Elderly Hoops

When I was a teenager I remember occasionally watching old guys playing basketball at the gym. I noticed how most of them were out of shape and spent a lot more time joking and socializing than they did playing. I swore that I would never get old and out of shape like they were. I was not going to let time pull that cruel trick on me.

Twenty five years later, I realize that I am slowly becoming that fat, slow guy that resorts to hook shots, walks up and down the court, and plays defense by sticking both arms out to his side like he's carrying a picket fence. Maybe it's not quite that bad, but I've sure lost some intensity.

This got me thinking of many of the players in the NBA who continued playing for a long time. Despite being past their prime when they retired. If you like them or not, you still have to admire players like Kareem, Bob Cousy, Moses Malone, Shaq, Dikembe, Stockton, Karl Malone, Robert Parrish, Rod Strickland and others who had NBA careers for over 20 years. The average N.B.A. player probably has a career closer to 5 years. As hard as it is to watch players age and slow down, you have to hand it to these guys for having the NBA longevity gene and competing at that level for such a long time.