Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas was one of the most formidable players in the 80s and 90s. He lead the Pistons to their first two championships and earned numerous accolades along the way, including a Finals MVP. Despite being retired for over 29 years now, Zeke still keeps a tab on how the current generation of players are faring.

A resurfaced clip of Thomas recently highlighted a few key differences between the old and the modern NBA. Isiah’s views have generated some mixed reactions from fans.

Isiah Thomas wants modern NBA players to focus on defense as well

During a podcast with Andre Iguodala, Zeke touched base on the differences between the current generation of players and the ones that played alongside him. Using the Pistons as a reference point, Michael Jordan‘s biggest rival highlighted how he and his teammates used to average “107, 108 points a night” and play a good bout of defense at the same time.

The former player credited his generation where the players had to excel on both offense and defense. When talking about scoring at the point guard position, Thomas highlighted the studying a player had to do in order to get the better of his opponents.

Thomas’ remarks resurfaced just as the recent FIBA World Cup came to a close, during which Team USA did not meet expectations and ended up in the 4 position.

“You had to know the other team’s defensive scheme, their offensive scheme,” said Isiah Thomas during the interview. He further detailed how the team had to keep tabs on the type of shots their opponents took and their general demeanor.

READ MORE: Weeks After Defending Noah Lyles’ Controversial NBA Remarks, 23YO Sha’Carri Richardson Finds a Fan in Isiah Thomas

Isiah Thomas concluded his talk by providing a suggestion to the current and the next generation of basketball players.

“What you all have done on the offensive side of the ball, if you put that type of study back into the game, then the game really blows up on another level.”

The reel caught the attention of Isiah Thomas himself. The former NBA star took to his Instagram story to share his words of wisdom with his 660,000 followers.

Fans share their reaction on Thomas’ remarks

Though Zeke’s dirty tactics annoyed Michael Jordan, his stance on the defensive lapses in the modern NBA certainly resonated with fans.

With comments like “Amen” and “Talk that Talk Zeke”, most of the people sided with the former Pistons legend.

Another user praised Thomas’ expression of his displeasure at the current state of the league. He remarked “He always telling it like it is that’s why mfs don’t like him…”

One of the people, who has seen both generations of athletes playing it out on the basketball court, wrote “You had to be back then or you weren’t winning. Today all you gotta do is outscore the opponent. Non defense being played. None.”

Another user expressed his opinion on the basketball players of today by writing, “Today mentality is I will let you score if you let me score…”

What are your thoughts on Isiah Thomas’s remark? Let us know in the comments down below.

WATCH THIS STORY | “He Passed That Sunday”: Shaquille O’Neal’s 66YO Buddy Reminisces the “Surreal” Moment When the World Lost NBA Legend, Kobe Bryant