We’re currently witnessing a progressive change happening in the NBA. Great players are consistently defying Father Time and playing at the highest level late into their thirties, which was something unthinkable even a decade ago.
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In the top 10 list of the KIA MVP Ladder, there are three players above the age of 36, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and LeBron James. Although James Harden hasn’t made it to the list yet, the 35-year-old is playing at an elite level.
On a recent episode of Run It Back, Chandler Parsons tipped his hat to these veterans of the game for still having the competitive fire inside them to push themselves to the limit. Parsons said that when KD came into the league, he was made fun of because he couldn’t bench press 180 pounds. Almost two decades later, Durant is third in the race for league MVP.
Similarly, Harden has been ridiculed in the past for being overweight. Despite all the chatter, he’s still one of the best players in the league today. Parsons said, “James Harden, he’s been fat-shamed, he’s been out of shape, people have been cursing…he’s playing at an elite level.”
The former NBA star believes that these players should get more praise for aging like fine wine. Parsons also admitted that he could never be in their shoes despite being a former athlete himself.
He added, “I’m 36, I can barely get out of bed to go golf.”
Kevin Durant is in OKC and James Harden is ready for the tip off in Houston tonight
Do you remember when those two statements meant something completely different?
Shoutout to these superstars for getting it done for so long 💐 pic.twitter.com/upa6eamT8f
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) November 16, 2024
There are several superstars in the league today above the age of 35.
It’s one thing to hang around for a few extra years, it’s a whole different thing to be a superstar competing against players often 10 or more years younger than you. There are several factors that enable these players to achieve this status, modern medicine is surely one of them.
Technological advancements have played a major role in athletes defying Father Time
The money that NBA superstars make has gone up exponentially over the last 2-3 decades. This allows them to avail the benefits of modern-day tech, capable of making them recover quicker than ever before. Today’s athletes also have far better shoes and other equipment that help them avoid injuries.
Even when they sustain an injury, including those that were once considered career-ending, players bounce back from it to return to the floor. All of this is done with the help of modern medicine. The game has changed a lot over the last few decades. With the advent of three-point shots, players don’t need to rely on physicality alone to be effective.
The overall skills that athletes possess have also gone up significantly. While it’s undeniable that they have benefited from decades of evolution of the game, modern-day greats put a lot of time into their craft as well to be able to have long careers.
