Over the years there has been constant criticism of the NBA. Many fans, mainly those who liked the old-school style of play have frowned upon the lack of physicality in the modern game. Some of the criticism has been harsh, and others have been articulate while putting together words to get the point across.

Recently, Dwyane Wade joined the long list of veterans who believe the game has changed too much. However, Wade was able to admire the masters of the new game.

During a recent interview with BET, the Miami Heat legend was asked what are the changes that the league has gone through and what is the difference between when he entered the NBA to where it is today. He said, “Probably the biggest change that I see from when I played is that the defense was tighter back then because we didn’t have a lot of shooters on the floor. Today, there are five shooters on the floor so the defense is so spread out.” Wade also showered praise on Ja Morant, saying that the 24-year-old easily toys with the defense in the league. He said, “You watch a guy that is so dynamic, like Ja Morant as he’s going one-on-one, and you can’t help so it allows for players with one-on-one ability to shine bright.”

The 3x NBA champion said that complaining about changes like this is more of a generation thing, as in, those who have played in the era where defense was “tighter” will have a problem with where it is at right now. However, Wade said that as a fan of the sport, “I’m like, “Oh, look at all that space.”

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Charles Oakley blames the major change to the league going global

There are a lot of factors that have led the league to this point. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has also spoken about the noticeable change in the game. He said that such changes were needed because a more scorer-friendly game would allow fans to enjoy it more as compared to the physicality-driven game. However, not everyone is on the same page with Silver with this one. In fact, even fans get agitated by the way the league treats defense.

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NBA veteran Charles Oakley has a rather interesting take on this shift. During a 2022 interview with Tamron Hall, he said, “I think the league made a change because they went more global, European.” The NBA veteran added that the league had to change “for the players who not physical. Guys like to shoot threes, so now the game is a three-point game.”

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