There’s a growing divide in the NBA, and it’s not about skill, speed, or stats. Rather about grit, loyalty, and what the game used to stand for. In a recent appearance with host Maverick Bailey, NBA Hall of Famer John Stockton didn’t hold back. He lit a fire under the league’s current stars, targeting LeBron James, Joel Embiid, and today’s superstar culture with words that echoed the frustration of old-school fans everywhere.

The title of the episode said it all: “JOHN STOCKTON UNFILTERED.” Likewise, Bailey set the tone immediately: “Everybody’s like so kissy kissy and like, ‘Oh, this is my buddy.’ It’s like, ‘No, go out there like you’re my enemy. We’re going to war.’” And Stockton matched that energy without blinking. “We had teammates that were on another team the next year and literally you wouldn’t even look him in the eye back in the day. You just, okay, let’s go.” The bond wasn’t about being friendly, it was about being fierce. It was about war, not warm-ups. 

When asked about load management, Stockton didn’t pull back either. “You have guys that can take 20 days off, you know, what they call load management. I can’t. Could you imagine your dad coming home? ‘I’mma take a few weeks of work off.’ You know, well, who’s going to feed us then? You know what I’m saying?” Stockton sees this era as one where the priorities have shifted from work ethic and durability to comfort and preservation. 

“The salaries are off the charts… The style of play is, you know, these kids are talented, man. They can make shots, and because they make shots, everybody thinks they should be taking them. There’s less strategy, there’s less physicality. Safety is more important than the game.” The league veteran closed the loop bluntly: “I think the game’s first. I think people are looking for gladiators out there. You know, they want you to go to war and they want to see you do what they can’t do, not go out there and shake hands and hug each other and shoot jumpers.”

Nostalgia for the past, soon got overshadowed by frustration as the conversation turned to today’s biggest names. LeBron James, the most physically gifted player of his generation, was front and center in the line of fire, not because of his talent, but because of what Stockton and many others believe he represents: a soft, curated, and calculated approach to basketball that lacks the edge of former eras. One who doesn’t grind it out with a single team through thick and thin, but instead calculates his next move based on championship odds and roster strength. 

LeBron James in the crosshairs

LeBron’s status as an all-time great isn’t up for debate. But to Stockton, it’s not just about stats or rings, it’s about how you earn them. Recently the NBA legend put it plainly: “I like where guys tighten their belt up and say, ‘Let’s go to work. We just got to get better. We got to play harder. We gotta play smarter,’ instead of just, ‘Huh, where’s the grass greener? I’m gonna go there and win a championship.’ I think it devalues that.”

His words cut deeper when he added: “You’re not climbing the mountain. You’re taking a helicopter to the top.” To Stockton, winning a championship isn’t just about the result—it’s about the journey. It’s about fighting through adversity with your teammates, staying committed to the same franchise, and building something from within.

When LeBron chose to leave Cleveland for Miami, then return, and later move on to the Lakers, he built legendary teams, but not in the way Stockton respects. For him, those moves weren’t a testament to greatness. They were shortcuts. They weren’t about conquering the mountain; they were about bypassing the climb altogether.

To Stockton, loyalty matters. He played 19 seasons with the Utah Jazz. No trades or departures. He went toe-to-toe with Jordan in the Finals and lost, but he never left. Meanwhile, LeBron helped orchestrate the Heat’s Big Three, returned to Cleveland for a title, and then moved to LA to partner with Anthony Davis. That’s smart business. But in Stockton’s eyes? That’s not how you climb a mountain.

Even host Maverick Bailey didn’t mince words. “LeBron, he’s probably the most athletically gifted athlete we’ve ever seen. But the fact that he’s so soft… I mean, he’s 6’8″, 250. He’s super fast, can pass, shoot, everything. Incredible. Incredible.”But Bailey, like Stockton, longs for the attitude of a different era: “I like when you see guys like Jordan, Ewing, Pippen, Mailman… it was a completely different game, man.”

Stockton’s comments are just the latest in a long line of criticism from legends who feel like the soul of the game has shifted. Shaquille O’Neal called the league “soft,” singling out players like Rudy Gobert and praising only a select few, like Nikola Jokic, as true centers worthy of old-school respect. Robert Parish, on the other hand, praised the skill development in the “softer” modern game, but slammed load management as a weak excuse for lack of conditioning, pointing to LeBron’s own durability as the standard.

The old guard sees a league full of handshake lines, friendly DMs, and curated brands. What they remember, and miss, is the grind, physicality, loyalty, and the war.