edit: just realized that thread title sucks. Sorry. Nice blog from Henry Abbot yesterday on the possibilities of a man of Michael Jordan's age making a comeback. http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop...lusions--Michael-Jordan-in-the-NBA-at-50.html For those that don't know, he closed his HOF speech with: "One day you might look up and see me playing the game at 50. Don't laugh. Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion." That got me thinking. We had 3 great players in this year's HOF class: Michael Jordan, John Stockton, and David Robinson. All three were known for keeping themselves in fantastic shape. Jordan played into his 40s with the Wizard and put up some high scoring games. Stockton also reached the age of 40 as a player, and played at a fairly high level. David Robinson wasn't quite as durable, but he was always an outstanding physical specimen, and with his size and natural athleticism could possibly still be an effective player. So here's the question. Suppose all 3 decided they wanted one more go at it. Jordan would be 46 going on 47. John Stockton would be 47 going on 48. David Robinson would be 44. Who do you think has the best shot of being an effective player? I'll go ahead and make it a poll too.
I think stockton since he doesn't look super fat and his game was never about athleticism. I think Jordan has let himself go a little bit.
David Robinson because... a) he's the youngest of the 3 and b) he's a big. Because there's less speed at his position, it is more likely that he'll be able to use his size and intelligence to his advantage. I doubt Stockton and Jordan have the average athleticism needed to be effective at their positions any more. Their size wouldn't help them either.
A few numbers to consider. In Jordan's last season (age 39,40), he played all 82 games for the Wizards. He had a 19.3 PER, and 6.0 Win Shares according to Basketball-reference.com. In Stockton's last season (age 40, 41), he played all 82 games for the Jazz. He had a 21.0 PER and 8.8 Win Shares. Amazingly, Stockton ended his career playing in 442 straight regular season games from ages 35-41. He did this playing for one of the most physical teams in the league. To say he was durable is an understatement. In Robinson's last season (age 37), he played in 64 games. He had a 17.8 PER, and 5.9 Win Shares according to basketball-reference.
... <object width="448" height="374"><param name="movie" value="http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/e/16711680/wshhCD9qB49c8o7gGKYA"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/e/16711680/wshhCD9qB49c8o7gGKYA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullscreen="true" width="448" height="374"></embed></object>
I'd say Robinson, because he doesn't have any competition at center in the league outside of Shaq(for 15mpg) and Yao(next season).
I picked Stockton because his ability to distribute was always his greatest asset, which his age shouldn't affect too much.
