yr? In the 60's it was what, 1 or 2?
@@NujazzSince based on what?? their ability to "carry crossover" and to jump high and dunk??? doing those 2 things doesnt mean your a great basketball player
the thing is, back in Cousy's time players were selected for doing different things in order to play the basketball of their era, mainly run the floor like maniacs... the game was played horizontal instead of vertical, which is characteristic of decades afterwards, but they played at the highest pace ever. JJ Redick wouldn't be able to play in that time for more than 3 mins without being exhausted. Cousy was certainly short, not very strong arms or shoulders, but he had very strong legs, more than Reddick's skinny ones... and he was quicker and faster than JJ Reddick, exactly the perfect athletic characteristics to play fastbreak
People are just absence of common sense. The talent pool then compared to now is astronomically different. So it stands to reason that somebody like Cousy wouldn’t br nearly as dominant.
@@kingofnewyork7765 Athletes were better in the 60's??? C'mon, that's not true across any sport, lol. If you put bench PGs from today in the 60's they would torch Cousy.
@@kingofnewyork7765 Muhammad Ali was the goat for his cultural impact, not his actual boxing skills. Mike Tyson would destroy him, Canelo ALvarez would destroy him. Sports evolves at a massive pace. Bill russel and WIlt Chamberlain are a generation past Cousey, and Micheal JOrdan, Giannis, Lebron James, Shaq are alll waaaaay better. ANd if you disagree then you are ignoring simple advances in basketball knowledge, medicine and overall talent.
Those old timers didn’t get hurt and didn’t miss 1/2 games a season… that also had real world strength, not the weight lifting all the players do now to look good but seem to be injury prone
Fans and people living in 2023 know the name Bob Cousy. The majority of the Fans and most people don't have a clue or even know the name of JJ Redick which says alot.
Imagine how much better players would be in another 40 to 50 years from now. I’m pretty sure back then they thought seen the best of all time. I get that JJ was trying to make a point but he never said with all due respect to those that played back then I believe etc. it’s 😔
@@johnnythekid4601 What????? Come on, it's cool to have a conversation without the name calling. I'm willing to have my mind changed. I agree about this continuing for the LeBron era players. That's why I said it happens every generation. All these players are legends and in their own way are responsible for the evolution of the game, but I wish more retired players would just admit that there is a chance that better player exists now. For example, it bothers me when I hear retired players say Wilt would be more dominant in the 90's than when he played, but then say Jordan would get killed if he played the 60's.
Most greats would be stars in any era, like Russell, Chamberlain, Robertson, West, Baylor, but Cousy is where I draw the line, lol. Ain't no PG with a career FG% of 37.5 being effective in any other era. Think about how folks clown Russ' shooting. Westbrook is super efficient compared to that. JJ would cook, absolutely obliterate Bob. 😂 And JJ is just a role player.
Maybe, but what's the point of all this, is it to be disrespectful, diminishing the careers of others? Reddick is a hypocrite, he sure gets upset when anyone offers criticism even mild about some of today's players. Don't be so sure Cousy wouldn't smoke him one on one, Reddicks game is trash in any era. Lol
No way J.J. Reddick could have played in Cousy's era because there was no 3 point shot and they would have hand checked him all over the court and punished him when he drove to the basket. And the talent was more concentrated because there were less teams.
Professional sports didn't pay big time wages until the late 60's and 70's. Guys played it for the love of the game and not much else. That's why they played hard.
I don't understand how having a secondary job while in the National Basketball Association somehow discredits the player's talent. So what if they are plumbers? Or firemen? Comments like these are only there to discredit the greats of the past.
Remember the three point wasn't around in that time, so what would some of the players scoring averages would have been? I remember hearing my dad hearing my dad my borned 48' talking about all these players Cosy talked about.
@@siniister710 Actually, sir, I DID, and, respectfully, rather than address you speaking out of turn, we'll just see if folks agree with you...I KNOW they won't!
Unreal that Bob Cousy refers to Wilt Chamberlain as a small forward. He knows ball - that's the archytype that's valued today. Wilt could really do it all.
I like how we casually forget that pro basketball (all the sports especially when you get into the racial aspects) use to basically be an uber paycheck, its was a benefit to those who had the talent and skills but most had to work some other job...like it Glory Road, dude recruited a player straight from his coal mine job lmao
You can pick apart any era, including today. If today's players actually had to FOLLOW the game rules that players in the 50's and 60's and even 70's did, they wouldn't have some of the stats they do.
As a 75 year old lifelong Basketball Player, Fan and still State finals High School coach, it amazes me the almost complete ignorance of history. I loved JJ as a Magic fan and always appreciated his Burning desire to excel. However Wilt would Freak him out if he had to deal with him in any way. Plus Time Warp your ass Back to that time and nature of lthe game. I’ve seen it all and the game is Still Fantastically Beautiful, all derived from a Coach with a peach basket. Damm...
you mean when the bronsexuals say if he played in the 60's hed average 80 points a game on 100% shooting because nobody was athletic enough to stop him from scoring at will?
Wilt never err r freak out he would crush any modern player. I learn my game from him from john wooden ucla coach wilt was condition to out play in every way any player in his prime.i have not seen any other player better another player next to wilt piston pete and then kareem .you got to be kidding.
Respectfully JJ is right and his comments were completely taken out of context. Mad dog keeps yapping about how players in the 60’s were better and JJ finally got tired of it.
@Kevin K cousy couldn’t even dribble with his left hand, he always had to go right when driving to the basket 🙄 it’s not just athleticism and equipment, players’ ACTUAL SKILLS back then were shockingly primitive compared to today
Wilt Chamberlain was offered to play until he was in his 50s That means he would have played against all time greats like Magic, Jordan,Bird,Hakeem and so many more! You just know that J.J Redick doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about
It's really simple. Bob Cousy was the pinnacle of his sport when he played. No matter what anyone does after him, you can't take away what Cousy did in HIS time. I understand when Bill Burr makes this joke, but I expect better from guys in the league. Why disrespect Cousy?
Older generation disrespects and discredits the younger generation any chance they get and that’s in sports, music AND film. It’s so nauseating listening to how “the old days will always be better than today” shits so obnoxious. Soon as we say something we’re out of pocket lol fuck that
Why are you saying that the league is stronger, and bigger? Why does media create those silly narratives? Dude Wilt played 48,5 minutes per game, in game that had much more possessions, and timeouts of 1 minute, not 3-4 minutes timeouts like nowadays. People didn't get injured like today, because they were much stronger and durable. Wilt jumped over 40+ inches at 7' 1, could bench press at least 500 pounds, and was as fast as John Wall, bill Russell was similar in athleticism. Who now is on that level? No one. You are talking that players nowadays are bigger also, that's one of the biggest lies. You saw a video of 70+ old Jerry west who was 6'3, next to 6'9 Paul George, did that look like 6 inches difference, plus Jerry shrank. Players were taller, much stronger, much more durable, and it was all natural, now everyone is on peds.
