The battle between generations is one that will last forever. The old school believe their era was the best, but the current players beg to differ. No matter what generation you belong to, everyone will have different opinions.
Oakland’s very own Gary Payton does not believe Stephen Curry is a “true” point guard and thinks that only three current NBA players fit that criteria. On more than one occasion Payton has mentioned Tony Parker, Rajon Rondo, and Chris Paul as the three remaining “true” point guards in the NBA. According to Dan Favale of Bleacher Report, Payton believes Russell Westbrook and Curry are shooting guards playing the point guard position:
In a video posted by TMZ, Payton took some not-so-subtle shots atStephen Curry and Russell Westbrook, essentially claiming they play a different position.
“You got shooting guards now that’s playing point guard,” he said. “Steph Curry, Westbrook—all them. They own that.”
Payton is a hall of famer and reminded the camera man that he is entitled to his opinion. The younger guys in the NBA who are primed to take over the league for years to come are players that might play the game differently. That is the beauty about the game, it changes and evolves with time.
The point guard position is not the only position that has changed over the years, which comes to show that the game will always reshape itself. While some might consider Payton’s comments an insult, ultimately if Curry or Westbrook are able to perform and help their teams win basketball games, then that is all that matters.