Haters.

This is the default position for a lot of younger NBA fans — and, probably, a lot of current players — when asked to consider the opinions and thoughts of retired NBA players on the state of today’s game. They’re dinosaurs who couldn’t hack it in today’s much more skilled game. They’re jealous of all the money today’s players make. Or they’re just, if you like, “plumbers and firemen.”

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It is true that the most popular TV show about the league, Turner’s “Inside the NBA,” is often filled with the latest diss of today’s big men by Shaquille O’Neal, or Charles Barkley being clueless about who any number of today’s players are, or where they play. Christian Wood’s dismissal of Shaq a couple of years ago as a “casual” represented where many contemporary players are when they think about their elders. And, certainly, some of their criticisms have merit.

But, the old heads aren’t all full of vinegar.

Over the last month, The Athletic sought out and surveyed 101 former players for our annual Retired Players Survey, done in conjunction with the National Basketball Retired Players Association, which distributed the survey to its members and from which most of the results were derived. The Athletic devised the questions without input or approval from the NBRPA. In other cases, we spoke with retired players face-to-face or over the phone.

Respondents were given the option to either attach their names to their answers or remain anonymous, disclosing only the years they played. (For those players, we’ve only given the general time frame of their careers.) We offered respondents the option to remain anonymous because we felt anonymity would promote honesty and protect our respondents from blowback from any fans who will find fault with specific answers.

In a few cases, respondents did not provide an answer to a question. In some cases, respondents split their vote on a particular question; when that occurred, the multiple responses were split as corresponding fractions of a vote.

Almost all of the results are listed in percentages, and if those percentages don’t add up exactly to 100, it’s because we rounded to the nearest tenth of a point.

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1. Who is the best current NBA player?

Name	Percentage
LeBron James	28.1%
Nikola Jokić	21.2%
Giannis Antetokounmpo	21.0%
Kevin Durant	11.8%
Stephen Curry	6.6%
Luka Dončić	6.6%
Kyrie Irving	2.2%
Multiple players	Under 2.0%

What survey respondents said:

“LeBron James. The body of work and what he is currently doing at his age makes him the best of his time.” – Jumaine Jones, who played for six teams from 1999 through 2007

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“Nikola Jokić, because he dominates the game on both ends of the floor and makes his teammates better.” – Lee Nailon, who played six seasons from 2000-06

“Giannis. He affects winning on both sides of the court. He has a determined will to win. His versatile skill package allows him to affect many statistical categories contributing to winning. His physical presence is dominant. It looks like his teammates enjoy playing with him. He seems to will his team to win. He doesn’t come off as a prima donna.” – Anonymous player from the late 1990s

The Athletic’s takeaway: Last season, Durant topped the retired players’ vote totals in this category by a substantial margin, getting nearly half (44 percent) of the vote. But KD’s injuries since our last survey 16 months ago and subsequent games lost seem to have reduced his standing. It’s not that James has a higher share of the vote than before; it’s just that KD’s support has apparently splintered into multiple pieces, while LeBron’s has essentially stayed the same (31 percent then, 28 percent now).

Jokić’s ascent toward the top of the vote total sticks out. He already had won his first MVP award when we last surveyed players, but he finished in a tie for fifth place, garnering a little less than 2 percent of the vote. Jokić has turned heads since then, winning his second MVP in a row and was averaging close to a triple-double this season — 25.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and 9.9 assists per game — when the NRBPA distributed the survey to its members.

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2. What do you miss most about being an NBA or ABA player?

Answer	Percentage
Comradeship with teammates	41.4%
The competition	25.2%
The money	9.7%
The traveling	6.1%
The fans	2.3%
Game days/game nights	2.0%
The sport itself	2.0%
Multiple responses	Under 2.0%

What survey respondents said: 

“I just loved to play the games. That’s what I miss — and the camaraderie. … I made great friends, like Clyde Lee and Butch Beard. … Those are my two best friends, actually. … I miss that camaraderie.” – Jim Barnett, who played 11 seasons from the mid-1960s to the mid-70s, primarily with the San Diego Rockets, Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks

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“Being 27 again” – Anonymous player who competed in the ’70s and ’80s

The Athletic’s takeaway: These answers would refute any contention that the old heads are just hating on today’s players’ salaries. Many more players talk about the feeling of a fellowship of being among their peers, talking junk to one another on the plane or in the restaurant. Being one of the guys. There’s a common thread any time you’re among retired players during All-Star Weekend: they’re just happy to see each other again.