West wasn't 6'3" in the NBA, he was 6'5.5"-6'6.25" with the arm length of a 6'9" guy. That was his freshman year college listed height, then he had 1 last growth spurt and never bothered to correct his listing. On the other end Paul George isn't 6'9", he's 6'7.75" without shoes and that's official NBA combine measurement. Truth is the number of guys in the NBA that are a legit 6'9" or taller is extremely low as it's always been.
I saw them play west at 80 a few years back as laker general manager actually lift shaq off his feet to calm him down when he was destroying a bathroom. He stop shaq and lifted him off his feet. This is a fact ...
@@johnhenry2903 Dude go to basketball reference, and check how tall was Jerry west. 6'3'', 190 pounds heavy. Paul George is not taller than 6'5, maybe 6'6. First check, than talk. Players back than were taller, faster, quicker, more agile, more durable and stronger. Players today jump higher, and nothing else physically.
@@rulerzigzagyou’re mad at the messenger rather than breaking down the context of the message. JJ is 10x better than those guys I mention. The point of it all is that the floor of today’s NBA is better than the floor of what guys like Cousy played.
My top five point guards of all time: Magic Johnson Oscar Robertson Isaiah Thomas John Stockton Bob Cousy The people who trash Bob Cousy or the era he played in don't understand how special he was. He set the standard for the point guard position in the 50's, which makes him a revolutionary player. And damn right, the greats of the past would do just fine in today's game with the improvements in fitness programs and medicine. There is no question they would all make an impact, because they would adapt to the game as it's currently being played. And one more thing: The likes of Jerry West or Pete Maravich would destroy teams from three. They'd be raining jumpers all night long. And if you challenged them out there, they'd just blow by you.
I think JJ meant no disrespect. It was that he was trying to push back on when ppl say the ole. Well back in the day they were tough. Played through injury. Never complained. JJ probably let his emotions blurt it out. Cause if u seen Mad Dogs takes a lot of time especially when doing top list with Stephen A. He usually chooses the elder statesmen. . He apparently respects and enjoys there era .
In terms of the idea the 90s were the best "cause they could hand check" that's a good cause. The idea NBA players those first few decades were "plumbers and firemen" opposed to the best college players of their respective years(same as today) is just pure slander. NBA players weren't compensated the same but their path to the league largely was. The founding of the NBA in 1947 is still within living memory and people act as if they playing with the dinosaurs. People act as if Wilt Chamberlain is some sort of biblical figure.
The truth hurts , there was a few great players sprinkled around a 8 or 9 team league but you guys are failing to realize who those greats were playing against , they were regular dudes with real jobs , we've all seen the documentaries and videos of how the league was just starting out and they were literally taking guys off the streets , every ball player back then wasn't a world class athelete
Exactly! In today's game the last guy on the bench was likely a star player in his highschool or played AAU. Was highly recruited. Maybe went to a D1 or D2 college and now can't get minutes in the NBA because the talent pool is so deep. It just wasnt that way back in the 50s 60s and 70s. It's not that the guys back then weren't great. Just watching film you can see the skill level of even the bench players (thank you ESPN Classic). But talent wise they weren't playing against a league full of former highschool all stars and NCAA powerhouses. The talent pool is just deeper now. That fact does not negate or disrespect the talent of the greats from the prior eras.
There were only 100 nba jobs in early 60s and only the absolute best college players in a country of 150 m would even be considered for a tryout although there should've been more blacks.
@@leodrosia4369 true. But while they may have been incredible athletes the game of basketball was still developing and the NBA could only pay the top talent enough to do basketball full time. The other guys, while incredible athletes, had to work regular jobs. Which is absolutely fine and pretty amazing. However, they weren't yet accessible to a multi billion dollar athletic industry and culture that breeds the kind of hyper development that we've seeing over the past 30-40 years. It's like comparing Eminem battle rapping to the "uh-huh-huh-huh-huh" battle rap of the late 70s to mid 80s. Eminem would rap circles around those dudes using patterns and rhyme schemes they'd never even dream of. Doesn't mean they weren't talented. Doesn't mean if growing up in the same era they wouldn't be as skilled. Just means they were the best of their time and that's it.
@@3d1k3 I have not seen someone with wilts combination of speed, size, stamina, strength or in horse racing any horse that has come close to secretariats 1973 combined triple crown times ...Rick Barry was saying he would be much quicker using modern training. Anyways, I just do not like a scrub like Redick disrespecting past legends who played under much tougher conditions, celtic fan. Let's put Redick back in late 50s, early 60s nd see how he does vs the cooz, havlicek, sam Jones, kc,Tommy, Satch Sanders, Bill Sharman , Frank Ramsay .
@@leodrosia4369 the point I think people are missing is that Reddick didn't dis Cousy. He was speaking about his competition. Wilt is a once in a lifetime talent. No doubt. But the competition wasn't as strong. And this was in response to Mad Dog saying Chris Paul wasn't as good as Cousy. That's an unfair comparison. The league was barely integrated at the time. That's a valid point in my opinion. But it's unfair to compare any player from any era because there is no fair way to compare. It will never be apples to apples or 1 for 1. There will always be context or nuance that complicate the comparison.
Even the black players back then we're fundamently better. Moses Malone, Oscar Robertson and Dr J were amazing players. And there was no rap music back then. Generationally better all around.
Cousy would not have been a hall of famer if he played in the 80s, 90s, 2000s or 2010s but he would still be serviceable and good if he had all the modern day things that help the modern day player. And he should be respected as should all players from the past because without them their wouldn't be an NBA. They were the foundation for the league and as such should be respected for it.
Agree. He wouldn't have been Nash or Price, he couldn't dribble with his off hand and was a poor shooter, where other players that era could. He'd be more like Eric Snow. 😂
I think the NBA and college basketball games were much better in the 1960s and 1970s. There was more team play, better passing, the outlet pass. Most teams had a center that played with his back to the basket and had a hook shot, turn around bank shot. Dr. J and Magic Johnson were of course AMAZING but looking back they were bad for the game. Having a 6-9 point guard like Magic Johnson who played all positions, this took away from the smaller point guards like Cousy or just disciplined guards like Oscar Robertson that directed the attack. Everything is about dunking now and the officials just don't call traveling anymore, players can take 3 steps, jump up, come down then spring up to dunk. Nope - this isn't any kind of traditional basketball. I remember when the college basketball authorities banned the dunk shot - pretty much targeting Kareem Jabar, then Lew Alcindor. The unstated reason was that the game was getting too "urban" (Black) and country boys from Kentucky and Indiana were being marginalized. Kareem Jabar could have thrown tantrums and screamed "That's RACIST" (Yeah it was). Instead he took the opportunity to learn, perfect his sky hook shot the most devastating offensive weapon in basketball history. Good for him. Todays NBA players including this punk JJ Redick are kind of spoiled in my opinion . I prefer the college and NBA basketball of the 1960s and 1970s.
Bro……this segment is disingenuous as hell and for what it’s worth JJ was right. Wasn’t a shot Thrown by JJ and the players today by in large would wash the players back then hard stop. That’s not a shot at their legacy the skills learned nutrition work outs specialization from the time they where little to just an evolution in genetics.
