Kobe Bryant talks with Allen Iverson during Game 5 of the 2001 NBA Finals.

The NBA Mailbag is here to answer your questions throughout the 2023 offseason! Have a question for Jamal? Submit it at the bottom of this edition of the NBA Mailbag. The next edition of NBA Mailbag will focus on players, teams and moments from the 2010s.

What was your favorite thing about the 2000s NBA? Was it playing against Kobe, AI and LeBron? Or was it something else?

– from Sam in Sydney, Australia

I loved that in the 2000s it felt more like an old man’s league. There were older vets throughout the league and more players continued to compete into their late-30s. This made things so physical and it felt like everything that someone got was really earned. I miss those days.

If you could bring back something from the 2000’s game (jerseys, a rule change, etc.) what would it be? Much love and respect Jamal!

– from Josh in Sacramento, CA

I would want to bring back the ability to hand-check on defense and be more physical. I’m a scorer, so I love all the scoring. But I also would love to see if my moves would really work against top-level defense.

What was it like to see older players like Jordan past their prime and younger players like Kobe and LeBron still developing their game?

– from Brody in Kansasville, WI

Anytime you saw Michael Jordan, you only saw him in one light. You saw him in his prime with the Bulls. But people forget that even with the Wizards, although he was a little bit older, at a certain point he was averaging 25 points, five assists and five rebounds. He and Kobe were the only two players averaging those numbers before Jordan’s knee injury. So it was definitely interesting to see him in a different uniform. I guess it was more weird, though.

With guys like Kobe and LeBron, we knew they were next. And we knew that they could become some of the greatest players to ever play. It was cool to watch them rise as Jordan was wrapping up his career.

How hard was it to guard AI and Kobe?

– from James in Tennessee

Wow, James. You just named the two toughest players I ever had to guard. Kobe was No. 1 because he didn’t care about failure. He didn’t lose confidence. No shot was too difficult. He was always prepared and trying to destroy you on the court. When you have that skill, that mentality and that confidence, it’s a problem for anybody to deal with.

With Iverson, I thought I was skinny until I bumped into him and he flew. I was like, “Oh my gosh, this guy is skinny!” But he was so quick and so fast and so tough that he always kept the pressure on your defense. For both he and Kobe, you were always nervous to guard them.

Who’s your all-decade team for the 2000s?

– from Carson in USA

• Allen Iverson
• Kobe Bryant
• Tracy McGrady
• Tim Duncan
• Shaquille O’Neal

Which era of NBA basketball was better: 2000s or 2010s?

– from Jason in North Carolina

Personally, I enjoyed the 2000s more, though the 2010s were fun as well. The 2010s were when you started to see more teams playing like Phoenix with seven seconds or less. They were the anomaly at first, then the pace started to rise across the league and more 3-pointers started to be shot. This helped the game evolve and I think from top to bottom players are more skilled today than prior eras.

But I liked the 2000s because it was a little more rugged. And if you accomplished something like getting a bucket, then it meant so much more. So for me, I lean towards the 2000s.

The NBA was significantly lower scoring in the early 2000s. While the increase in 3-pointers attempted is an obvious factor, what else caused the scoring to be so low?

– from Oliver in London, Ontario, Canada

Possessions meant so much more. Coaches didn’t allow everybody to have the same freedom to shoot shots. This made it so you had to really value each possession, which resulted in slower pace and lower scores. Most teams played through one star and then would generate offense through his isolation, passing or just the gravity of him to draw help defenders. This is how other players were able to get shots, instead of everybody having the freedom to shoot 15 3s in a game. We have role players shooting 15 3s in a game now! It’s crazy lol.

How was it playing for the Chicago Bulls?

– from Cameron in Cincinnati, OH

It was so cool to play for a team that I watched so much growing up. Chicago was my favorite team because of MJ. So to have the opportunity to hear the iconic announcer say, “A 6-6 guard from Seattle, Washington …” after hearing him say, “A 6-6 guard from North Carolina” so many times, it was almost surreal. So playing for the Bulls, even though we weren’t very good the first few years, was so much fun because I knew my favorite player ever had played from the same team, shooting on the same baskets. That’s the first thing I said when I went to the United Center … “Michael Jordan shot at this basket.” I have a lot of love for Chi.

One of my favorite stars from the 2000s who I think is a bit underrated besides you, Michael Redd, Shawn Marion, etc. is Vince Carter. People know him as the undisputed “God of dunks” but he had quite the potent midrange and three ball. Any anecdotes about facing off against VC and your first, “Oh, he’s like that” moment you had?

– from Leo in Las Vegas

Everything just seemed so effortless for Vince. It wasn’t just the dunks. It was the shooting. He shot for range before it was popular and he had a mid-range game. He had no weaknesses in his arsenal, and he was obviously as athletic as we’ve ever seen. But his game was just so easy and effortless. I remember playing against him in Toronto, and like I said the Bulls teams weren’t very good, but we were hanging around. Then he hit that VC button like in the Nike Shox he used to wear and the game just exploded. He started hitting 3s, he windmilled, he took over the whole game.

