“When we say Michael Jordan could average 40 today, that's not hyperbole” – NBA analyst considers Michael Jordan a great athlete if he played in today’s era, believes his average points would be off the charts

There is a growing concern that the NBA has gotten "soft." Sports analyst Chris Broussard agrees that Michael Jordan would average over 40 points a game if he played in today's NBA.

The discussion started after Broussard and co-host Rob Parker listened to clips of current NBA players talking about the difficulty of playing in Europe. Several NBA superstars - including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Luka Doncic - just represented their countries at the 2022 Eurobasket tournament.

All three players commented on the difficulty of playing European-style basketball. They all echoed the same sentiment: it's much easier to play in the NBA.

In a recent episode of 'The Odd Couple' podcast, Broussard compared the difficulty level of Eurobasket to that of Jordan's era. He highlighted that Jordan averaged 37 points despite the physicality of the game in the 80's and 90's:

"Call me crazy but you know what that sounds like? The old NBA. Michael Jordan's NBA, Magic Johnson's NBA.

After talking about how easy it is to score in today's NBA, he said:

"When we say Michael Jordan could average 40 today, that's not hyperbole. I mean it. I'm not saying he'd average 40 for his career, but he would have seasons where he averages 40 points a game."

Regardless of the physicality in Jordan's era, the Hall of Famer led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles in eight years. He also won ten scoring titles and averaged 30.1 points over 15 seasons.

Michael Jordan has previously highlighted the difference in eras while commenting on the LeBron James comparisons

There is an ongoing G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All-Time) debate involving Jordan and LeBron James. Both players are great in their own right, but there are questions about how they would perform in different eras.

The game has transcended in many ways. The most obvious difference is the shift from paint to perimeter offense.

Jordan has taken into account the difference in eras. He brought it up when he was asked how he felt constantly being compared to LeBron James. During a press conference held in Paris, he said:

"We play in different eras. He’s an unbelievable player. He’s one of the best players in the world, if not the best player in the world. I know it's a natural tendency to compare eras to eras and it’s going to continue to happen. I’m a fan of his, I love watching him play.

"As you can see, our league is starting to expand on very talented players. I think he’s made his mark, he will continue to do so. But when you start the comparisons, I think it is what it is. It’s just a stand-up measurement. I take it with a grain of salt. He’s a heck of a basketball player, without a doubt."

Nonetheless, the G.O.A.T debate will go on for a long time. Although most of the older fans are in favor of Jordan, a lot of the younger generation embraces LeBron James.