There are plenty of opinions out there about the NBA and its level of talent today. It is safe to say the modern league looks much different than it did 30 years ago, but the talent of the players is a more nuanced topic. Minnesota Timberwolves fans already know Anthony Edwards recently made a public statement on this topic that most would consider questionable at best.

Asked about the league during Michael Jordan’s heyday, Ant said that he believed Jordan was the only skilled player at that time. This of course drew a lot of criticism, and plenty of people gave their reactions to his statement.

Perhaps the most notable figure to chime in so far is NBA Hall-of-Famer Isiah Thomas. The 1990 Finals MVP posted on X responding to Anthony Edwards, saying “propaganda works, so be careful what you choose to believe.”

Of course, there will be varying opinions shared on this matter, and many will choose to agree or disagree with Thomas. Personally, I tend to agree with his sentiment. The idea that there was no skill in the league whatsoever outside of Michael Jordan in the 1990s is a completely fabricated concept. We can say that MJ was the best player of the decade without tearing down his competition.

Edwards is young, so it is understandable that he would have this view given some of the ways basketball is discussed on social media in 2024. But as Thomas said, we should have the presence of mind to be able to discern a meme or a common internet belief from reality.

Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson, David Robinson, Charles Barkley and Tim Duncan are just a few of the many highly-skilled who played during the 1990s. If we step outside the realm of social media for a minute and use our own free thinking, this is not even a discussion.