He’s definitely one of the most underrated players of all time. He was a superstar but is still one of the most underrated. He’s also a first-ballot Hall of Famer and is eligible next year, by the way.

Why doesn’t Michael Redd get more love league-wide?

– from Jack in St. Louis, MO

It’s just short-term memory issues. Michael Redd was a problem to deal with. He had the left-handed slingshot and was always so prepared. I remember seeing him at Ohio State when I was at Michigan and they used to call him the Redd Gun because he could score at will. I think him being in Milwaukee and him being low-key off the court played into fans maybe not knowing about him as they should. But kids out there, do yourself a favor and YouTube Michael Redd highlights today.

What was an underrated aspect of Tim Duncan’s game?

– from Ronald in San Antonio, TX

His competitiveness. People don’t talk about that … they talk about his bank shot or skill set or his leadership. But he was so freakin’ competitive. I remember playing against him in the 2015 playoffs, and that was the toughest series I ever played. And to me, even though San Antonio had Tony, Kawhi, Manu and all those guys, Duncan was still the best player even at his older age. He was the biggest problem to deal with because of his skills and competitive fire.

Are there players from the 2000s you think deserve more love? Which player’s highlights do you still watch?

– from Michael in Boston, MA

Stephon Marbury is a player that deserves more love. He was criticized for how he played at the time. But in today’s NBA, he would be a $300-million player. He was one of the most talented and best players I’ve ever played with. And I still watch his highlights from time to time.

What were the ’08-09 Magic missing in order to win a championship?

– from Chett in Texas

They weren’t missing anything. They just didn’t have Kobe 🤷

Who was the fastest player with the best handles that you had to guard while you were in the league?

– from Antonio in Memphis, TN

I’ll give you three guys who stood out to me. Jason “White Chocolate” Williams, Rafer “Skip 2 My Lou” Alston and Rod “The God” Strickland. They were all super fast with crazy handles.

Which championship team from the 2000s surprised you the most as a player?

– from Mason in Burlington, VA

The 2003-04 Pistons surprised me the most because I thought they would struggle to score. But they were so smart and well-coached. If they got up 10 points on you, it was like being down 20 because they were so methodical with how they played. Kudos to Chauncey, Rip, Sheed, the great Larry Brown, and the whole squad.

What made going up against Bruce Bowen such a nightmare?

– from Michaela in Oregon

He was a nightmare because it wasn’t only about his length and athleticism. It was about the entire defensive system he played with in San Antonio. And I learned about that while playing with Malik Rose in New York. He was like, “Bruce is a great defender. But he knows he has Timmy behind him. And if Timmy isn’t there and Bruce gets beat, Pop will get mad at Timmy for not being there.” So he was a great individual defender, but that system of support absolutely allowed him to be more of an aggressive defender as well.

Would the NBA work in Vancouver, BC? What was it like playing here?

– Yogi in Vancouver, BC, Canada

Yes, the NBA would absolutely work in Vancouver. I miss the West Coast road trips through Portland, Seattle and Vancouver. I love Vancouver so much that I started going there to play outdoor games. Shoutout to Dolphin Park in Richmond, Canada.

What music comes to your mind when you think about the 2000s era?

– from Tyler in Minneapolis, MN

Jay-Z. Cash Money. DMX. The Lox. Those artists all remind me of the 2000s.

What is your take on load management in today’s NBA?

– from Mihir in India

I hate it. There are kids who have never seen their favorite players and they may get one opportunity. Then to find out their favorite player isn’t playing? It’s tough. I’ve always said I would rather a player load manage during practice than load manage during games. Players play, hoopers hoop.

What’s up with the USA men’s basketball team?

– from Neil in Brooklyn, NY

Obviously, we struggled. I thought our size became an issue. And more than anything, these teams we’re playing against have played together for years. We’re kind of just putting different pieces and players together who are used to playing one way. With USA Basketball, you have to play a completely different way. And that can take time to adjust, especially when playing against more experienced teams.

What do you feel about Noah Lyles’ comments about world champions?

– from Rohail in Seattle, WA

I understand both sides of the debate. And that’s not a political answer. The NBA is the best league in the world and that’s why the best players come here to compete, so it would be fair to call the NBA champion the world champion. But on the other hand, “world champions” means you have played against every other team in the world and won. So I think both sides have reasonable arguments to make.

What action on the court by a teammate would upset you most?

– from Matthias in Germany

Over-dribbling kills me because that shows you’re just thinking about yourself and not about the team.

What’s the one piece of advice you would give to aspiring young players looking to excel on and off the court?

– from Emad in Michicagn

Put in the work and enjoy it. Love the process of the good, the bad and everything in between. I always say the work is the separator. If you can work and work and work, eventually you’re going to have so much work equity built up that whoever you play against is not going to be able to keep up because they haven’t worked as hard as you. Fall in love with the game and the process of being a gym rat.

Who do you think has the best nickname of all time?

– from Liam in Minnesota

Air Jordan. So good it became an entire brand.

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