Throughout NBA history, we see a lot of great basketball players showcase their talent in the hardwood. And there is no question, it is amazing to witness a player develop from his rookie years and blossom into a star during his prime. Unfortunately, like normal human beings, basketball players also age. Because once they reach 35 years old, a player often starts to slow down.
Although stars such as LeBron James and Chris Paul are defying old age gracefully, more often than not, Father Time is still undefeated. This is simply a reality everyone has to face. However, even if a player starts to slow down during his declining years, it doesn’t mean they are still capable of pulling out a trick or two. In this ongoing season, there have been a handful of throwback moments, wherein former stars showed glimpses of why they were considered stars during their primes. For this piece, let’s take a look at five veterans who turned back the clock this season.
DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins hasn’t reached the age of Father Time, yet. However, his career has been ultimately slowed down due to injuries. From being considered as a Top Five big man in the NBA, Cousins was forced to become a 10-day contract player to remain in the league. But despite this unfortunate turnaround, Cousins has showed some glimpses of his old form. Before he was waived by the Rockets, Boogie dropped a season-high 28 points and 17 rebounds in a win over the Dallas Mavericks. It was proof that Cousins still have something left in his tank.
Cousins said in ESPN, “It’s just proof that the work is working. The work, the time, the effort, those days I didn’t want to get up and do it, the days I thought I was wasting, my time, the dog days I thought it was over for me – all of those thought at some point flashed in my mind. I would be lying if I didn’t have those moments, but just continue to believe in myself.”
Now signed with the Los Angeles Clippers for the rest of the season, Cousins has another decent chance of winning a NBA championship after being part of the 2019 Warriors team that went to the NBA Finals and the 2020 Lakers championship team last year. In fact, he dropped another double-double off the bench against the New Orleans Pelicans where he tallied 16 points and 11 rebounds. Furthermore, he was even surprised that a third string center like him is still well-respected enough to demand a double team at the post, and not a lot of role players can say the same.
Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol was a Defensive Player of the Year winner during the past decade, and was a force to be reckoned with during his Memphis days. However after winning his first championship with the Raptors, Gasol been a step slow. The Spanish big man is already 35 years old, which could be a reason for his decline.
Gasol has had a rollercoaster season after choosing to arrive with the Lakers, thus far. After not playing to expectations, the three time All-Star has saw his minutes dwindle, especially after the team picked up fellow All-Star center Andre Drummond from the buyout market. But despite his struggles, Gasol does make case that he can still be effective in the team’s rotation in its bid for a repeat.
The 6’11 big man put up a huge performance in a crucial game against the Denver Nuggets, where he registered 10 points, seven rebounds, one block, and the highest plus-minus with +17 off the bench. His game was all the more impressive when you realize that he was keeping the favorite to win the MVP Award Nikola Jokic in check. As a result, he was named the Best Player of that Game.
Surely, Gasol isn’t giving up just yet. In fact, he could be a critical piece in the Lakers’ championship hopes this year, especially with teammate Kuzma clamoring for the big man to play more minutes.
Dwight Howard
Gone are the days when Dwight Howard contended for the Defensive Player of the Year and participated in the Slam Dunk Contests. With the modern game moving away from traditional bigs and Father Time catching up to the Sixers center, Howard just isn’t the All-Star he once was. However, the three time Defensive Player of the Year winner still makes an impact.
After winning his first NBA championship with the Lakers last season, Howard has been thriving as Embiid’s backup center. Despite being at 35 years of age, the 6’10 center is in the process of putting together his most efficient rebounding season yet. He is grabbing 17.5 rebounds per 36 minutes, which is the most in his career. The five time league leader in rebounds also made some noise when he surpassed former Bullets big man Wes Unseld for 12th place in the All-Time Rebounding leaders with 14,219.
With Howard proving to be the most effective backup so far for MVP candidate Joel Embiid and the Sixers possibly entering the playoffs as the number one seed, the future Hall-of-Fame center will surely try to add more achievements in his already decorated career.
Derrick Rose
Like Cousins, Derrick Rose isn’t supposed to be dealing with Father Time just yet and he was also hampered by major injuries. Everyone knows that Derrick Rose was an explosive scorer with crazy athleticism that earned him MVP honors, which made him the youngest player in NBA history to take home the award. Although Rose isn’t as athletic as he once was, he has put together one of the greatest injury comebacks in NBA history.
After serving as a reliable sixth man for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons, Rose found himself returning to New York this season and reuniting with former Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau. The former MVP has been a huge part in the Knicks’ rise to relevancy. With a young core headlined by Julius Randle, Rose has been the veteran leader that the team has needed.
In fact, he has even showed glimpses of his MVP form. In the Knicks’ win over the Grizzlies, Rose dominated the game in only 26 minutes off the bench by scoring a season-high 25 points on an efficient 11 of 15 shooting, which was spiked by three shots from rainbow country. With the Knicks securing a winning season after that game since 2013 and probably making an appearance in the postseason, a deep playoff run is certainly on the horizon for the Rose.
Carmelo Anthony
With a sweet jump shot, Melo was certainly a dangerous scorer who can dominate the game in his peak years. Unfortunately, off-court dramas and his questionable fit eventually left the 6’7 stalwart out of the league for a period of time. Fortunately, the Portland Trail Blazers gave him an opportunity last season in their playoff bid in the NBA Bubble. And fast forward to today, Melo has repaid them in dividends thus far.
Gone are the days when Melo demanded isolation plays and scored anytime he wants, as he settles as the Blazers’ role player off the bench. However, we still do see some glimpses of his scoring tenacity.
The Blazers forward dropped a season-high 29 points off the bench in March in a win over the Charlotte Hornets. Melo showed everyone that his jumper was still as fluid as ever by making six of his 10 three pointers. Furthermore, the 10 time All-Star just recently barged into the Top 10 in All-Time Scoring list by overtaking Elvin Hayes with 27,318.
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