Add Jeff Van Gundy to the chorus of people who believe that the players in today’s NBA are a bit too friendly with each other.
Van Gundy thinks the league is missing a “nasty rivalry” and isn’t a fan of how relaxed some players are with each other after games. He chalks this up to a lack of contact and how tightly the game is officiated, arguing that the lack of physicality prevents bad feelings from developing between players.
“I wish there was a little bit more contact because I think contact would bring more conflict. What we’re missing is conflict. People exchanging jerseys after games, the unending hugs. It’s hard to find a true, nasty rivalry.” – Jeff Van Gundy
Woj Pod: https://t.co/uFYHZH6HmC pic.twitter.com/cCsVBJQu4K
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 22, 2018
This is a pretty typical “old-school” view shared by many who were prominent in the 1980s and 1990s. One particular flashpoint for players of that era is the prevalence of superteams, with star players teaming up to play together in a way that never would have happened 20 years ago. There’s no indication of anything changing, as this generation’s players view things differently and came up differently — and every once in a while we still stumble across some real, genuine antipathy between players.
