In every sport, age eventually catches up to us. No matter how reluctant we may be to admit it, each year brings an athlete closer to his end.
Speed and strength fade, injuries catch up, and the overall mental drains associated with years of training and competing eventually take their toll on the body. The age at which this may occur will generally vary by sport.
In basketball, most athletes begin to slow down by the time they reach 30. By the time they’re 35, most basketball players will be done for their careers.
Going against the very obvious trend are two sensational athletes. Both of them are elite point guards, and some of the greatest to ever play the sport.
Somehow, both Steve Nash and Jason Kidd continue to play elite basketball, despite the fact that both point guards are over the age of 35 years old.
Nash is 35 and Kidd 36, yet both of these point guards are playing some of the best basketball of their careers. Both men are leading their teams to winning records, as the Suns and the Mavs are two of the best teams in basketball.
Incredibly, both Nash and Kidd are both in the NBA’s top 5 in terms of assists in 2009-2010. Nash leads the league with 11.2 assists per game, and Kidd isn’t too far behind with over 9.
When will these two superstars slow down? Well, Kidd has stated that he wants to play until he’s 40. There’s no doubt that he may be able to do so given the way he looks, but this would be an incredible feat. As for Nash, basketball fans have every reason to believe that he can do the same.