The National Basketball Association is increasingly becoming a young man's game with LeBron James leading the way. The league gets young and younger every year with a lot of star power under the age of 25.
However, I cannot help but look at what the old veterans are doing. Let's not sleep on the 30-something guys who still continue to play at a high level. The first few games of the NBA playoffs have shown me that they graybeards aren't ready to walk off into the sunset.
Tim Duncan of San Antonio is in his 30s and may be starting his initial descent, but I will still take the Big Fundamental over any player in the league. He is still the best big man in the game for my money. He can still score, rebound, hold down the middle defensively and pass the basketball to open teammates and do it at an All-Star level. The man is still great. His game is not sexy, but it is dominating in an understated way. I have to admit, it's going to be a sad day for me when #21 calls it a career. In my opinion, he's one of the top half dozen or so big men ever to play this game. Without a doubt, he is the best power forward ever to lace 'em up. No question about it.
He still makes others around him better players. As he gets older, he has gracefully stepped into the background a little bit as teammate Tony Parker is becoming one of the league's most dominant guards as he enters his prime years.
Youngsters, I know this is the age of LeBron, Kobe, CP3, Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant and they get all the love. But make me this one promise. In between highlights of high-flying dunks and those and1 video dribbling moves, just take a little time to check out what Tim Duncan is doing and learn a little bit about how the game is supposed to be play, especially if you are a big man.
The aging Spurs may not be true NBA championship contenders any longer, especially with Manu Ginobili out of the playoffs with his injury, but Tim Duncan still as a few good years left in him.
Don't let those good years be wasted without learning something.
Boston's Ray Allen and Detroit's Chauncey Billups have also issued some opening statements in their early games. Ray Ray just went off for 28 points in the second half of the Celts' thrilling Game 2 victory over the Baby Bulls. He won the game with an unbelievable 3-pointer with two seconds left with Joakim Noah's hand in his face. I don't know how he saw the basket, but that is what great shooters do. And Ray is a great shooter who has done it in the clutch throughout his career.
The trade that brought Billups to his hometown of Denver in exchange for the ultra-selfish Allen Iverson has to be one of the best moves made by an NBA team in recent memory. Imagine unloading a shot-first, pint-sized shooting guard for an A-List point guard with loads of playoff experience and a championship series MVP to boot. It's no surprise the Nuggets shot up the charts in the Western Conference all the way up the No. 2 seed. He will have his hands full in the first round with the Hornets' Chris Paul, but his 18 first half points in Denver's Game 1 blowout victory showed that he is still a major factor.
Finally, it may be strange, but Kobe Bryant can also be considered an oldie. He can still fly around the hoop and drain the closely contested jumpers better than anyone in the league, people may forget that Kobe joined the league way back in 1996. He is still the most popular player in the league, especially with the youngsters. But sorry kids, Kobe is also an oldie.
So, here is some love for the oldies.
However, I cannot help but look at what the old veterans are doing. Let's not sleep on the 30-something guys who still continue to play at a high level. The first few games of the NBA playoffs have shown me that they graybeards aren't ready to walk off into the sunset.
Tim Duncan of San Antonio is in his 30s and may be starting his initial descent, but I will still take the Big Fundamental over any player in the league. He is still the best big man in the game for my money. He can still score, rebound, hold down the middle defensively and pass the basketball to open teammates and do it at an All-Star level. The man is still great. His game is not sexy, but it is dominating in an understated way. I have to admit, it's going to be a sad day for me when #21 calls it a career. In my opinion, he's one of the top half dozen or so big men ever to play this game. Without a doubt, he is the best power forward ever to lace 'em up. No question about it.
He still makes others around him better players. As he gets older, he has gracefully stepped into the background a little bit as teammate Tony Parker is becoming one of the league's most dominant guards as he enters his prime years.
Youngsters, I know this is the age of LeBron, Kobe, CP3, Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant and they get all the love. But make me this one promise. In between highlights of high-flying dunks and those and1 video dribbling moves, just take a little time to check out what Tim Duncan is doing and learn a little bit about how the game is supposed to be play, especially if you are a big man.
The aging Spurs may not be true NBA championship contenders any longer, especially with Manu Ginobili out of the playoffs with his injury, but Tim Duncan still as a few good years left in him.
Don't let those good years be wasted without learning something.
Boston's Ray Allen and Detroit's Chauncey Billups have also issued some opening statements in their early games. Ray Ray just went off for 28 points in the second half of the Celts' thrilling Game 2 victory over the Baby Bulls. He won the game with an unbelievable 3-pointer with two seconds left with Joakim Noah's hand in his face. I don't know how he saw the basket, but that is what great shooters do. And Ray is a great shooter who has done it in the clutch throughout his career.
The trade that brought Billups to his hometown of Denver in exchange for the ultra-selfish Allen Iverson has to be one of the best moves made by an NBA team in recent memory. Imagine unloading a shot-first, pint-sized shooting guard for an A-List point guard with loads of playoff experience and a championship series MVP to boot. It's no surprise the Nuggets shot up the charts in the Western Conference all the way up the No. 2 seed. He will have his hands full in the first round with the Hornets' Chris Paul, but his 18 first half points in Denver's Game 1 blowout victory showed that he is still a major factor.
Finally, it may be strange, but Kobe Bryant can also be considered an oldie. He can still fly around the hoop and drain the closely contested jumpers better than anyone in the league, people may forget that Kobe joined the league way back in 1996. He is still the most popular player in the league, especially with the youngsters. But sorry kids, Kobe is also an oldie.
So, here is some love for the oldies.
Image borrowed from: slamonline.com
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