Age often snatches the legs of a player worse than any ankle breaker. Fan-favorite NBA players inevitably have to deal with slower movements and decreased agility. This prevents them from making explosive and emphatic plays that they were used to in their youth. However, some players' styles of play do not have to change much over time. An example would be Paul Pierce. The Boston Celtics legend aged fairly well with how he handled the basketball that he even got a rival to check him out, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Paul Pierce's game relied less on athleticism and more on finding spots to score. This allows him to thrive off faceup and slow isolation scenarios despite his comparably less athletic build. Regardless of this, he was still one of the most potent scorers in the clutch. This lasted him a great deal of time in the NBA which meant that he adapted well into the mid-2010s style of play.

Kobe Bryant's eye was caught by how he managed to survive in the game for that long. The Lakers legend just had to know what his Celtics rival did that made him last. Bryant started to analyze Pierce's game to a tee and he unveiled it in one of his statements, via Kurt Helin of NBC Sports.

“I’m going to max [my last two years] out too, to do whatever I can. Leave no stone unturned, no water left in the sponge,” the Black Mamba said while pointing to the example of the then 36-year-old Pierce.

Pierce was reminded of this moment nearly a decade after it happened. He could not help but reply with a singular emoji that encapsulated his feelings.