THANK YOU! 👏👏 They make the assumption Cousy would've become a better shooter in a different era, well there's a good chance he wouldn't have too! We said the same about Ben Simmons when he was first drafted, he might be worse now. Ain't no one-hand dribbling, poor shooting PG a star in any other era.
@Kevin K bill Russell is 6ft9in 215…..Bron is “listed” at 6ft9in 275 bigger Wilt was 7ft1in 250+ Shaq is 7ft1in 300+ what are you talking about, the athletes are bigger stronger faster and have more specialization earlier on in their development. Kyrie would cook Bon Cousey, KD would serve up anyone from any era.
They were the best firemen , plumbers and don't forget War Veterans ever. Thank you Bob.Cousy
plus this generation travels… all the time… even look at Magic Johnson, he never traveled nor palmed the ball when he dribbled…
imagine if some of those past players had the nutrition, equipment, medicine… besides being able to travel. Wilt would be unstoppable…
@@belchmelch
It looks like J.J Reddick has found a tool, as for getting attention, which is; "Making Blind Critical Comments", and using his "NBA
Veteran Tag" as a prop!
Lol
Pro players up through the 70s needed off-season jobs because they weren't multimillionaires.
Every player carries the ball and travels on a layup.
They didn't train as much, didn't have the best diets, worked second jobs.
I love what Bob Cousy said, he schooled JJ Reddick " we had the Best firemen and plumbers ever ". The guy is 90 years old 😂😂🤣🤣
He's buggin with that...cousy is a career 36% shooter, with no fuckin left hand!!! JJ is a elite shooter, you really can't believe that shit!!!
@@antonpalmer-smith4829 lmao you forgot to mention one guy played in the 50s and 60s when even the sport of basketball was relatively new and the other guy retired not too long ago , really helps to be a player 60 years in the future with all the advanced tech, medicine, nutrition and training
@@Redeemedmed exactly...that's cousy's ego talking Lol
@@antonpalmer-smith4829 im not agreeing with you lmao im talking about why you are wrong hahaha
@@Redeemedmed oh...you're a idiot...you're dumb ass doesn't even realize, that what YOU said is exactly why there is no comparison between the 50's and 60's...compared to now...fuckin dickhead
People forget Bill Russell ended his career in the 1969 season which formally ended in the 1970 calendar year, only 9 years prior to Magic Johnson’s rookie season! Wilt Chamberlain retired less than 9 years prior to Michael Jordan being drafted.
It’s wildly disrespectful what JJ Redick said.
@@rogerbahakel8130
Can you edit that. I don't understand you
What you wrote is so true! All too often, people very much neglect the fact that there were/are players who overlap & connect 1 generation to the next. Just as you rightly pointed out, there was only a 9 year window between the end of the Russell-Chamberlain era & the beginning of the Bird-Magic era.
W/out a doubt, there were players whose careers linked those 2 eras together, & can attest to the greatness of players from both generations … not that bench player/know it all J.J. Redick would acknowledge those men - some of whom may be Hall of Famers themselves, like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, Rick Barry, etc - never mind give them their due respect!
Redick should just thank Bob Cousy for laying the foundation for successive generations of NBA players to be able, fiscally, to play basketball as a well-paying PROFESSION, so that they don’t have to work side jobs in their off-seasons … then he should shut his arrogant mouth!
Redick should also, maybe, try to gain some perspective on basically EVERYTHING, but in particular, how significantly his life has been blessed bc of the sacrifices & successes of men like Bob Cousy … but I very much doubt that he’d deign to do so.
@@ks9610 Exactly
pbs.twimg.com/media/EZ0xja8XgAI1lfC?format=jpg&name=medium
So what? Steph curry transformed the league in 10 years. There are a bunch of players from 2012 that could not make an nba team today. Teams are demanding shooting from 40 feet for big men now. 7 footers have to have crossover dibbles. 10 years is a lot of time.
Whatch a basketball clip from 1950 and compare it to 1965. Total transformation.
@@firstlast9916 in 1950 George Mikan and Joe Fulks were scoring 25+ a game and getting 40+ many nights... 😉
I was a young kid in the mid-50s and I absolutely loved watching the Celtics on black & white tv play whomever their opponent was. They defined team basketball with the rapid passing of the ball, stellar team defense, and team cohesiveness. They were so good it made me love basketball and want to be an NBA player until I went to college and realized that it was a pipe dream. Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Sam Jones, K. C. Jones, Tommy Heinsohn, and all the role players for their championship teams were just incredible to watch. And they had something intangible that you just don't see today in professional athletes: loyalty to their team and the city of Boston that loved them so much.
People simply don't understand.they see the modern euro step, and they see the crazy dribbling moves and they say the game has evolved because of it. but they fail to recognize that those moves wouldn't fly in those older eras.
I have a theory that as we evolve as a society we have far more distractions. I would argue players put more time into their craft back then than they do now.
As Elgin Baylor said..."If you were to allow Oscar Robertson to 'carry-over' or 'travel' like today's players, you'd literally see an unstoppable player." [paraphrase]
Imagine if Wilt played today he would be allowed to take 2 steps forward and 1 Euro step to the side. Hell he would average 100 points a game.
@@arthurbarber7546 Especially if he gathered from center court like Giannis 🤣
Baylor, Robertson, and Walt Frazier would still be all stars superstars today. They have enough athleticism, lateral quickness, and ball handling to make it today. Sorry Bob, I don’t see you making it today!
I was thinking the same thing....my dad used to always say Magic "carried" the ball everytime and dudes would travel all the time. Cousy & Oscar played a different game. Can't compare era's ....only can judge against your contemporaries.
@@DeeNice681 Cousy played fine against Baylor and Robertson..remember he was still winning championships and playing at a high level in the early 60's past his prime! Baylor and West NEVER beat them and Oscar couldn't even make it to the Finals till he teamed with Kareem in '70!
I love how casuals call other people casuals. Bob Cousy was a 13 nba all star, 10 time All nba first team,2 time nba second time, 1 MVP, and 6 time NBA Champion. Bob Cousy and Bill Russell won championships over Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, Bob Pettit, Wilt Chamberlin and Hal Greer ( so underrated), and the Big O. I also would like to point out the Cousy along with other players start a union( the Players Association) so that the guys who had to work jobs in the offseason could make more playing basketball. I am sure not every young guy is as ungrateful as JJ Reddick they are probably grateful for the multimillion dollar contracts they get because of those old timers like Bob Cousy. But then again Mr. Reddick sounds like a typical classist person who looks down at people who have manual labor jobs like plumbers, carpenters, and butchers etc...
Older generation shits on the younger generation every chance they get, younger generation makes one little joke and now the old heads blew out their diapers. Only reason JJ went there is because people like Mad Dog (who the old heads just absolutely adore) CONSTANTLY disrespects players from the younger generation like they wouldn’t absolutely kill everybody in the 50’s 60’s and 70’s. Just like you old heads want your greats to be respected, we’d like ours to be respected too. Go back and actually listen to why JJ said what he said and tell me BOTH guys weren’t be disrespectful to BOTH eras.
Most of that was with few black guys in the league.
@@gregorywillis8400 so?
