Do you prefer the physicality of the NBA in the 90s or the present NBA? Former NBA player and 3x NBA champion Mario Elie clearly prefers the former, a time when players fiercely competed against each other. Elie had some of his best battles against prime Michael Jordan. He was one of the best perimeter defenders and showcased impressive clutch performances. And the 60-year-old is certainly not impressed with the current trend of stars like LeBron James forming super teams.

During an interview with rapper Willie D, the former NBA guard called out James for this very reason. The 4x NBA champ teamed up with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade to win two championships in Miami, something Elie views as contrary to the mentality of players in the 90s, who were more focused on battling against each other rather than joining forces. He also believes that it goes against his claims to be the GOAT.

“LeBron, you say you the GOAT. Why are you joining Bosh and, you know what I’m saying? We wasn’t doing that in the 90s. Like Dream (Hakeem Olajuwon) calling Jordan up. You want to link up and calling Bird and Magic up. Y’all want to link up and play? You hear those old-school dudes talk. I want to beat you,” Elie said on Willie D Live.

Currently, James has 9x All-Star Anthony Davis alongside him. “These boys want it easy right now… LeBron want Anthony Davis. Who else you want, LeBron? Come on, man. Great player, love him. But everybody wanna play buddy ball, ” Elie remarked. Drawing a parallel with Jordan, Elie pointed out how Michael Jordan didn’t call up his rivals to join forces.

Willie D pointed out how LeBron didn’t start this. He gave the example of Scottie Pippen and Charles Barkley joining the Houston Rockets during the twilight of their careers. Nonetheless, with entirely different rules, the 90s NBA was indeed nothing like what we see on the court today.

Mario Elie says what the present NBA era looks like to him

Elie also recounted how tough it was to guard Michael Jordan. Recalling a game in 1997, he mentioned that Jordan scored 21 points in the first quarter alone. However, he believes that the current generation has become a watered-down version of what it used to be. 

“It’s the AAU era right now, Willie. Everybody want it easy,” Elie said on the show. Back in the ’90s, the Houston Rockets (2) and San Antonio Spurs (1) won three titles in total. The Junkyard Dog was part of both teams and believes that it was the same competitive fire and tough mentality that helped him play against Jordan.

Is there an answer to the GOAT debate? In all honesty, the more facts are dug up, the more it becomes clear that the answer will be complex considering the differences between eras. 

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.