Man, thinking about 90s point guards gets me going. We’re talking about guys who really ran the show, floor generals in the truest sense. Not just scorers who happen to bring the ball up.
Different Breed Back Then
You had guys like:
- John Stockton – seemed like he never made a mistake, just assists and steals, pure efficiency.
- Gary Payton – “The Glove,” talk about defense and trash talk, tough as nails.
- Jason Kidd – triple-double threat from the get-go, incredible vision.
- Tim Hardaway – that killer crossover, man, broke so many ankles.
They played tough. They played defense. They controlled the pace. It wasn’t just about chucking up threes or flashy no-look passes all the time. It felt more… grounded? More about fundamentals and controlling the damn game.
It kinda reminds me of how things felt different in other parts of life back then, too. Like at my old job, way back. Not that old, but felt like a different era compared to now.
Things Change, Not Always for Better
I was working at this place, pretty decent gig, doing my thing. Put in my time, knew my stuff. Thought I was solid, you know? Like Stockton hitting Malone for the pick-and-roll, reliable.
Then, management changed. New bosses came in, talking all this corporate jargon, synergy this, optimize that. Felt like they were trying to run some fancy offense they didn’t understand, instead of just playing solid ball.
One day, they called me in. No warning, just “we’re restructuring.” That’s the fancy word for “you’re out.” No real reason given, just mumbled stuff about “new directions.” Felt like getting blindsided by a cheap shot foul.
I was stunned. I’d given years to that place. Did everything they asked. Played my role. Suddenly, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like the old days where loyalty or solid work seemed to count for more. It was just cold, like a Payton stare-down but without any of the respect.
Had to scramble, figure things out. It was rough for a bit, not gonna lie. Felt like taking charge after charge, just trying to stay standing. But you know what? Thinking back to those 90s guys, they faced tough opponents every night. They didn’t back down.
So, I just put my head down. Started looking. Networking, calling folks, sending out resumes. Did the grind. Eventually landed somewhere else, somewhere that actually felt like they valued straight-up effort.
It taught me something, though. Loyalty is nice, but you gotta look out for yourself first. You gotta be tough, adaptable. Maybe a bit like those 90s PGs – they had skill, sure, but they also had that grit. They knew how to handle pressure and fight back when things got tough. That’s what I tried to do. Just keep dribbling, keep pushing, even when the defense is all over you.