@@gregorywillis8400 whether the number of black players was whatever it was back then, look up some of his highlights. The way he was passing to teammates was something no one else in his era was doing. Reminds me of a prime Jason Kidd. I had only heard of him but never saw his highlights until now.
Lol jj reddick would be a goat in that Era and I’m young and I know bird and magic and Jordan is the real reason the nba is where it’s at not because players pre 1980 lol and sure some great players but you also act like the old heads are respectable when it comes to the new gen ,they constantly disrespect the talent and skill in this era and twist shit like defense for there agenda and narrative ,jj didn’t say anything disrespectful but facts and only thing that was off was acting like they all had jobs like that which isn’t true but in general the main argument is cp3 and Cousy ,Cousy literally came out a college in my city which nobody does that tells me everything I need to know about that era and the talent and skill level ,and Cousy can definitely pass but bruh can barely dribble left handed and shoot I mean these guys shot 37 percent and it’s not because the defense was that crazy the era just sucked and the few great players shot well and had insane numbers like Oscar west wilt ,even russell is one of the most overrated players ever this guy Would be Ben Wallace in this era 😂good player but nothing to crazy and mind you these great players had some insane inflated stats because how the era was jj has also said any great player can play in any era .. it ain’t that deep
JJ Reddick is the 2012 7th man of the year runner up. He can never disrespect Bob Cousy
2012? Are you forgetting about his 2020 ESPN Award for the only active player to have made the NBA playoffs for 13 straight seasons without a ring 🔥 JJ is the GOAT of this era
@@adequatequality JJ read a poem he wrote on live air about being bullied by fans in college.
We’ll said bravo 👏 bravo
@@mdro434 lol I forgot I said that. Now we get to see him lead the Lakers to another first round exit
Boy, he's still super sharp. God bless him.
It almost brought a tear to my eye.. no I didn't get to watch his Era play I was born in 91 but the reason it made me get emotional I think about the pain and sacrifice they went through in those days and combine that with the NBA Street Vol.2 Nostalgia that introduced me to players like Bob Cousy himself, Elgin Baylor, Connie Hawkins, Jerry West etc.
Remember the banner that used to say "I love this Game" I miss real Basketball and I wanna shout out all the vets who came before my favs from the 90s and 2000s.. peace!!! From North Carolina
The thing that always gets ignored is that the development programs, nutrition, injury management, etc. are so much more advanced. If the old time players came up in today's game they would be just fine. They were the elite athletes of their era, and they would be elite athletes in any era with the same resources. I like a lot of what Redick does, and he was coming from a point of view where modern players are getting dissed by the older players and that bias came out and he took it too far.
Larry Bird would destroy jj Reddick in any era! And any player from the 60s-2000s would
How often do the old heads in media continually berate and diminish todays players. The argument does not go both ways smh
Clumsy Smurf that’s 80s and 90s players
@@Nyjeezy yep, the old heads saying this era is terrible are wrong and so is JJ Reddick
🤣 no matter what they did genetics wins most were too slow
For someone in their 90's, Bob sounds great.
Thank you for this. Redick is a fool. And props to Cousy for his astute retort.
JJ was right tho, hes just salty coz its true.. players had jobs and basketball was more of a side gig.. JJ just spoke the truth.. he didnt say that with the intention of throwing shade at Bob, hes intention was to argue about CP3's greatness..
youdumphuqq
He ain't no fool, but he said something dumb.
@@paulorivera1569 that's true, but it is true of all professional sports during that era. I remember the backs of my baseball and football cards letting me know what each individual player did during the off season.
@@paulorivera1569 his comments were disrespectful and I’d say unintelligent . The irony is , who cares about JJ and no one will know who he is in 10 years but Cousy will be remembered .
It's about respecting your past and putting things into perspective. Nothing happens a success overnight. Everything starts small, and a continuous build up to what it is today. So, to disrespect the players in the 60s is just like disrespecting what they helped built today.
100% overall in society we need to show the elderly’s generation and accomplishments a lot more respect.
But that argument doesn’t go both ways. Ppl constantly say ppl in the 80s and 90s would have dominated todays game. Like athletes today don’t work as hard at their craft like the olds did.
This goes both ways
@@factthatdude4059 THANK YOU!! It goes both ways. Older generation disrespects and discredits the younger generation literally every chance they get but we’re just supposed to get on our knees and worship them lol
Lol “respect your elders” cool.. still doesn’t change the fact that JJ had point. Bob Cousy gets cooked by ja morant tf let alone Chris Paul. Just use your eyes 😂😂 the man is doing a fucking hook shot in chucks from what looks like the foul line ! Gtfoh
I like the way he said some show like he doesn’t know it was first take😂😂😂😂😂
They literally in hard soled converses back then, imagine the toll it took on their spines and knees. I know guys who can even shoot around in converses without their feet hurting after 15 mins
did you mean you know guys that can't even shoot around in converse without their feet hurting after 15 mins?
💯 Most played on asphalt before they played in gyms.
Glad to see the OGs still got that fire.
Excellent points, guys! The fact that these players in this era laid the foundation and built the association cannot be overlooked. That alone is worth a subscribe!
As Chris Broussard said in his show, if Bob Cousy had the benefit of today's NBA technology and other stuff, he would've been as skilled as Chris Paul, or might have been better. Remember, Cousy can dribble and pass the ball like Magic Johnson IN THE EFFIN 50s and 60s!!!
I just don't get it. All a person would need to do is give them the shoes of today. It's fricken basketball. Great basketball will always be.... Great basketball. People make me laugh. You can either play basketball or you can't in ANY era.
@@bettyrose959people really thought that humans today are super robots compared to the humans back then lol give then modern training then they will playing like that too if not better
@@dxtremecaliber Modern training? It's basketball. Bet you played that game. You don't think you could today? Anyway, all they needed was the shoes. Go play a week in Chuck Taylors and get back to me. It's still basketball. You can either play it, or you can't. Act like Babe Ruth couldn't hit a baseball today. It's still baseball. smh.
I love JJ Redicks commentary and analysis for the most part. He's the last guy to call players of that era fireman and plumbers cause he would qualify as todays era of a fireman or plumber. Dude averaged 12 PTS, 2 ASSISTS AND 2 REB in his career, man stop it
And didn't play a lick of defense, and that's an insult to them! He would qualify as a greeter at Walmart!
@@pieceocake7766 🤣🤣
I agree but just like Kyle Korver he brought a specific skillset. Doesn't give him the right to disrespect the legends and pioneers tho, Cousy made passing cool
Red dick forever a plumber
@@ch.illmatic bro put it like this if
We going by what reddick said he would avg 7 pts in that era with no 3pt line 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Love Cousy, one of the greatest point guards of all time!!!! one of my favorite players of all time as well
Interesting guy to converse with too
Lol Michael just called First Take “some show”😂😂😂
Mr. Bob had it right, mediocre players trying to make a name for themselves and get attention in this talk sh** era. One thing is to do it on the court with your opponent to win the game; it's a completely different thing to do it to hype yourself and try to get a check.
Reddick is a nitwit.. who was a very marginal talent
These firemen and plumbers were my childhood basketball heroes.
