We have to reevaluate the way we think about age in sports
In the past, once a player matured into his thirties, gaining the type of court wisdom that LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, and Dwight Howard have, they couldn’t fully take advantage of their knowledge of the game because their bodies wouldn’t cooperate. Nowadays, that’s no longer the case.
Now we know much more about diet and rest. Thus older players can combine their basketball wisdom–built upon thousands of hours spent on the court– with only marginally declined athleticism, forming a lethal basketball player. This new combination of experience and athleticism is the ultimate win-win.
In the 60s, coaches and players smoked cigars on the sidelines during basketball games. During the 90’s it was common to see players having a beer and a cigar in the locker room after a big win.
Nobody on the Lakers is cracking open a cold one and whipping out a box of cigars after a crucial victory. We now know that smoking and drinking beer are two of the worst things for your body. Even one beer a day and the occasional cigarette breaks down your cells. They are a type of poisons that create free radicals in your body. The more free radicals inside of you, the faster you age.
LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, and Dwight Howard are 34 or older. They are at an age that used to be past their prime. We used to think that they should be in the twilight of their careers, perhaps offensive specialists who no longer have the legs to play defense. That was not the case throughout the 2020 playoffs.
The Los Angeles Lakers three grizzled veterans played great two-way basketball throughout the playoffs.
LeBron James averaged 28 PPG, 11 RPG, and 9 APG. He was ranked first during the playoffs in www.nba.com’s player impact estimate (23.5), and he had 0.142 defensive win shares (5 in the NBA)
Rajon Rondo averaged 9 PPG, 7, APG, and 4 RPG throughout the playoffs as the Lakers backup point guard while only averaging 25 minutes per contest.
Dwight Howard averaged a double-double (per 36 minutes) during the playoffs. He also led the Lakers in offensive rating (125), and he had an excellent defensive rating of 108.
LeBron James was the best player in the playoffs, and at the tender age of 35-years-old, he looked like the most athletic player in the league. Playoff Rondo surfaced once again to terrorize opponents in the bubble.
Rondo expertly pushed the pace for the Lakers, got to the rack at will, and he went from a parking pilon on the less glamorous side of the ball during the regular season to a plus defender throughout the postseason.
Dwight Howard was a menace against the Portland Trailblazers “Twin Towers” lineup of Hassan Whiteside and Jusuf Nurkić. He truly helped the Lakers pull off a (gentlemen’s) sweep against the Nuggets by manhandling superstar center Nikola Jokić.
LeBron James eats a nearly perfect diet. He doesn’t dabble with sugar or any processed foods. He takes regular naps, and he recovers after games in his hyperbolic chamber.
Rajon Rondo hired a personal chef a couple of years back. He helped him set up an incredibly healthy diet. Rondo has three percent body fat, and he looked jacked during the playoffs.
Dwight Howard went from eating 25 candy bars a day during his first stint with the Lakers to cutting out all processed foods, sugars, and deep-fried food.
LeBron James and Rajon Rondo are the two smartest basketball players in the league, and Dwight Howard has dozens of veteran tricks he uses to fluster his opponents.
When you combine James, Howard, and Rondo’s knowledge of the game with the physical gifts they still have because of their diets, all three players are perfectly suited to help guide their squad through the rigors of playoff basketball.
LeBron James is signed through at least next season with the Lakers, and Rajon Rondo should be back with a new contract. Dwight Howard’s situation is a bit murkier, but there’s a good chance he’ll ink a new deal with the Lakers next season.
If all three players are back on the Lakers next season as expected, they will give the Purple and Gold a considerable boost going into next year’s playoffs.