The NBA is old and good
Rest management, the draft dangles another day
We didn’t get to see Magic Johnson or Larry Bird work their middle-ages.
They played like old men from each’s rookie year onward, but after suiting for 186 games in his final four seasons, Bird retired at 35. Same age as Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry.
Magic retired in 1991 at age 32, Kawhi Leonard is 32. Kevin McHale quit after playing fewer games than either of the Lopez twins. Dr. J retired ten weeks after turning 37 but Al Horford celebrates 38 in June, when he may start Finals games.
Magic’s return in 1996 was spectacular. He was absolutely one of the best players in the NBA and absolutely out of NBA shape. The Lakers brought him off the bench instead of biting the bullet and cramming Magic into a lineup already featuring playmakers like Nick Van Exel and Vlade Divac. It was fun but Magic was done.
Bird never touched his mid-30s, even after making his NBA debut a month before he turned 23. Michael Jordan didn’t play at ages 30 and 31 or from ages 35-through-38, Yao Ming retired at 30. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hung around until 1989 when he was 42, but collected about 982 rebounds after 1982. In 2023 Damian Lillard was traded for three of Milwaukee’s first-round draft picks and 33-year old All-Star Jrue Holiday, days after Dame turned 33. James Worthy retired right after turning 33.