Cousy mentioned about half the Lakers roster, and I got to see them play in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Basketball was just as tough back in the day than it is now.
Shoutout bob he’s got the receipts🧾🤣🤣
Back in 1950 they didn't have all the steroids, HGH, and peptide proteins that the players have today.
Nah. Just drinking beer and smoking cigars in locker rooms was great for peak athleticism
All fantastic takes on the subject. This is the kind of discussion we get so rarely anymore. Much respect to both men.
Still sharp as a tack. Gotta respect it.
Of course they had full time jobs, they didn't make big money back then, that's when men were 100%real, Jack Dempsey had a full time job then boxed 20 rds on the weekend, how can you ever diss that
Steve Nash won back to back MVPs in the mid 2000s and never made a dunk in his career. In fact he only attempted 1 dunk which he missed. You mean at a time when Duncan, Kobe, KG, and many other great athletic players were at their primes, not even including a young Lebron. They let that small unathletic guy get 2 mvps? It’s almost like the game is more than athleticism.
lol so many people think that’s the end all be all. I’m sure they’re loving Luca
Great point
@@FB-ch5yz I mean look who’s the 2X reigning mvp. A dude who looks like a Serbian farmer. Yet he’s so damn smart and efficient. That’s why Jokic is regarded (rightfully so) as one of the games very best today.
Wouldnt say steve nash wasnt atheltic.. he was really quick and fast. Not saying he was dunkin but you aint gotta be dunking to be athletic. Just sayin
You got to be kidding, Nash is athletic basketball, and soccer/
I just clicked on this video without realizing this was JA and Michael Holley! Two of my favorites from the glory days of Around the Horn. Very good points. I'm a huge history buff when it comes to the NBA. So much respect for what Cousy brought to the game. The Celtics really created the fast break, and Cousy was throwing passes never before seen in the early years of the NBA. He brought excitement and magic to a sport that was trying to establish itself as something that was worth fans investing in. I love the game today, and enjoy diving into all the footage and information about the past as well. But the debt of gratitude owed to the pioneers like Cousy, Mikan, Wilt, Oscar, Pettit, Russell, Wilt, Elgin, West, and the like is truly beyond measure. The NBA could have folded pretty easily, but these guys made it viable so the next generations could take it further. Much respect.
The young ppl will understand one day when people start calling Lebron average in 2075 no these ppl are amazing for the era respect the legacies
Lebron would be average in the 90's
Except for Jordan...who was the greatest of ALL eras, hence GOAT.
I met Mr. Cousy about 10 years ago when I was his guide and hostess at BC’s graduation where he received an honorary degree. He’s bigger than you think and his hands are BIG. That’s how he dribbled and passed the way he did. VIPs from Boston College transformed into little kids when they saw him. “Mr. Cousy, big fan. Can I get a picture?” Over and over all afternoon. I’ve met and been around many famous people but I’ve never seen that kind of reaction. He is a LEGEND!
Mr. Cousy spanked dat ass
With the LOGO Builders
Just say,
Yessir and keep it movin JJ
what stewpid comments
Great commentary on a tough subject. Thanks guys.
Its not a tough subject at all. You either adopt a historical perspective with respect, or you operate under ignorance like the JJ redicks of the world. People like him choose to be assholes.
I'm pretty sure that if you put Cousy in today's game with modern training and nutrition he'd be a very good player.
John 'Stockton esque!
Yeah! He would be a monster even in his 80’s!
Of course he would... What team would cut him
I am so glad he mentioned Elgin Baylor. One of the top sf to ever play and not mentioned very often. He was something else
Paul is not. Better then cosey won 10 rings Paul chokes in all the big games not even close look it up jj
I believe 60 years from now, nobody will mention JJ Reddick, but they will still talk about Wilt, Russell & Bob Cousy.
lol bro nobody talks about JJ now. He's more relevant for commentator/podcast than actual play.
Legends and greats had the utmost respect for each other.. it is to be expected for JJ Redick to belittle Bob Cousy... Because he was neither great or a legend😮😮😮
I’m 39 years old
I heard of Bob Cousy in the 80s
& never forgot
He’s considered one of the greatest players of all time
JJ is considered as being one of two to three thousand or more best players of all time
I'm 25 I first heard of cousy in 2006 in the nba greatest moments movie
i DON'T SEE THAT IS THE ISSUE. Bob C took offense it seems because JJ referred to the firemen and plumbers like it was a slight diss. It's just A GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCE THAT HE DIDNT THINK THROUGH. I'm sure he didn't mean any disrespect. Several of today's players could have just said that because they never lived in that 1950s world EVEN THROUGH THEIR PARENTS like I did.
And JJ Redick was a better basketball player.
Jj reddick would drop 50 on cousys head
Jj isnt on anyones list, hes a 12ppg career player. Hes a joke
When today's players play in Chuck Taylor's, we would get to see just how "athletic" they are. The character of the old players is far above the trash we have now.
If the old time players had the advantages of today’s players there is no telling how good they would be. Not only the shoes but all the advances technology of equipment, nutrition, training, medical procedures including rehabilitation of injuries, better travel conditions and contracts where players make enough that they don’t need jobs outside of basketball to support their families. Not only those advancements but the fact the game is called a lot different today. The players today would be called for traveling and carrying over every single possession. If the old time players were allowed to handle the ball like today’s players do they would be unstoppable. Could you imagine the big O or Elgin Baylor being allowed to take five steps and carry the ball over instead of hand having to be on top of the ball?
@@jimmulcahey9312 The JJ Redicks of the world forget that rules were actually enforced before Jordan started dunking from the free throw line. Palming being called would turn these guys into average looking athletes.
Yes Bob Cousy. Thank you for saying it to this no talent JJ . He was a sub par player. Hr cant even prololong his nba carrer. Disrespectful dude. In our caountry he is even a known player.
Great job Bob Cousy. Big facts sir.
Cousy has such a cool name
& a cool soul it seems
All I know is one can tell a lot about how somebody feels about themselves on how they treat other people. Unfortunately JJ never hang around to one place long enough to make a difference. I love how Bob Cousy talked about all these firemen all of them Hall of Famer’s. Beautiful
I honestly think those players would have done well in this era with everything available to them today.
HOF Player who contributed to the legacy of the NBA. JJ was out of pocket.
JJ Reddick was a role player in the 2000’s who wouldn’t be able to get off the bench in the 60’s the game was more physical the pace was extremely fast and there was no 3 point the lane was extremely packed and we know JJ Reddick isn’t finishing at the rim in traffic
So if he walks on a court without lines he just stops being able to shoot.
If you dropped JJ from the 2000's in the 60's, he might avg near 30. If you dropped Cousy from the 60's in the 2000's we'd say, "Who??"😂 He wouldn't even make the GLeague.
lmao what stewpidazz comments. reddick would school those bums
@@na_k dumb take. If Cousy was born in 2000 he’d still have more talent and skill than JJ. He’d just grow up shooting the ball with different form and practicing different movements. That’s why this whole argument is dumb and not even worth opening.
