There's a growing narrative in recent decades that the NBA has gone soft . Gone are the days of players trying to hurt one another just to win a game, because most players today are friends.
Naturally, fans have searched for answers on when this phenomenon happened, with many pointing to the previous generation of LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony and many others.
James, Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul bear the brunt of the blame for their famous "Banana Boat" crew , in which they vacation together with their families in the offseason, despite their teams mostly being rivals.
However, on his "7 PM in Brooklyn" podcast, Melo was quick to defend himself and explained that, despite many players of his generation being friendly with one another off the court, they still tried to kill one another on it.
"We competed. If Bron went for a layup, I was going to try to take his head off, in a sense. I'm fouling the s–t out of Bron. But in a respectful way, in a competitive way," he said .
It's important to remember that the likes of Bron, Melo, Wade and many others have seen and played against one another since high school . Naturally, some sort of bond would form and during that time in the league, physical play was slowly but surely getting taken out.
As much as friendships reigned in the headlines during the offseason, when the season started, it was a different story. Melo explained that everyone knew the deal: when the buzzer sounded, their friendships would take a back seat.
"My point in saying this is it doesn't matter when you in those lines. They know we cool. You're my best friend. You're my brother," Melo said. "D-Wade, he broke Kobe's nose in the All-Star Game. It's no bad blood."
"As long as this is how you giving it up, then we going to give it up this way," added Melo.
Kobe's infamous broken nose , caused by D-Wade during the 2012 season, was just one of many examples of how quickly things can get heated in that era. Bryant himself welcomed the challenge and even responded by scoring 33 points the next time his Los Angeles Lakers met Flash's Miami Heat.
There is a difference, Anthony says, between this generation and theirs in understanding that players can still be friends or, at the very least, respect one another without sacrificing the physicality and aggression that come with competition.
"So, it's a difference about the kumbaya s—t. There's nothing wrong with it," he stated. "When it's time to lace them up and go and your jersey is different than mine, then you know what time it is. You can't get mad at me for fouling the s—t out you."
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Ultimately, there are many factors why many fans believe the league has gone soft, but it certainly isn't because of the friendships Melo and his peers had. The amplified visibility around player relationships, as well as the overall physicality that the league allows, have most certainly contributed to the consensus.
Whether fans accept it or not, the league's modern landscape has changed significantly. But while the physicality has waned, there is still competitiveness that can be seen in every game and more so with other players such as Draymond Green, Dillon Brooks and Grayson Allen, who don't necessarily care about friendships on and off the court.
Players have and will continue to be friends with one another. Still, much of what fans and Melo want to see more of in this generation of stars and beyond is that while the game is being played, everyone should compete as if camaraderie doesn't exist at all.
Related: "Cultural currency is worth a lot" – Carmelo Anthony on the value of playing for the Knicks
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