This speaks to the notion of “community.” Of course, there are many types of communities outside of professional sports: religious congregations, schools and workplaces, etc. But playing on a pro team is an intense experience in which everyone is supposed to unite behind a singular goal: winning. (Not always, we know.) While it’s not impossible to replicate a feeling of unity outside of pro sports, it’s no surprise that retired players miss that feeling now.

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3. What would you do differently in your professional career if you could play in the current era?

Answer	Percentage
Work harder/train smarter	17.3%
Shoot more 3-pointers	15.3%
Showcase my talent more	12.8%
I'd do nothing differently	10.2%
Be more careful with my money	5.1%
Take the game more seriously	4.1%
Be a better ballhandler	2.6%
Do more in the community	2.6%
Be paid better	2.0%
Network and socialize more	2.0%
Play longer	2.0%
Remain with one team by signing a long-term contract	2.0%
Stretch more	2.0%
Multiple responses	Under 2.0%

What survey respondents said: 

“Pro basketball is now a 12-month job. I am sure I would have spent more of my offseason working on my game and physical conditioning. I had a job in the offseason.” – Bill Melchionni, who played two seasons in the late 1960s for the Philadelphia 76ers and seven seasons, from 1969-76, for the ABA’s New York Nets

“Play more selfishly, which is a nuanced answer. There are ways to play selfishly in a team concept. For the most part, it doesn’t pay to be selfless in the NBA. Even if you look at great defenders … they play selfishly to a certain extent.” – Anonymous former NBA player who competed in the 1990s

The Athletic’s takeaway: The top-three answers — working harder, shooting more 3s and finding more ways to stand out — reflect some of the major changes in the NBA over the last several decades, particularly the last 10 years. Melchionni’s response speaks to how the sport’s economics have changed since he played: Because today’s rank-and-file players are paid so well, they don’t need to have offseason jobs and can focus more on skill development and body maintenance.

The answers also echo changes in how the game is played, particularly the explosion in 3-point shooting and the rule changes that have unlocked players’ offensive games. Through Saturday, NBA teams are attempting 34.1 3-point attempts per game this season; back in the 2002-03 season, teams averaged 14.7 attempts from deep. In 1992-93, teams launched just 9.0 3-point attempts per game. So it’s no surprise that if the retired players could have a do-over and play in today’s era, they would develop a skill that was deemphasized back in the day.

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4. Which current player do you enjoy watching most?

Player	Percentage
Stephen Curry	28.5%
Ja Morant	15.2%
Nikola Jokić	10.0%
Kevin Durant	8.7%
Luka Dončić	8.4%
Giannis Antetokounmpo	6.5%
LeBron James	5.7%
Kyrie Irving	2.4%
Jayson Tatum	2.2%
Multiple players	Under 2.0%

What survey respondents said: 

“Steph Curry. He is doing things that seem impossible sometimes. He has changed the landscape of basketball. He looks like a normal person.” – Olden Polynice, a center who played 15 seasons, from 1987-2005, most of them for the Seattle SuperSonics and Sacramento Kings

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“Ja Morant. (He brings) passion, electricity and showmanship every time he plays.” – Sam Vincent, who played seven seasons, from the mid-1980s to the early ’90s

The Athletic’s takeaway: It’s still Steph’s World, just as it was last season, when he also led this category, receiving a league-best 33 percent of the vote. His percentage has come down some, but he still leads this category by a wide margin. And we, for two, would welcome Bol Bol, who received votes in this category from a handful of retired players, as our new basketball overlord.

Most striking to us is that the former players find Morant every bit as captivating as NBA fans do. When we asked this identical question 16 months ago for last season’s survey, Morant didn’t receive a single vote. But since then, Morant has earned two All-Star nods and has helped the Memphis Grizzlies become one of the league’s best, and most exciting, teams.