@@na_k ok scooter.. you are a nitwit
That was Bob Cousy, 94-year old former NBA star, breaking JJ Redick's "new media ankles" just as surely as he would have broken JJ's physical ankles back in the day. Cousy actually sounds mentally sharper than JJ.
With apologies to Pat Riley: "If needed someone to make shot to win a game, I'd pick Michael Jordan. If I needed someone to make a shot to save my life, I'd pick Larry Bird. But if -- in order to stop Thano from snapping his fingers and destroying the universe -- I needed someone to make an global/viral ass out of himself in less than 15 seconds, I'd pick JJ Redick.
One of the First Basketball shoes was a Bob Cousy - Bob Cousy was very much like the Later Steve Nash - and Lastly he was Known as the Houdini of the Hardwood - and he was a Leader on one of the Greatest Teams of all time- what a Marvel he was and is
Bob was invited to the Harlem Globetrotters for his skill with the basketball.
Great job guys
Nah Mr Cousy, respect but JJ was right. The level of competition nowadays is ridiculous. Better is better. Each generation does its part to improve the next. When that happens, the players of the current generation as a collective will outmatch their previous until there is no more room for improvement. The product that comprises the NBA keeps improving for whatever reason u may apply. There’s no way that a product that is ‘several’ generations removed is going to compare to the current era. In a vacuum this era is much better as a collective than that of Cousy’s era easy-all due respect to the greats it consists of.
Spot-on comment. This eras best high school players are better than the average 1960s role player. That's exactly what Redick was referencing.
By that same logic, you give older guys todays advantages (that are built because of the OGs) and who’s to say they couldn’t be better?
@@truth.74 To your point, this is the most open the league has ever been. There were what, 5 legit title contenders this yr? In the 60's it was what, 1 or 2?
@@na_k in the 90s there were 1 or 2 teams maybe besides the bulls. In the past 12 years same thing: Lebrons teams and maybe 1 or 2 others.
@@NujazzSince based on what?? their ability to "carry crossover" and to jump high and dunk??? doing those 2 things doesnt mean your a great basketball player
the thing is, back in Cousy's time players were selected for doing different things in order to play the basketball of their era, mainly run the floor like maniacs... the game was played horizontal instead of vertical, which is characteristic of decades afterwards, but they played at the highest pace ever.
JJ Redick wouldn't be able to play in that time for more than 3 mins without being exhausted. Cousy was certainly short, not very strong arms or shoulders, but he had very strong legs, more than Reddick's skinny ones... and he was quicker and faster than JJ Reddick, exactly the perfect athletic characteristics to play fastbreak
People are just absence of common sense. The talent pool then compared to now is astronomically different. So it stands to reason that somebody like Cousy wouldn’t br nearly as dominant.
That’s not how it works. And you ironically are the one lacking common sense lol
Kip Smithers athletes were better in the 60s. Again MORE DOESNT EQUAL BETTER
@@kingofnewyork7765 Athletes were better in the 60's??? C'mon, that's not true across any sport, lol. If you put bench PGs from today in the 60's they would torch Cousy.
@@na_k name better athletes than Bill Russell Wilt Chamberlain Jim brown and Muhammad Ali???
@@kingofnewyork7765 Muhammad Ali was the goat for his cultural impact, not his actual boxing skills. Mike Tyson would destroy him, Canelo ALvarez would destroy him. Sports evolves at a massive pace. Bill russel and WIlt Chamberlain are a generation past Cousey, and Micheal JOrdan, Giannis, Lebron James, Shaq are alll waaaaay better. ANd if you disagree then you are ignoring simple advances in basketball knowledge, medicine and overall talent.
Way to go Bob Cousy. Best come back to date and tomorrow.
Players back on the day didn’t get paid as much so they did have to work other jobs.
Not the stars
With a body count over 20,000, Wilt Chamberlain was obviously a plumber.
Those old timers didn’t get hurt and didn’t miss 1/2 games a season… that also had real world strength, not the weight lifting all the players do now to look good but seem to be injury prone
Amen, brothers! I agree with EVERYTHING you said! Reddick doesn't have a clue.
wilt was stronger faster and had more stamina than anyone in the league today.
Fans and people living in 2023 know the name Bob Cousy. The majority of the Fans and most people don't have a clue or even know the name of JJ Redick which says alot.
These two want to talk all this now but keep on constantly comparing lebron and Michael Jordan. Nothing but hypocrites out here nowadays
Ok ngl him just name dropping “we had Wilt Chamberlain” that’s pretty gangster
Imagine how much better players would be in another 40 to 50 years from now. I’m pretty sure back then they thought seen the best of all time. I get that JJ was trying to make a point but he never said with all due respect to those that played back then I believe etc. it’s 😔
I bet in 40-50 years, the NBA will draft phenoms when they enter high school..
Players now would get destroyed by 90s players, just saying it is a fact not an opinion
My issue with all retired basketball players is that they believe their era was the best.
And you bronsexuals will think the same 2 generations down the line....
@@johnnythekid4601 What????? Come on, it's cool to have a conversation without the name calling. I'm willing to have my mind changed.
I agree about this continuing for the LeBron era players. That's why I said it happens every generation.
All these players are legends and in their own way are responsible for the evolution of the game, but I wish more retired players would just admit that there is a chance that better player exists now.
For example, it bothers me when I hear retired players say Wilt would be more dominant in the 90's than when he played, but then say Jordan would get killed if he played the 60's.
Most greats would be stars in any era, like Russell, Chamberlain, Robertson, West, Baylor, but Cousy is where I draw the line, lol. Ain't no PG with a career FG% of 37.5 being effective in any other era. Think about how folks clown Russ' shooting. Westbrook is super efficient compared to that.
JJ would cook, absolutely obliterate Bob. 😂 And JJ is just a role player.
Maybe, but what's the point of all this, is it to be disrespectful, diminishing the careers of others? Reddick is a hypocrite, he sure gets upset when anyone offers criticism even mild about some of today's players. Don't be so sure Cousy wouldn't smoke him one on one, Reddicks game is trash in any era. Lol
@@dnice4145 JJ is literally one of the greatest 3 pt shooters of all time
@@dnice4145 JJ is one of the greatest college bball players of all time
@@lornegreen6755 lol, 3pt shooter? Reddick is a bum, so what if he shoots 3s that wouldn't save him in a one on one match up.
45 years from now, Kids will disrespect players of today by calling them twitch streamers and dismiss their careers.
No way J.J. Reddick could have played in Cousy's era because there was no 3 point shot and they would have hand checked him all over the court and punished him when he drove to the basket. And the talent was more concentrated because there were less teams.
You are sooo right... Jerry west and John havlicek would have destroyed him
Mr. Cousy was a legend , JJ was not. Coach Wanzer was pretty damn good too.
Professional sports didn't pay big time wages until the late 60's and 70's. Guys played it for the love of the game and not much else. That's why they played hard.
I don't understand how having a secondary job while in the National Basketball Association somehow discredits the player's talent. So what if they are plumbers? Or firemen? Comments like these are only there to discredit the greats of the past.
Shaq was a police officer too.
