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NOT MANY PEOPLE have the physical tools to make it in the NBA. You may think it’s because athletes like LeBron James and Luka Dončić are simply the best of the best. But would these modern stars still dominate the court if they were playing in the ’90s, which many consider to be the golden age of pro basketball? Who better to ask than someone who went toe-to-toe with (and famously dunked on) Michael Jordan’s Bulls?
Enter John Starks. The former New York Knicks great recently filmed a new AT&T March Madness ad and stopped by MH HQ to talk all things basketball. He retired back in 2002, and he’s still a fan of the game. One thing Starks wants fans to know: the basketball we watch today on TV is very different from the basketball he played in the 1990s. Sometimes, not in the best way, as he tells exercise physiologist and strength coach Dr. Pat Davidson and MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S on the latest episode of Strong Talk.
Throughout the conversation, Starks discusses the evolution of basketball gameplay and how modern training may be contributing to sport injuries. He also came with honest thoughts on some current NBA fan favorites.
According to Starks, one of the biggest changes made to basketball was expanding the way the game is played on-court. Back in the ’90s, he says there were a lot more half-court games and low post games. Due to the limited space, Starks says athletes were beefier to absorb more blows and play more physically. Samuel notes this bulky body type is different from the body type you would see in basketball games today.
Nowadays Starks says the focus has shifted to a more offensive gameplay where players quickly run the court and shoot as much as possible. This has created more lean, high-endurance athletes. Another change Starks has observed is how much leniency is allowed in today’s games. Samuel points out that modern-day NBA players travel more than players like Starks traveled in games.
“Dude, we couldn’t do half the stuff that y’all do with that basketball,” explains Starks. “If I did that back when I played, I’d be so much better.” In the ‘90s, it was also a different gameplay that emphasized a team execution style of basketball. In contrast, he says today’s basketball games lean too much on getting the ball in the hands of one or two great players.
The differences in physical demands of the game have contributed to a new type of basketball athlete and how they approach training. While Starks recalls pumping heavy weights, he’s noticed that’s not emphasized as heavily in today’s point guards.
In the ’90s, Starks’ routine started at 9:30 a.m. with some food and warmups. He would complete several dumbbell exercises along with overhead press. Starks also never skipped leg day. He would perform lunges, leg extensions, leg curls, and leg drives in the bench press.
“Legs are everything to what you do out there on the court,” he explains. “You can get away with letting this go a little bit up top, but you can’t let [legs] go. We had to stay on top of that every single day.”
While legs are still important for today’s players to run up and down the court, Starks says he’s noticing more guys forgetting to work on their lower body. “They look great up top, but then you look at the legs and they look a little skinny,” he adds. Samuel notes that basketball training has moved away from classic strength training to enhancing sport-specific abilities such as working on acceleration and deceleration.
It’s the lack of strength training Starks believes is contributing to calf strains and torn Achilles tendons. In contrast, Starks recalls never having an issue with these areas. He was constantly doing toe raises and other leg lifts to further strengthen his leg muscles.
If Starks could train today’s NBA players, he says it requires a return to the classics of building basic strength. While modern-day basketball is fast-paced with lots of running, jumping, and agility, Starks says training slower can help develop tissues and decreases the chances of dealing with a potential career-ending injury.
Want more deep-dive fitness wisdom from Samuel and other celebs and experts who’ve been on our Strong Talk podcast? Check out all our episodes here.
Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, MS is the associate health & fitness for Men’s Health and has previously written for CNN, Scientific American, Popular Science, and National Geographic before joining the brand. When she’s not working, she’s doing circus arts or working towards the perfect pull-up.