Sean Carroll

Not just because the training regimen and the skill sets have changed.

They have.

People have become more athletic and so forth.

But it's completely false.

Like by the 1960s, the athletic level in the NBA was very, very high.

Like if you see those old films of Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, those people would dominate today very, very effectively.

But the useful skills have changed, right?

Like your three-point shooting did not matter in the 1960s.

The NBA literally didn't have a three-point line.

But most importantly, it's a team sport.

And most importantly, even more importantly than most importantly, it's a results-oriented sport.

Here's how I think about it.

You know, when I was a first year college student at Villanova, that's the first time Villanova won the NBA champion, the NCAA basketball championship.

And for those of you of a certain age and a certain inclination, you remember that game because Villanova beat Georgetown in the final game in 2017.

One of the biggest upsets in NCAA history and also one of the most thrilling games.

Like Villanova played out of their minds.

It was a statistical fluctuation.

They barely missed any shots.

And still they only won by like two points, right?

It was still very, very close.