sports science, bitch
NBA - Main
Game analysis, highlights and everything else that is happening in the NBA.
sport science, modern medicine, better pt, peds, better nutrition, load management, less hard fouls better shoes....less binge drinking, cig smoking, and coke use.
Load mangement...haha, this has arguably ruined the game.
I mean he answered the question being asked on longetivity, not a question on whether it has "ruined the game". So...
Emphasis on shooting and more complex team defensive schemes means skill and experience can trump pure athleticism.
Ghost of Len Bias would like a word.
A lot of that comes down to mentality—modern athletes realizing their body is they paycheck and making business decisions accordingly.
well that does it /thread
Bill Nye
It’s situational. T-Mac and Dwight declined ahead of the curve because of injuries. Wade, Melo, Pierce all did between 33-35 like you said, but there’s no proof that some of the current guys won’t see that sudden sign of decline within the next couple of years similarly.
Also, players like Kawhi/Jimmy have a physical, deliberate style of play that ages gracefully. The shooters like Dame/Curry/KD will never lose that shooting touch unless their legs lose power entirely.
And then LeBron is the exception, not the rule.
This. Also Lebron is known to heavily invest in his body on and off season.
as most super Stars do except they brag and seek attention for it
LeBron and Butler actually have a lot in common, although LeBron is obviously better. But both of them play a very physical game that doesn’t depend on pure athleticism.
The difference is that LeBron is a tank who seemingly never got injured in his prime, whereas Butler rarely plays a full season and just needs to focus on being healthy in the playoffs. Even in the playoffs, though, Butler has a harder time sustaining that physical style of play.
Look at last season, where Butler was clearly hobbled in the Finals. Look at game five of the 2020 Finals, where Butler matched LeBron and came out the victor — but had nothing left in game six.
Dame/Curry/KD
Steph is just not a shooter dude. He runs the most miles per game for a superstar above 30, his conditioning is elite.
I’m aware of how Stephen Curry plays man it’s just a generalization lol
The shooters like Dame/Curry/KD will never lose that shooting touch unless their legs lose power entirely.
A lot depends on how you shoot too.
It's still very rare in Soccer...(outside GK and defenders)
even though they got much more money into the sport
and the avg NBA player would look chubby against elite soccer players
You got a source for this? I suspect they're both around 6-12% body fat.
Soccer/football is so heavily based on obviously your legs, running, and timing, and those are things that even these guys we mention, they're not at their peak in those departments today. But in soccer/football, also in tennis....you lose a quarter of a step, half a step, you can't really cover that up the way you can in basketball with footwork/skill/smarts/etc. You lose a little in the legs and the kinetic chain breaks down.
they're built different
Evolution
People were having this conversation in the NFL a few years ago when Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Tom Brady were all effective into their late 30's and even 40's. Everyone thought it was going to be the new normal until a bunch of other QB's fell off and retired right on schedule.
Turns out it was just a little group of extreme outliers who by random coincidence were all playing at the same time, and human beings still age like human beings. LeBron playing at this level at his age doesn't mean the universe has shifted any more than Jordan or Kareem still balling when they were 39-40 did. Some dudes really are just built different, and top stars usually play longer because they are falling off from a higher peak.
NFL rules shifted between the 90’s and early 2000’s that provided a significant advantage to the passing game with stricter enforcement of pass interference rules, tackling rules, and handling of the quarterback. Comparing what Steve Young and Brett Favre played through to Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady faced is almost apples to oranges.
I think to a degree they all pushed each other to go that long. Always helps to have companions when pushing yourself. Sure they competed and were super competitive against each other but they were also peers.
I think the QBs is more you can't hit them anywhere near as much anymore. I suspect Mahomes and QBs who can figure out how to not take as many hits will play longer too. For the NBA I'd say the game is more about shooting 3s relative to getting to the basket than ever, which generally means less getting hit. In addition to all the advances in medicine, conditioning, load restrictions, etc.
Seems more like your selection bias. Several of the current players you mentioned have had struggles with injuries in recent years, and you are ignoring some of the better players from the 2000s who did age gracefully.
Is it so hard to imagine a few years from now we will look back and see Kawhi’s last prime season was 2020 when he was 28?
Load management.
Juicing. Everybody is in on it.
Michael Jordan and Karl Malone won MVP at 34/35. John Stockton has been the same level of player in terms of PER between age 25 and 40.
I think a lot of what has been mentioned is true but I also think there is less physicality with how spaced out the floor is because of how prevalent shooting has become. Dwight got the shit beat out of him in the paint. DWade didn't shoot, he was a slasher and got to the rim which takes a toll on a dudes body. Pierce played in the post quite a bit as well, as did Melo. Curry will be effective if he never drives to the basket again because of his off ball movement and shooting which means less contact for him to deal with.
I was thinking this too. Where are the Rodman/Lambeer/Oakley types that would just knock you into next week? Pre 2000s players got the crap beat out of them quite regularly. That’s gotta take a toll.
Two Main Reasons:
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Better Nutrition and Science Medicine Advancements.
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Load Management
With the way things are going. Maybe in 2040s-2050s, Superstars will still be good even at age 40-45.
Da 3 point line duh
Money
PEDs
[insert Neil deGrasse Tyson's meme]
Higher skill level.
I feel like they do especially in hockey and bball, other than LeBron anyway
trt and hgh
Steroids, they all use steroids. It’s a good thing.
It helps that the NBA has evolved to a glorified 3 pt contest.
Remember when the best scoring teams avg 110-115 pts per game? Now the best D teams will only give up 108-112 per game. Crazy
Jordan talks about the veterans on the team doing cocaine and drinking while playing cards after games on the road. That culture doesn't exist for the most part anymore. Players take care of themselves these days.
Steroids
ACL tears used to be career ending back in those days as well. Hell, Kobe and Durant had the same injury but yet Kobe was a shell of himself post surgery vs Durant who's still a top 10 player. It's definitely due to medical advances and probably trt.
Genetic Lottery Winners + HGH + Rule changes = some superstars play better longer
Better drugs, softer play style, modern medical/fitness everything else.
That simple.
Blueberries. It's a scientific fact. Glad we figured out this kind of stuff.
Shooting becoming more important, and floor spacing, let’s people either increase their range or become better passers to find a new role after losing their athleticism.