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5. We’re interested to know how the 2021-22 NBA champion Golden State Warriors would fare in a hypothetical best-of-seven series against a championship team of the past. We’ve picked the 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers, which included Moses Malone, Julius Erving, Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney and Bobby Jones. If those teams played each other using the NBA rules employed in 2003 — midway between the teams’ championship seasons — which team would win the series, and how many games would it take?

Who would win the series?

Team	Percentage
Philadelphia 76ers	74.4%
Golden State Warriors	25.6%

How many games would it take?

Outcome	Percentage
Sixers win in 6	33.3%
Sixers win in 5	15.6%
Sixers win in 4	13.3%
Sixers win in 7	12.2%
Warriors win in 7	8.9%
Warriors win in 5	7.8%
Warriors win in 6	6.7%
Warriors win in 4	2.2%

What survey respondents said: 

“I’d have to go with the Sixers. I’d give them the full seven. Their physical defense (would be the difference). Mo Cheeks was a heck of a defensive guard. Andrew Toney could get after you. They had Moses and Dr. J.” – anonymous player who played from the late 1970s to the early ’90s

The Athletic’s takeaway: It’s not surprising that most of yesterday’s players would take yesteryear’s team — though, in fairness, a few respondents said the 2021-22 Warriors would win if the series were played and officiated under today’s much more liberal rules, which encourage offensive movement and flow. We should also note that the ’82-83 Sixers were one of the most dominant teams of all time, going 65-17 during the regular season and 12-1 during the playoffs.

In this fictional series, how would the Sixers adapt to the ’21-22 Warriors’ launching 3-pointer after 3-pointer? But would the Warriors have an answer for Malone?

These are difficult questions to answer — so much so that in a conversation with us, one of our respondents declined to predict a winner. “I hate these (kinds of) questions, because the rules are so different,” he said. “The rules are different. (So are) the way they played, the way they thought, the way they trained. Are they flying commercial (flights) to all these games? Do they get their $75 per diem or are they going to have a chef make ’em meals at the end of the game? Everything is so different now. I know fans love those questions, but I hate those questions.”

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6. Is the quality of play in the NBA today better or worse than it was during your career?

Answer	Percentage
A bit worse today	23.4%
Can't compare different eras	21.3%
A bit better today	14.9%
Much worse today	12.8%
Much better today	10.6%
The same	6.4%
Offensive skills are better, but there's less defense	5.3%
The athleticism is better, but the fundamentals are worse	3.2%
Multiple responses	Under 2.0%

What survey respondents said: 

“I think the physicality and the bulk of the players (is less now). Those Goliath power forwards and centers, you can’t find those guys no more. Where’d they go? Did they all start playing football? Are they all tight ends now? Are they defensive ends?

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“I always think back to my rookie year throwing a jump hook in the post against Tim Duncan. That was different to throwing a jump hook in the post right now. Not only did I have to throw the jump hook over Tim Duncan, but David Robinson was on the weak side trying to block it, too. … So I think finishing around the rim is a lot easier now than it was when I was playing.” – Drew Gooden, who played 15 seasons for 10 teams, from 2002-15

“More players have better overall skills, which makes it better for scoring and entertainment purposes but worse for defense. Flopping and dramatic antics to deceive the referees have worsened the game’s overall quality.” – someone who played from the mid-1990s to early 2000s

The Athletic’s takeaway: In last season’s survey, the number of respondents saying the game was a little or a lot better today was above 30 percent. It’s come down some in the interim, and now a plurality of former players believes the game is a bit or much worse today.

This is speculation, but a possible reason for the change in retirees’ opinions might be the growth in offense. During the 2020-21 season, teams averaged 112.1 points per game and shot 46.6 percent on average from the field, according to Basketball Reference. This season, teams were averaging 114.4 points and shooting 47.4 percent on average from the field through Saturday; plus, there’s been an explosion in individual 40-point games. Perhaps the former players are bemoaning the decline in defense.

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7. Which current NBA coach would you have most liked to play for?

