Hall of Famer Tim Duncan shares what he hates about the modern NBA

National Basketball Association (NBA) Hall of Famer Tim Duncan is widely recognized as one of the greatest players in league history and is undoubtedly the greatest player to have ever played for the San Antonio Spurs.

Duncan famously spent his entire career with the Spurs, representing them for 19 years from 1997 to 2016 after being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft.

The 49-year-old played in an era when the game could be slowed down, and big men were allowed to be patient, methodical, and unshaken. However, that style of play is now a thing of the past, as the game has become much more fast-paced, with players increasingly focused on three-point shooting.

Tim Duncan = NBA Legend

19 seasons
15 All-Star appearances
10 First-Team selections
5 championship rings
2 MVP’s pic.twitter.com/PhhJVKtDpI

— B r a n d o n C l a y (@BrandonClayPSB) May 13, 2016

This evolution of the game has not entirely sat well with Duncan, who sees the changes as a double-edged sword.

“There’s a lot of things I like and enjoy about it, and there are a lot of things I hate about it. I hate the way the game is being officiated at times—how they have underpowered the effect of a post player. You’re allowed to beat the crap out of a post player,” Duncan said during an appearance on The Ringer NBA Show.

There is no doubt that the role of the post player has diminished in today’s NBA, with teams favoring speed and perimeter shooting. Duncan was a master of the post in the early 2000s, able to stretch defenses and make a critical impact for his team.

“It overpowers perimeter players that are away from the basket, and it underpowers post players who use their bodies and physicality around the basket. So, it’s a weird dynamic,” he added.

Physicality in the league has also diminished, with guards now receiving greater protection from both players and officials. Still, change in the NBA is constant. The game has evolved from the days of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Hakeem Olajuwon to the modern era defined by stars like Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokić.

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