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Stephen Jackson attributed softening NBA culture to the US players' biracial backgrounds
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- Stephen Jackson attributed softening NBA culture to the US players' biracial backgrounds
It isn't a surprise when old-school NBA players critique modern eras and their players for their vast differences in playstyle, fashion, and overall attitude towards the game. For years, as the game kept growing and we moved away from the traditional style of basketball, the distinctions between eras became clearer than ever, especially in today's game.
Basketball has evolved rapidly, with the emphasis shifting from physicality and defense to speed and offense, to the point that positions have lost their traditional meaning and structure. Not only that, but players have gotten much more skilled and diverse, and the large influx of international players has been one of the biggest highlights of the modern NBA.
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With the change in playstyle and rise in talent, the money also grew, and players became more entitled and focused on off-court business, losing the grit and love of what it meant to be a ball player and settling for unconventional roles on the court.
Stephen Jackson thinks the game isn't played how it's supposed to be
Today, a 6'9'' player can virtually play any position if his playstyle allows it, something that would seem ludicrous in the past. They can also appear to take on roles that go beyond their traditional positions, or rather beneath them, contributing in ways that were deemed unconventional before, as former NBA player Stephen Jackson highlighted.
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"A guy that's 6'3'', all he do is handoffs and picks. 6'3''? He's supposed to be a shooter," said Jackson. "You got a guy that's one-dimensional. That's why we respect guys like Anthony Edwards, because that's how the game is supposed to be played, bro."
However, Jack, who believes those are among the main issues, gave his two cents on how another underlying problem that most are afraid to speak about is biracial.
Jackson talks about the issue he has with "Black daddy, white mama" players
Jackson, who came from a single-parent household and prided himself on the African-American mentality of resilience and overcoming persistent social challenges, believes one of the main issues for players lacking the "It" factor is mixed families.
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"The road we took to get to where we got, it was different from them, bro. This is not a knock and not a diss, but if you look at the league, a lot of these kids in the league now, black daddy, white mamma. Mixed breeds. That's just what it is, bro. People hate the truth, but that's just what it is."
While every race experiences racism in its own way, biracial people often face accusations of "not being Black enough," lacking a cultural identity and connection to African-Americans. Therefore, they are labeled as soft, fragile, or emotionally detached from reality, which Stack believes is the case in basketball among Americans today.
International players took over the NBA
As Jackson implies, because mixed players lacked what it takes to become NBA alphas, international players saw their opportunity and took their share of the pie in the league. With their unique playstyle and approach to the game, the overseas style of basketball has left a significant blueprint on modern NBA basketball.
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"The last six MVPs been overseas cats. So that shows the depreciation for the game here. We not appreciating and playing the game with the appreciation that these motherf–kers over there playing with. They coming over here dominating y'all because it means something to them."
"You see how Greek Freak play? That s–t mean something to Greek Freak. It used to mean that much to us. It don't no more. Because NIL, social media, all that type of s–t. It ain't about the game no more."
While international players have steadily risen to dominance through rigorous development and incredible passion, Jackson believes many young Americans have softened their approach, specifically loving what basketball gives them rather than the sport itself.
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For that, he compares his opinion to parenting backgrounds, which aren't one-sided by race. Still, this has been part of a recurring pattern in modern basketball, where constant comparisons between the two eras are a never-ending conversation. Instead of constantly pointing out what's wrong, perhaps the focus should be on the good things that the new generation has brought.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
