Corey Maggette breaks down why he loves the way basketball has evolved: 'The game has changed from a game standpoint but also an economic standpoint'

Basketball has always been a game of evolution, where every generation redefines what's possible on the court. But what does that mean for someone who was part of the era that ushered in the new game?

While some legends criticize how basketball is being played today, there's no denying that the sport has evolved not just in style and creativity but also in terms of the opportunities it presents to players today, balancing tradition and innovation.

All-round evolution

Most reflections on basketball's evolution aren't about discarding the past but building on it. Watching old clips of legends like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson reveals the foundation of today's game.

The old generation relied on centers for their strengths, but the new one sought bigs to shoot better, and over the last decade, the league has seen a dramatic increase in three-point shooting among forwards and centers.

In the 2009-10 season, big men averaged just 1.2 3-point attempts per game. By 2024, that number had skyrocketed to almost 5.0 attempts per game, showing the skill sets shift across all positions.

Corey Maggette, a former NBA star, has plenty to say about how the game has transformed.

"So the ability of guys to be able to watch players up close, even closer than we used to do back in the day, you see that they have expanded and their creativity," said Maggette. "Not saying that the creativity back when we played wasn't great, they have just taken it to another level with creativity, because the game of basketball has changed from a game standpoint but even more from an economic standpoint as well."

Maggette didn't stop at the on-court changes. For him, one of the most striking evolutions in basketball has been its financial aspect. During his early career, endorsements and sponsorships were far more limited than they are today.

When he joined the Los Angeles Clippers in 2001, the NBA was already a lucrative industry, but it wasn't a global powerhouse. Today, the league generates over $10 billion annually, and players like LeBron James and Stephen Curry have transcended sports to become cultural icons.