Kevin Garnett responds to Anthony Edwards’ dismissal of the old generation as “unskilled,” igniting a debate on NBA eras with Stephen A. Smith.

Stephen A. Smith, LeBron James and Kevin Garnett

The debate and controversy ignited by Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards have reached new heights, with ESPN presenter Stephen A. Smith adding his own two cents to the heated conversation during a recent episode of ‘The Stephen A. Smith Show.’ SAS questioned former NBA player, Kevin Garnett‘s earlier take on the matter.

On his show ‘KG Certified’, Kevin Garnett boldly questioned whether today’s players could have succeeded 20 or 30 years ago. Never one to shy away from a debate, Stephen A. Smith countered by arguing that modern stars like Lakers’ LeBron James and Warriors’ Stephen Curry would have thrived in the past.

You can't tell me that a LeBron [James] at 6'9" 260 [pounds] couldn't deal with the physicality of the old days because he would've been hurting people. Steph Curry could've played in the old days because you just don't teach shooting ability like that… LeBron James? Any era.

Stephen A. Smith said on the Stephen A. Smith Show

Stephen A. Smith on Kevin Garnett saying today’s players couldn’t play 20 years ago:

“You can’t tell me that a LeBron at 6’9″ 260 [pounds] couldn’t deal with the physicality of the old days because he would’ve been hurting people… Steph Curry could’ve played in the old days… pic.twitter.com/lOs3rUnX3T

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 1, 2024

However, it’s unclear whether Garnett was referring specifically to the younger players currently in the league or if his statement applied to the entire group of active players. That said, it’s fair to acknowledge that while the physicality of the Michael Jordan era was more intense, the overall talent level in today’s NBA has significantly improved.