Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and One Player From Every Team Who Defies Age
Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant are players that make us believe that it is possible to play for a lifetime. This list will comprise of players who are aging like fine wine and the men pictured are great examples of the said fact.
There are also those that look like they have been in the league for years when they have only just begun their great careers!
I will go in alphabetical order, so I am not ranking the players.
Enjoy!
Atlanta Hawks: Mike Bibby(32)
1 of 30
| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | APG | SPG | |
| 9.3 | 3.6 | 0.7 | |
This was a very tough choice to make and I was really considering not listing anyone for this team, but in all fairness, Bibby deserves this spot.
His stats are not great, but his leadership and motivation combined with those stats make him valuable. Bibby was never a truly great player, but he is not giving up on his career and is still fighting to get all the points he can, and I respect that.
Boston Celtics: Ray Allen(35)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | APG | 3P% | |
| 17.5 | 3 | .462 | |
This in large part came down to the Big Three.
I was considering Pierce for a long time, but I had to include the most prolific three point shooter in history on here instead.
It is yet another consistent year for Ray-Ray and his jumper it seems has never been sweeter.
He is putting up numbers and I am definitely looking forward to him in the All Star Three Point Contest! He is a great player and a great person and deserves that record as much as anyone else.
He is not slowing down and I am sure I am not the only one hoping the downtown show will never seize to stop!
Charlotte Bobcats: Stephen Jackson(32)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | APG | 3P% | |
| 18.9 | 3.7 | .339 | |
Stephen Jackson is the MVP of the Bobcats, but he is also one of the most consistent players in the league.
When he gets his minutes, he puts up numbers, it is really that simple.
He is also a very versatile player and has many ways in which to beat his man off of the dribble. His stats this year are not far removed from last year and this looks to be another solid year for him in Charlotte.
Chicago Bulls: Kurt Thomas(38)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | RPG | BPG | |
| 4.9 | 5.8 | 0.9 | |
This actually surprised me.
I don't know if I've been living under a rock or something, but I had not idea what Kurt Thomas was doing in Chicago!
He is 38 years old and is having a great year especially considering the amount of minutes he is getting and let me say it again....he is 38!!
That is really incredible and I give Thomas all the respect he deserves here and I hope he keeps this up!
Cleveland Cavaliers: Antawn Jamison(34)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | RPG | BPG | |
| 17.3 | 6.6 | 0.5 | |
Cleveland has been just terrible this year.
However, they do have some very promising young players and a great veteran on their team.
Jamison is having a very solid season this year and is not slowing down in the least. He is fun to watch, even if the team always loses and never gives up.
Cleveland is no doubt a very tough plays to play right now and it really makes me appreciate those numbers above even more.
Dallas Mavericks: Jason Kidd(37)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | APG | SPG | |
| 8.3 | 8.3 | 1.7 | |
Jason Kidd is incredible.
Those stats up there are career milestones for many of the young rookies coming into the NBA.
Kidd is making it look easy! Night in and night out he out there dishing the rock, running around the court as if he was in the desert again.
I respect Kidd and to me he is still one of the top point guards in the entire league and his leadership and influence on the young prospects makes him that much more valuable than numbers could ever express.
He has always been consistent in his career and this year does not change that.
With the Mavericks hoping to finally push for the NBA Championship, they will need to rely on Kidd that much more.
Denver Nuggets: Chauncey Billups(34)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | APG | SPG | |
| 16.2 | 5.3 | 1 | |
It is yet another NBA season and yet another year of Chauncey Billups doing his thing in Denver.
He is putting up his traditional numbers and is leading the Nuggets in the midst of a very tough season where every player seems to be featured in some sort of trade rumor and where any minute they could be left in rebuilding mode.
All these trade rumors and locker room tension does not help a team win games, but Billups is doing all he can to will his team to wins and to fight during every possession.
Whatever happens and wherever Billups ends, I have no doubt that Billups will always keep his hard nosed attitude towards the game.
Detroit Pistons: Ben Wallace(36)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | RPG | BPG | |
| 2.9 | 6.6 | 1 | |
The Pistons might not be going places this May other than to the couches, but Ben Wallace has not gave up doing what he does best; bang in the post and swat shots.
The Pistons are no doubt on the verge of a great rebuilding, but for not Ben Wallace is still there and is helping them win a handful of games every month.
He is still a veteran presence and is definitely respected down on the defensive end.
Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry(22)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | APG | SPG | |
| 18.9 | 5.9 | 1.8 | |
Here is the first player who finds himself on this list simply because of how young he is.
His numbers and the way he plays are more indicative of a seasoned veteran than a runner up for the Rookie of the Year award.
He is playing smart basketball and is no doubt getting results and is helping lead the Warriors to a very solid season and maybe even getting ready to make a push for the playoffs.
This kid has a very young future ahead of him and if he can harness just a bit of that potential he could end up in the Hall someday.
Houston Rockets: Shane Battier(32)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | RPG | APG | |
| 8.4 | 4.8 | 2.5 | |
What Shane Battier does cannot accurately be expressed using numbers and statistics.
He plays lockdown defense and on the other end moves the ball around the court in order to help his team get the best possible shot.
He is also only 32, but considering he spends most nights guarding the biggest offensive threat on the floor he needs the hop in his step more than ever before.
Age can really slow down defensive production (Ron Artest anybody?), but Battier has yet to look foolish and is still working hard to make sure he is ready night in and night out.
Indiana Pacer: None
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I'm not going to force the issue and pick some 30 year old who averages just over 10 points a game...not gonna happen.
Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin(21)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | RPG | BPG | |
| 22.6 | 12.6 | 0.5 | |
Blake is also on this list due to his young age and the dominance he has shown.
