Rick Barry says NBA stars of his day would be ‘even greater playing today’

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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Barry did not hold back when asked about the "disrespectful" way the older generation of basketball players are viewed. 

While speaking with Joy De’Angela for a recent podcast episode, Barry responded to how the current generation speaks about those who played during Barry’s time. 

NBA legend Rick Barry is introduced to the 75th anniversary team during the 2020 NBA All-Star Game as part of 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend on February 20, 2022, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.  (Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

"They had so many great centers back in those days. They hardly have centers," Barry said. "The guys that are centers now, they’re not centers. They play on the wing. They’re all wanting to shoot three-point shots, they don’t block shots, they don’t protect the rim. It’s a different game. 

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"I’ve had many people say, ‘Well, Rick you guys wouldn’t be able to play with these guys today.’ I say, ‘Ok. What drugs are you on? Because you got a problem.’" 

Barry pointed out the advantages that the modern player has over those from the past. 

"If you really understood the game, and you really knew what the difference was between when we played and the guys playing here, we had nothing to help us," Barry continued. "I didn’t have an agility coach, I didn’t have a dietician, I didn’t travel on charter planes so that we could get a good night's sleep and get to the next city and have a nice day. 

"We drove ourselves around in rental cars. I mean, we had $8 a day per diem. These guys get chartered