Not solely does the NBA play at a quicker tempo within the present period than they did 15 to 30 years in the past, however gamers are additionally far youthful on common with fewer veterans remaining within the league into their thirties.
“Take a look at this league, it is a younger man’s league,” mentioned Tom Haberstroh on the Basketball Illuminati podcast. “We do not notice it till we put the numbers on it. Listed below are the kinds of gamers that performed within the late nineties period. In 1995, 27 p.c of the gamers had been 30 or older. They had been of their thirties.
“That saved going up in each season after that. 29 p.c. 31 p.c. 32 p.c in 1997. Up once more to 33 p.c. 34 p.c [in 2000], peaking in 2001 when 35 p.c had been of their thirties. One out of each three gamers on the ground.
“That was the ‘glory years.’ Peak Michael Jordan, late nineties period. They had been actually outdated.
“Today it is a younger man’s sport. It is extra Houston Rockets than it’s Damian Lillard and LeBron James. Today there aren’t as many vets hanging round. Simply 20 p.c of NBA gamers are of their thirties.
“Final 12 months it was at 18 p.c. We’re a bit of bit larger than we had been final 12 months. That is nonetheless half as many 30-year-old as we had been within the peak nineties.”
Whereas the variety of video games missed for damage or relaxation, notably in older gamers, could also be larger however that very effectively could also be as a result of their efforts to maintain up with a sport that’s quicker in tempo and youthful normally.
