"Propaganda works" - Isiah Thomas pushes back strongly against Anthony Edwards claiming Michael Jordan was the only yesteryear player with skill
Recently, Anthony Edwards made waves with some controversial comments about Michael Jordan and the level of competition he faced in the 1990s. During a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Edwards weighed in on the debate regarding the current era of basketball, and 90s basketball.
As we've seen in the past, oftentimes, debates about whether a player from the modern era could be as successful in the 90s, or whether a player from the 90s could thrive in today's game, become major talking points in the NBA community.
For example, back in 2022 JJ Redick rocked the boat by saying that Bob Cousy logged 29 assists in a single game because he was guarded by plumbers and firemen. The comments drew criticism from the late Jerry West, who, at the time, took aim at Redick.
Now, on the heels of Anthony Edwards claiming Michael Jordan was the only 1990s player with skill, Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas was quick to weigh in, alleging that players like Edwards are dismissive of the level of talent in Jordan's day because of propaganda.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Thomas wrote:
"Propaganda works, so be careful what you choose to believe."
Looking at the controversial comments made by Anthony Edwards that sparked Isiah Thomas' reaction
Anthony Edwards is never one to shy away from speaking his mind. Before ever being drafted in the NBA, Edwards made waves with his confidence. Now, Edwards has ruffled feathers once again with his comments about the 90s era of basketball.
Despite the fact that Edwards made it clear he didn't watch 90s basketball back in the day, he didn't hesitate to weigh in on Jordan's peers while speaking in an interview with the Wall Street Journal following the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I didn’t watch it back in the day so I can’t speak on it. They say it was tougher back then than it is now, but I don’t think anybody had skill back then. [Michael Jordan] was the only one that really had skill, you know what I mean?
"So that’s why when they saw Kobe, they were like, ‘Oh, my God.’ But now everybody has skill.”
In addition to Isiah Thomas, a number of fans were quick to fire back at Edwards on social media, arguing the cases of Jordan's peers who impressed during the 90s.
At the same time, other fans argued that Anthony Edwards was right, and the average player nowadays is both more skilled, and more athletic than the average player in the 90s.
As we've seen in past offseasons, with just over two months to go until the start of the 2024-25 NBA season, debates about the GOAT, and different eras are likely to continue until action tips off in late October.