Coach	Percentage
Steve Kerr	28.8%
Gregg Popovich	28.3%
Doc Rivers	5.4%
Erik Spoelstra	5.4%
Jason Kidd	3.8%
Monty Williams	3.8%
Michael Malone	3.3%
Mike Brown	2.2%
Mike Budenholzer	2.2%
Rick Carlisle	2.2%
Tyronn Lue	2.2%
Jacque Vaughn	2.2%
Multiple responses	Under 2.0%

What survey respondents said: 

“Steve Kerr. I love the way he allows the team to figure things out and creates an atmosphere of ‘team’ where each player can find a niche and flourish.” – Stephen Howard, who played four seasons for four teams during the 1990s

“Coach Pop. He knows how to mold his players.” – Kenny Battle, who played four seasons, from the late 1980s to the mid-90s

The Athletic’s takeaway: Success/recency bias? Maybe. But it’s not much of a surprise, either, given Kerr’s and Popovich’s pedigrees and platforms.

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8. How much does it matter to you that your era of basketball is remembered correctly?

Answer	Percentage
It matters to me	74.5%
It doesn't matter to me	14.3%
No opinion	10.2%
It is remembered correctly	1.0%

What survey respondents said: 

“That’s important. I think people now think that this (era of basketball) is ‘it’ — that it doesn’t get any better than this. That’s false. That’s just a narrative. The guys that I played with, I would take them against anybody and any team … because I believed in those guys that much, and we were that good as a team.” – Derek Harper, who played 15 seasons, from 1983-99, primarily for the Mavericks and Knicks

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The Athletic’s takeaway: We would have been surprised if a majority of former players don’t care about how correctly their era of basketball is remembered. It’s human nature to want to be appreciated and given due credit.

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9. Are you happy about the money today’s players are making or are you jealous about the money today’s players are making?

Answer	Percentage
Very happy	69.1%
Somewhat jealous	7.4%
Happy and envious	6.4%
Very jealous	5.3%
No opinion	4.3%
Slightly happy	4.3%
Remember the pioneers	3.2%

What survey respondents said: 

“I’m glad they’re making it! If they weren’t making it, the owners would be making it. I always tell people that. They get mad at the players, and I’m like, ‘Would you rather have the owners making more money? OK, then let the players make as much as they can.’ These guys have earned it. They absolutely have earned it. Every once in a while, someone will come up to me and say, ‘Can you imagine what you could make today if you played in today’s game?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, but people (who played) in the ’60s were saying that about us in the ’80s.’ … I guess one small caveat is I would like to see the middle class get some more of the pie. But I get it: It’s a superstar-driven league, and it always has been.” – Tom Tolbert, who played for four franchises from late-1980s to the mid-90s

The Athletic’s takeaway: We suppose readers would look at these results with skepticism and think the survey respondents chose not to reveal their true feelings in order not to appear jealous. But remember, one of the reasons we allowed anonymity was to give them added freedom to answer honestly.

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10. Which current player(s) would have excelled when you played?

(Since respondents could name more than one player, the percentages below reflect the percentage of ballots on which a specific player or answer was named, not the share of votes.)

Answer	Percentage
LeBron James	39.6%
Kevin Durant	23.1%
Steph Curry	17.6%
Giannis Antetokounmpo	16.5%
Nikola Jokić	14.3%
All of them	13.2%
Luka Dončić	12.1%
Joel Embiid	11.0%
Greats today would've been great back then	11.0%
Kyrie Irving	7.7%
Klay Thompson	5.5%
Kawhi Leonard	3.3%
Damian Lillard	2.2%
Ja Morant	2.2%
Chris Paul	2.2%
Jayson Tatum	2.2%
Multiple responses	Under 2.0%

What survey respondents said: 

“LeBron. He could play in any era. He takes care of his body and could take the rigors of commercial flights and long road trips.” – Anonymous player who competed both in the ABA and NBA in the 1970s and ’80s.

“The best players now would be the best players then. The best players are the best players regardless of eras.” – Tariq Abdul-Wahad, who played six seasons, from the late 1990s to early 2000s

The Athletic’s takeaway: As we studied these answers, we were struck by how many of the former players listed more than one player or said that today’s best players would’ve been top-flight players back in the day, too. But that’s not a surprise. One of the reasons we have made this poll an annual occurrence is that we believe former players are uniquely qualified to evaluate today’s game — just as today’s players will be most able to evaluate whatever happens next.

(Illustration: Sean Reilly / The Athletic: Photos: Gary Dineen, David Sherman, Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE via Getty Images)