Gary Payton: 'I could never play basketball in this soft era'

It's hard to argue that the current brand of NBA basketball isn't far more tame than it was during the eighties and nineties. There was more leeway for players to be overly physical and ruthless 30 years ago. Today, player safety has become more of a priority.

Basketball Hall of Famer Gary Payton played 17 seasons in the league for five different franchises, with his most prominent run coming as a member of the Seattle Supersonics - now the Oklahoma City Thunder. Nicknamed "The Glove," Payton terrorized opposing guards on the defensive end with a relentless tenacity paired with a knack for trash talk that very few could come close to emulating.

So, how would Payton fare playing the game in 2015-16? Not very well, he thinks:

Payton's talent alone would make him an obvious threat had he competed in what he referred to on Twitter as the "soft" era, but considering the nine-time All-Star's playing history, his in-your-face brand of defense and psychological tactics would have cost him a few dollars along the way.