I hope this question makes sense! I couldn't think of a better way to word it.
Anyways, this post was inspired by all the "was XXX player from the early 2000s actually great" posts popping up in this thread that people who watched them play provide important context for that goes beyond the states.
Who are you all excited to shoot down those takes (or explain why they're better than their stats) about 20 years from now? I think one will likely be Harden. I think 20 years from now younger fans might look at his statistical profile and think he's like a top 25 player ever (or close), and I'm excited to be there to tell them why they're wrong. Another might be Butler. 20 years from now, young fans who didn't watch Butler basically be a top-3 most feared guy in the playoffs for a half decade might be baffled by why some of us old fans rate him so highly.
Who are some of yours (and feel free to tell me why I'm wrong about Butler or Harden :) )?
Kobe Bryant - already, there are a bunch of people that are lowering him out of the top 15 based on pure stats and modern narratives. They'll talk about this or that playoff series, and then you go and look at the games on youtube or NBA.com and watch the game and there isn't a lot to find fault with.
I remember one guy brough up box scores in a series to say that Kobe wasn't passing and just hogged the ball. but if you look at the game, every half court set started with a pass. The lack of assists, weren't because Kobe was holding the ball for 14 seconds the way James Harden does.