Ranking the 10 Most Skilled NBA Players of the ’90s

Michael Jordan (L), Charles Barkley (R)Icon Sportswire

Anthony Edwards sent some shockwaves through NBA discourse last week when he shared his opinion on the NBA of the 1990s with The Wall Street Journal.

“They say it was tougher back then than it is now, but I don’t think anybody had skill back then,” Edwards told Lane Florsheim. “[Michael Jordan] was the only one that really had skill, you know what I mean? So that’s why when they saw Kobe [Bryant], they were like, ‘Oh, my God.’ But now everybody has skill.”

That, of course, ruffled some feathers.

Speaking at an event with Stephen A. Smith, Magic Johnson said, “I never respond to a guy who’s never won a championship.”

Kevin Garnett chimed in, too.

“If I’m being honest, bro, I don’t think anybody in this generation could have played, like, 20 years ago,” Garnett told Paul Pierce on Ticket and the Truth. “If I’m being 100.”

It’s not hard to see why some of those legends are offended by Edwards’ comment, but it’s not like their side is totally innocent here. For years, plenty of the league’s retired players (though not necessarily Magic or KG) have ridiculed the current stars with comments that are similar to the one above from KG.

The fact of the matter is that the commentary on both sides of this argument is wrong. The truth, as is often the case, is somewhere in the middle.

Yes, rule changes and star-friendly officiating have made scoring easier in today’s game. But that doesn’t mean today’s players couldn’t thrive in earlier eras. They’d adapt. And the well-rounded games of modern stars would not only help them do that, they’d make them stand out.

NBA players, generally speaking are more skilled than they were in previous eras. Basketball is far from the only human activity in which the participants improved over time, and that trend has made today’s NBA more talent- and skill-rich than it’s ever been. Most current players have to be able to dribble, pass and shoot at a high level to survive, and that even includes centers.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that the league was devoid of skill in earlier eras, either. In fact, if you spend any amount of time looking for skill in the 90s, you’ll find it. You’ll find lots of it. And that’s a step Edwards apparently skipped.

“I didn’t watch it back in the day, so I can’t speak on it,” Edwards told Florsheim.

Well, fortunately, I did. As a 90s kid, I watched tons of NBA basketball. And simply watching that era is the most important step in determining who it’s most skilled players were.

That’s the foundation of the rankings below, but plenty of numbers (both advanced and basic) were consulted, too. Shooting and passing measures were particularly important, since those are the game’s two most important skills.

So, without further ado, and with a hat tip to Ant, here are the 10 most skilled players of the 1990s.