He is very young and his talent is infinite and he is only getting better. He is already in the All Star game in only his first season in the league and is putting up Dwight Howard-like numbers already.
The difference between him and Howard is that he is working to expand his offensive arsenal and his improvement can be seen night in and night out.
If his hard work continues, he will one day be the top player in the league and maybe, just maybe one of the best in history.
Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe Bryant(32)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | APG | 3P% | |
| 25.4 | 5 | .315 | |
The Black Mamba is putting up yet another stellar season in LA and is hoping to lead his Lakers to their third consecutive title, giving Kobe his second three peat.
It's not only the fact that Kobe is 32, but it is the fact that Kobe's body is probably in the 70s and he is almost always battling health problems.
The fact that he is able to battle through them all and play nearly every single time he is called upon deserves some serious respect and I would be a fool not to give in to him.
I, for one hope he breaks his finger...he is so much more spectacular to watch when he does...
Memphis Grizzilies: None
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Again, not gonna force the issue...
Miami Heat: None
15 of 30
Same here...
Milwakee Bucks: Earl Boykins(34)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | APG | SPG | |
| 8.3 | 2.5 | 0.7 | |
Boykins should be on this list simply because of his height, or lack there of.
He is putting up very consistent numbers when I bet most NBA fans forgot he even existed. He is a very solid player to have coming off of a bench for virtually any team and even though he is short, he can still put up numbers.
He is a streaky shooter who can go off and have a solid game, or can sit back and pass to his teammates. Whatever he does, he does it with determination.
I believe that is in very large part due to all the haters he must constantly face.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Love(22)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | RPG | BPG | |
| 21.4 | 15.6 | 0.4 | |
Kevin Love is the MVP of the year...
Well, that is just based on stats and the skill he has shown. Obviously no player playing on one of the worst teams in the league can win the MVP (or even be selected to the All Star game based on something other than pure luck).
He is simply one of the best players I have ever seen play and if he can keep this up, we might be talking a little more than the Hall of Fame...
New Jersey Nets: None
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Nope! Nets, you strike out here as well.
New Orleans Hornets: None
19 of 30
Nope....
Oh and I figured one more Steve Nash can't hurt the article.
New York Knicks: None
20 of 30
Oh my god!!!
Three in a row! This is a joke right? No....
Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant(22)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | RPG | APG | |
| 29 | 7.1 | 2.8 | |
Kevin Durant is quickly trying to establish himself as one of the best players of the generation and he is getting there...already
Sure, he has work to do to his game and improve various parts and polish his gamestyle a little bit...but let's be honest when he pulls up for a three against your team; Do you have any doubts as to the result?
Olrando Magic: None
22 of 30
Again....no one here either.
Philadelphia 76ers: Elton Brand(31)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | RPG | BPG | |
| 15.5 | 8.5 | 1.1 | |
Elton Brand came out this year and silenced many of his haters and gained some new respect around the entire league.
After multiple fans yelling about how he was overpaid and how he should immediately be let lose, they are not cheering his name and wearing his jersey.
He has gained new respect and that is not easy to do once you lose it.
Glad to see him back in action and can't wait to see more.
Phoenix Suns: Steve Nash(37)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | APG | SPG | |
| 16.7 | 11.1 | 0.7 | |
Here comes the best slide!
Well, at least for me. I have made no secret Nash is my favorite player and this is just one of the reasons.
If you ask 10 NBA fans who is the best "old guy" in the league, I will bet half of them won't even think of Nash. Why? Because, being the old guy in the NBA implies losing skill and ability.
That is most certainly not the case with Nash and he has in no way lost a step since his past couple of seasons.
Even without Amar'e helping him out, he still gets it done and is embarrassing many of the kids 10-15 years younger than him.
"Let's get Nashty!" has never been heard louder in the desert.
Portland Trailblazers: Marcus Camby(36)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | RPG | BPG | |
| 5.9 | 11.3 | 1.8 | |
Camby has simply been amazing this year and is putting up a very, very solid year in Portland.
He is an intimidating presence down low and in still one of the best rebounders in the league. While, one can only speculate how long can this last, I would say that I am more likely to retire before Camby is done blocking shots.
He has been a great force for the Blakers and has helped them greatly this year to win games.
Sacramento Kings: None
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I wanted to put Evans, but he won Rookie of the Year and his stats are also lower this year.
San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan(34)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | RPG | BPG | |
| 13.4 | 9.2 | 2 | |
This was a hard choice for me.
It was between him and Manu, but in the end I have to attribute the gap in statistics to the low minutes and pad the stats with his leadership to the Spurs.
While he has lost a step since his younger days, he remains one of the more consistent players in the league when getting his minutes.
I also have no doubts that once the playoffs start that he will be right back in the mix of things.
Toronto Raptors: None
28 of 30
Yeah....very funny
Utah Jazz: Raja Bell(34)
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| 2010-11 STATS | |||
| PPG | APG | 3P% | |
| 8.4 | 1.6 | .361 | |
This is arguable.
Technically neither the stats nor the age are very high, but being that I used to be a Suns fan and used to watch Bell; I can safely say that I feel he deserves his spot.
Bell has made a reputation for getting inside his opponent's head and that has not changed in the least.
He is still a difference maker and is a solid defender as welll as vetern presence.
Again, arguable...but it is my opinion.
Washington Wizards: None
30 of 30
This might shock people, but when a first pick is injured for a good part of the year and is putting up relatively standard numbers, I tend to not be very impressed.
Maybe next year!
Thank you for reading and please comment!
All the statistical information used in this article was taken from ESPN.com
