Last month I put up a post stating “history” is an over-used term in sports. I just heard another one: “generational talent.” This one’s relatively new. I only recall starting to hear it over the past 10 years, but I’ve heard it a lot in every sport I watch.
One would presume a generational talent would be literally that—one of the maybe 2 or 3 best players in a 20-ish year time frame. There is exactly one active baseball player right now that I’d for sure say earns that appellation—Mike Trout. If someone is/is going to be inner-circle in the Hall of Fame, that’s a generational talent to me.
I’ll pick on basketball here for a moment as that’s what’s the marquee sport of the month: I’ve heard Ja Morant, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, “the Greek Freak,” James Harden, and LeBron James all called “generational talents.” Stop it. They’re all great players, but they can’t all be once in a generation players.
I’ve also heard agents using the term liberally. I understand them overselling their clients—they’re just trying to make the most money they can for their clients (and thus themselves).
Fan Interference 
There are a herds of G.O.A.T.’s out there. It’s amazing. Every time I hear people say GOAT, I think of the scene from the Princess Bride: I do not think that word means what you think it means.
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Indeed!
(Love that movie)
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James Harden, like Carmelo Anthony, is an over rated ball hog.
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I used to really like Harden when he was the Thunder’s 6th man and argued he should have been made the starting shooting guard over Thabo Sefolosha. The last 4-5 years? No thanks.
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