Who are the best old man game basketball players to ever grace the court? Read on to find out the top 5 in NBA history.
In the NBA, the average age that a player reaches his prime is 27 years old.
This is when the player is at his best and cannot absorb much more knowledge about the game; his basketball skills cannot get significantly better.
After this stage has passed, the player’s game will start to deteriorate.
But this age is for most players -not all. There are some players who beat the odds and excelled, basketball-wise, well into their old age.
Want to know who they are?
Okay, you convinced me -I’ll tell you.
Here are 5 NBA stars who were fantastic competitors in their mid and late 30s (basically, these are the 5 best old man game basketball players in NBA history):
The 5 Greatest Old Man Game NBA Players of All Time
1) Steve Nash
What can I say about Steve Nash? The man received two MVP awards in a row when he was 30 and 31 years old as a point guard, which was rare.
He also averaged at least 10 assists a game for the majority of his 30s and was also the best player on his team during that time.
The main reason (I think) why he was able to play great basketball for so long was because he wasn’t that athletic.
He played a game that was rooted in fundamentals.
Yeah, he threw fancy passes every chance he got, but the majority of his game was runners, threes, and dishing the ball to open players off of pick and rolls.
It was a pretty basic game that he was able to do over and over again for years.
2) Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki is a fan favourite.
In his later years in the league, he was always making jokes about how old he was and how un-athletic he is. But even so, he was a threat.
He is so good at certain basketball moves, that even when he was 40 years old, defenders still had to get up and close to guard him.
Nowitzki, at 37, averaged 18 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
And at age 39, he was still a starter who averaged 12 points and 6 rebounds per game in 25 minutes of playing time.
Nowitzki is amazing and his old man game allowed him to play basketball at the professional level well into his thirties.
3) Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan is one of those players who retired slightly early –he could’ve played for another season or two and still be a contributor on his team.
In his final NBA season, he averaged 9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.3 blocks.
Oh, and did I mention that he was 39 years old then?
Additionally, Duncan won a championship at age 37.
In that playoffs run, he averaged 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks just doing playing fundamental basketball.
He shot over 50 percent and played an average of 33 minutes a game.
4) Zach Randolph
Zach Randolph was never an athletic basketball player.
But because he lacked explosiveness and quickness, he was able to develop an understanding of where he should be positioned on the court to maximize his skill set.
He also knew how to use his body really well too and was able to bully defenders in the post.
And because of this basketball IQ, Randolph was able to play good, consistent basketball well into his 30s.
From ages 31 to 33, he averaged double-doubles in points and rebounds.
And at age 36, he was playing 26 minutes a night and putting up 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. He was also shooting 47.3 percent.
5) Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant is a legend and the hardest worker in the NBA. He is gifted with both talent and hustle.
Okay, now that I got my fanboying out of the way, let’s talk about his old man basketball game.
In his final NBA season, Kobe played 66 games.
Though his team didn’t make it to the playoffs that season, Kobe did put up some really good stats for a 37-year-old.
He averaged just under 18 points a game on 36 percent shooting.
That’s pretty good for a guy who just came of off two seasons where he sat on the bench the majority of the time due to injury.
And in his final game, Kobe scored 60 points. “But how can an old guy like that be able to score so much?” you may be asking.
Well, he’s the “Black Mamba.” And he’s mastered some old man mid-range and post moves that he used over and over again in that game.
This allowed him to score while not burning a lot of energy.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it.
5 of the best old man game basketball players and how they were able to continue contributing to their team even though their age was against them.
Hope this article convinced you that old man basketball skills are important and that you need to incorporate them into your game.
Here’s a question: Who is your favourite old man basketball player?