Your right
Remember the three point wasn't around in that time, so what would some of the players scoring averages would have been? I remember hearing my dad hearing my dad my borned 48' talking about all these players Cosy talked about.
Mic drop on 'em, Mr. Cousy! He only WISHES that folks will remember him as being even a fraction of the CHAMPION that you are!
You didn’t watch the full JJ clip and respectfully have no idea what you’re talking about.
@@siniister710 Actually, sir, I DID, and, respectfully, rather than address you speaking out of turn, we'll just see if folks agree with you...I KNOW they won't!
@@HughJorgan09 no those who watched the clip very well know yall bullshit. Cause cousins was not a champion until segregation was OVER IN THE NBA🤣🤣🤣
@@HughJorgan09 nah you didn’t and you embarrass yourself casual
Unreal that Bob Cousy refers to Wilt Chamberlain as a small forward. He knows ball - that's the archytype that's valued today. Wilt could really do it all.
I like how we casually forget that pro basketball (all the sports especially when you get into the racial aspects) use to basically be an uber paycheck, its was a benefit to those who had the talent and skills but most had to work some other job...like it Glory Road, dude recruited a player straight from his coal mine job lmao
You can pick apart any era, including today. If today's players actually had to FOLLOW the game rules that players in the 50's and 60's and even 70's did, they wouldn't have some of the stats they do.
Your right . The travel today extra steps . No palming called . No hand checking
As a 75 year old lifelong Basketball Player, Fan and still State finals High School coach, it amazes me the almost complete ignorance of history. I loved JJ as a Magic fan and always appreciated his Burning desire to excel. However Wilt would Freak him out if he had to deal with him in any way. Plus Time Warp your ass Back to that time and nature of lthe game. I’ve seen it all and the game is Still Fantastically Beautiful, all derived from a Coach with a peach basket. Damm...
you mean when the bronsexuals say if he played in the 60's hed average 80 points a game on 100% shooting because nobody was athletic enough to stop him from scoring at will?
You'd probably make a better analyst than JJ's dumb ass.
Wilt never err r freak out he would crush any modern player. I learn my game from him from john wooden ucla coach wilt was condition to out play in every way any player in his prime.i have not seen any other player better another player next to wilt piston pete and then kareem .you got to be kidding.
John havlicek would rip reddick apart . So would Rick Barry and Jerry west
@@johnnythekid4601 he would get hammered back in the day.. could he mentally adjust to that
He said he wasn't going to respond but he responded.
Respectfully JJ is right and his comments were completely taken out of context. Mad dog keeps yapping about how players in the 60’s were better and JJ finally got tired of it.
@Kevin K cousy couldn’t even dribble with his left hand, he always had to go right when driving to the basket 🙄 it’s not just athleticism and equipment, players’ ACTUAL SKILLS back then were shockingly primitive compared to today
Today's players are one dimensional are you kidding me lmfao, at least compared to 90s
Wilt Chamberlain was offered to play until he was in his 50s
That means he would have played against all time greats like Magic, Jordan,Bird,Hakeem and so many more!
You just know that J.J Redick doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about
There always be talent in any era they just adjust to the era they play in
Your right.. the stars of any era would excel in any era
Put Kareem in this generation of basketball players and you'd see him excelling still
Of course... John havlicek would destroy todays guys too
It's really simple. Bob Cousy was the pinnacle of his sport when he played. No matter what anyone does after him, you can't take away what Cousy did in HIS time. I understand when Bill Burr makes this joke, but I expect better from guys in the league. Why disrespect Cousy?
Older generation disrespects and discredits the younger generation any chance they get and that’s in sports, music AND film. It’s so nauseating listening to how “the old days will always be better than today” shits so obnoxious. Soon as we say something we’re out of pocket lol fuck that
@@trearmstead2960 thank you!
I never heard NBA Legends like Jordan, Bird and Magic said bad things about 50s and 60s Old School NBA Players. They paid respect.
Why are you saying that the league is stronger, and bigger? Why does media create those silly narratives? Dude Wilt played 48,5 minutes per game, in game that had much more possessions, and timeouts of 1 minute, not 3-4 minutes timeouts like nowadays. People didn't get injured like today, because they were much stronger and durable. Wilt jumped over 40+ inches at 7' 1, could bench press at least 500 pounds, and was as fast as John Wall, bill Russell was similar in athleticism. Who now is on that level? No one. You are talking that players nowadays are bigger also, that's one of the biggest lies. You saw a video of 70+ old Jerry west who was 6'3, next to 6'9 Paul George, did that look like 6 inches difference, plus Jerry shrank. Players were taller, much stronger, much more durable, and it was all natural, now everyone is on peds.
West wasn't 6'3" in the NBA, he was 6'5.5"-6'6.25" with the arm length of a 6'9" guy. That was his freshman year college listed height, then he had 1 last growth spurt and never bothered to correct his listing. On the other end Paul George isn't 6'9", he's 6'7.75" without shoes and that's official NBA combine measurement.
Truth is the number of guys in the NBA that are a legit 6'9" or taller is extremely low as it's always been.
I saw them play west at 80 a few years back as laker general manager actually lift shaq off his feet to calm him down when he was destroying a bathroom. He stop shaq and lifted him off his feet. This is a fact ...
@@johnhenry2903 Dude go to basketball reference, and check how tall was Jerry west. 6'3'', 190 pounds heavy. Paul George is not taller than 6'5, maybe 6'6. First check, than talk.
Players back than were taller, faster, quicker, more agile, more durable and stronger.
Players today jump higher, and nothing else physically.
Bet money JJ didn't know Bob Cousy was still alive😆
Cousy cooked JJ with class
He just named some of the greatest NBA players of all time including himself.
Old guys rattling off a hundred names is my favorite thing.
Facts over emotion dummy
You mean like John havlicek... Rick Barry.. wilt.. Oscar.. Russell... Baylor.. educate yourself
JJ Reddick ......comment was disrespectful and Ludacris. A so so player who never made an impact on any games he played😂😂😂.
Lol those weren’t the “firemen” he was talking about. Good spin though.
JJ Redick would be a lot closer to the "firemen" category than he would be to Wilt, Russell, Oscar, Baylor, West, etc.
Bingo! Cousy named the greats, that's still only what, 10 names? What about the rest, Bob?? Lol
@@rulerzigzag those ARE NOT the players JJ was talking about. He’s talking about guys like Al Ferrari and Mel Nowell.
@@BNA_Est.1988 And JJ Redick's skill level is closer to those guys than it is to Wilt, Russell, West, Cous, etc.
@@rulerzigzagyou’re mad at the messenger rather than breaking down the context of the message. JJ is 10x better than those guys I mention. The point of it all is that the floor of today’s NBA is better than the floor of what guys like Cousy played.
My top five point guards of all time:
Magic Johnson
Oscar Robertson
Isaiah Thomas
John Stockton
Bob Cousy
The people who trash Bob Cousy or the era he played in don't understand how special he was. He set the standard for the point guard position in the 50's, which makes him a revolutionary player. And damn right, the greats of the past would do just fine in today's game with the improvements in fitness programs and medicine. There is no question they would all make an impact, because they would adapt to the game as it's currently being played. And one more thing: The likes of Jerry West or Pete Maravich would destroy teams from three. They'd be raining jumpers all night long. And if you challenged them out there, they'd just blow by you.
