When did basketball stop becoming a contact sport?

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

...The rise of analytics and the shift of the game toward a 3-pt shootout. There is so much less contact when the game revolves around players standing around the 3-pt line. And if the defender even grazes the finger of the shooter or enters their "landing space" it's three free throws.

I miss the days of Jordan, Olajuwon, Duncan and more defense. The NBA game has become sort of silly lately.

It has been several years since the last time I watched a basketball game. James Harden was playing and he repeatedly did something I found quite irritating.

Harden would receive a pass and shoot a 3-pointer. When he did, his legs would "kick" out in front of him. If he happened to kick the defender, the ref would call a foul...on the defender.

So, wait. You can kick someone and they get hit with a foul? What kind of horse$#!t is this?

(cue the old-person-reminiscing music)

Back in my day, if you purposefully kicked a defender, you wouldn't get free throws. You'd get dropped. As in, the other team's biggest player would take a swing at you (with ill intent) and likely connect.