true or false. older nba rookies are more likely to play in their later ages?

[ZenoB]

the nba is the only basketball league with an 82-game regular season. that's a lot of games compared to other leagues, and going through an nba season year after year will take a huge toll on a player's body if they play long enough.

take for example kobe bryant, kevin garnett, and tracy mcgrady. all three came straight out of high school, and now that they are in their early 30s, they are all starting to show signs of slowing down. at this point, it seems unlikely they will remain in the nba by the time they reach their late 30s.

but do you think nba rookies who played 3 or 4 years of college, and maybe even spent some time in lower level pro-leagues (europe, china, d-league, etc.) would be more likely to play in their mid-30s to early 40s? especially since their bodies aren't as fatigued as nba players of the same age who came straight out of high school, or left college early. examples for this case can include luis scola and jamario moon, who both joined the nba at age 25 after playing professionally in leagues overseas.

in a nutshell, i'm asking: true or false. the later you join the nba, the later you will retire.

 

[Lakersfora3lPeatm]

I think having extended playoff runs makes a bigger difference. Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant are slowing down because they each are among the all time leaders in playoff games played, where as Ray Allen hasn't decreased much after only playing in half the playoff games as Kobe Bryant. Scottie Pippen slowed down at a young age after playing in a ton of long playoff runs..

Although, each individual case is different. Kareem played into his 40s after a ton of long playoff runs.

 

[john]

I think it largely depends on their minutes and playing style. Jason Kidd and Steve Nash are known to play smart basketball and their playing styles do not require a high level of atheleticism and hence make them less susceptible to severe injuries.

Those that hugely rely on making contact with the opponents and receiving freethrows are more prone to injuries. McGrady used to be a formidable slasher and carried the scoring load on himself when he played for the Magic; he's been suffering from several injuries which to a large extent affected his performance.

Knowing how to protect yourself in game is crucial, too (i.e. how to take a charge, how to land, how to handle collisions, etc).

There is one exception: Michael Jordan. Look at how many games he's played, how many minutes he's played per game, how many times he's made contact with the defender and posterized them, and ultimately - how old he was when he retired. The guy cannot be described by any rules.