I think JJ meant no disrespect. It was that he was trying to push back on when ppl say the ole. Well back in the day they were tough. Played through injury. Never complained. JJ probably let his emotions blurt it out. Cause if u seen Mad Dogs takes a lot of time especially when doing top list with Stephen A. He usually chooses the elder statesmen. . He apparently respects and enjoys there era .
Most of the players in that era were college grads unlike today's players. They had better jobs than firemen and plumbers.
In terms of the idea the 90s were the best "cause they could hand check" that's a good cause. The idea NBA players those first few decades were "plumbers and firemen" opposed to the best college players of their respective years(same as today) is just pure slander. NBA players weren't compensated the same but their path to the league largely was. The founding of the NBA in 1947 is still within living memory and people act as if they playing with the dinosaurs. People act as if Wilt Chamberlain is some sort of biblical figure.
@@arthurbarber7546 You disrespecting firemen and plumbers??
JJ's having nightmares this is too funny
The truth hurts , there was a few great players sprinkled around a 8 or 9 team league but you guys are failing to realize who those greats were playing against , they were regular dudes with real jobs , we've all seen the documentaries and videos of how the league was just starting out and they were literally taking guys off the streets , every ball player back then wasn't a world class athelete
Exactly! In today's game the last guy on the bench was likely a star player in his highschool or played AAU. Was highly recruited. Maybe went to a D1 or D2 college and now can't get minutes in the NBA because the talent pool is so deep. It just wasnt that way back in the 50s 60s and 70s. It's not that the guys back then weren't great. Just watching film you can see the skill level of even the bench players (thank you ESPN Classic). But talent wise they weren't playing against a league full of former highschool all stars and NCAA powerhouses. The talent pool is just deeper now. That fact does not negate or disrespect the talent of the greats from the prior eras.
There were only 100 nba jobs in early 60s and only the absolute best college players in a country of 150 m would even be considered for a tryout although there should've been more blacks.
@@leodrosia4369 true. But while they may have been incredible athletes the game of basketball was still developing and the NBA could only pay the top talent enough to do basketball full time. The other guys, while incredible athletes, had to work regular jobs. Which is absolutely fine and pretty amazing. However, they weren't yet accessible to a multi billion dollar athletic industry and culture that breeds the kind of hyper development that we've seeing over the past 30-40 years.
It's like comparing Eminem battle rapping to the "uh-huh-huh-huh-huh" battle rap of the late 70s to mid 80s. Eminem would rap circles around those dudes using patterns and rhyme schemes they'd never even dream of. Doesn't mean they weren't talented. Doesn't mean if growing up in the same era they wouldn't be as skilled. Just means they were the best of their time and that's it.
@@3d1k3 I have not seen someone with wilts combination of speed, size, stamina, strength or in horse racing any horse that has come close to secretariats 1973 combined triple crown times ...Rick Barry was saying he would be much quicker using modern training. Anyways, I just do not like a scrub like Redick disrespecting past legends who played under much tougher conditions, celtic fan. Let's put Redick back in late 50s, early 60s nd see how he does vs the cooz, havlicek, sam Jones, kc,Tommy, Satch Sanders, Bill Sharman , Frank Ramsay .
@@leodrosia4369 the point I think people are missing is that Reddick didn't dis Cousy. He was speaking about his competition. Wilt is a once in a lifetime talent. No doubt. But the competition wasn't as strong. And this was in response to Mad Dog saying Chris Paul wasn't as good as Cousy. That's an unfair comparison. The league was barely integrated at the time. That's a valid point in my opinion. But it's unfair to compare any player from any era because there is no fair way to compare. It will never be apples to apples or 1 for 1. There will always be context or nuance that complicate the comparison.
Bob Cousy was the original Pistol Pete. Not bad for a plumber.
Respect the past, but don’t ignore what the real world was like during that time period.
Even the black players back then we're fundamently better. Moses Malone, Oscar Robertson and Dr J were amazing players. And there was no rap music back then. Generationally better all around.
Yes indeed
Cousy would not have been a hall of famer if he played in the 80s, 90s, 2000s or 2010s but he would still be serviceable and good if he had all the modern day things that help the modern day player. And he should be respected as should all players from the past because without them their wouldn't be an NBA. They were the foundation for the league and as such should be respected for it.
If Cousy was born in the 80s who's to say he wouldn't develop an 80s quality game? There is no need to compare eras.
Bob Cousy would have been Steve Nash (at best) or Mark Price (at worst, which is still All star level) if he played in any era past the 80s.
Agree. He wouldn't have been Nash or Price, he couldn't dribble with his off hand and was a poor shooter, where other players that era could. He'd be more like Eric Snow. 😂
@@na_k Exactly.
He would still have been a hall of Famer playing with those dreadful celtics.
I think the NBA and college basketball games were much better in the 1960s and 1970s. There was more team play, better passing, the outlet pass. Most teams had a center that played with his back to the basket and had a hook shot, turn around bank shot.
Dr. J and Magic Johnson were of course AMAZING but looking back they were bad for the game. Having a 6-9 point guard like Magic Johnson who played all positions, this took away from the smaller point guards like Cousy or just disciplined guards like Oscar Robertson that directed the attack.
Everything is about dunking now and the officials just don't call traveling anymore, players can take 3 steps, jump up, come down then spring up to dunk.
Nope - this isn't any kind of traditional basketball.
I remember when the college basketball authorities banned the dunk shot - pretty much targeting Kareem Jabar, then Lew Alcindor. The unstated reason was that the game was getting too "urban" (Black) and country boys from Kentucky and Indiana were being marginalized.
Kareem Jabar could have thrown tantrums and screamed "That's RACIST" (Yeah it was). Instead he took the opportunity to learn, perfect his sky hook shot the most devastating offensive weapon in basketball history. Good for him.
Todays NBA players including this punk JJ Redick are kind of spoiled in my opinion . I prefer the college and NBA basketball of the 1960s and 1970s.
You make some great points
Bro……this segment is disingenuous as hell and for what it’s worth JJ was right. Wasn’t a shot Thrown by JJ and the players today by in large would wash the players back then hard stop. That’s not a shot at their legacy the skills learned nutrition work outs specialization from the time they where little to just an evolution in genetics.
No he wasn’t dummy learn the strict rules from the 60s
THANK YOU! 👏👏 They make the assumption Cousy would've become a better shooter in a different era, well there's a good chance he wouldn't have too! We said the same about Ben Simmons when he was first drafted, he might be worse now. Ain't no one-hand dribbling, poor shooting PG a star in any other era.
@Kevin K bill Russell is 6ft9in 215…..Bron is “listed” at 6ft9in 275 bigger Wilt was 7ft1in 250+ Shaq is 7ft1in 300+ what are you talking about, the athletes are bigger stronger faster and have more specialization earlier on in their development. Kyrie would cook Bon Cousey, KD would serve up anyone from any era.
If ignorance is bliss Riddick is in paradise.