LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 28: Anthony Edwards #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Paul George #13 of the LA Clippers look on during the game on February 28, 2023 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George took some issue with how Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards characterized the state of the NBA during the height of the Michael Jordan era.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal’s Lane Florsheim, Edwards said that “I don’t think anybody had skill back then,” before clarifying Jordan “was the only one that really had skill.”

Paul addressed the comments Monday on his Podcast P show.

“I get what he was trying to say,” the nine-time All-Star said at the 26:50 mark. “But I don’t get what he was trying to say.”

George added that Edwards’ opinion was “kind of disrespectful to the game” and “a very immature comment.” He said younger players have a duty to pay some deference to the legends who came before them.

Edwards’ remarks illustrate why comparing eras is an exercise you should avoid for the most part. It hearkens back to when JJ Redick quipped Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy was competing against “plumbers and firemen” in the 1950s and ’60s, something that didn’t sit well with Hall of Famer Jerry West.

Athletes are a product of their era in a number of respects, chief among them how the sport was actually played.

In the case of the NBA during Jordan’s career, the players may have looked less skilled because the game was a lot slower and more physical back then. Defenders could hand-check on the perimeter and there were bona fide enforcers sitting around the basket ready to bludgeon anybody driving to the basket. Offenses also revolved much more so around centers, which clogged the lane for athletic guards.

The league went out of its way to create a more entertaining product by eliminating hand-checking and cracking down on excessive contact. At the schematic level as well, teams eventually discovered that pushing the tempo and spacing the floor was an optimal way to play on offense.

Fast forward 10 or 20 years and the NBA will probably look a lot different from how it is now and the stars of that era will think the way Edwards plays is antiquated by comparison.