Kobe and KG are breaking down at the same point: around 32-33 years of age

[PleezeBelieve]

So this is pretty much the physical glass ceiling for superstars who came right out of high school, correct?

Kobe stats next year will be: 23.5/4/4/44%

Is he even top-10 in the league at that point?

[KG5MVP]

So this is pretty much the physical glass ceiling for superstars who came right out of high school, correct?

Kobe stats next year will be: 23.5/4/4/44%

Is he even top-10 in the league at that point?

Kobe is lucky he didn't get a season ending knee injury like Garnett

[GollyImSoGully]

Yet he's still the favorite to win a ring

U MAD?

[bleedinpurpleTwo]

Kobe is lucky he didn't get a season ending knee injury like Garnett

yup. he just has broken fingers on his shooting hand.

[che guevara]

So Lebron won't be a superstar in 2017?

[KG5MVP]

yup. he just has broken fingers on his shooting hand.

it's not a broken finger, it's a finger sprain, if it's broken, the bone is broken.

[imdaman99]

i still think he will be top 10 in the league for another 4-5 years. hes either 1 or 2 right now depending who you ask but i need to see more from durant before he slides in at #2. maybe if durant has a run to the conference finals i can safely pencil him at #2 next year. kobe will be top 3 for another 3 years.

this is a strong era in basketball. theres plenty of individual stars and different teams are emerging. at least it isnt 1-sided like the 90s were.

[thejumpa]

Kobe's fingers are mangled. Pretty sure it is, or was, broken.

[MK2V1GP]

SEVERE knee injury is BY FAR worse than broken fingers. Broken fingers can heal with a little bit of time. A severe knee injury like KG suffered, at his age, has practically killed his final seasons. If he hadn't suffered that injury last year, I'm positive he'd still be the same player he was his first season in Boston. 19/11/5 type of guy instead of the 14/7/2 he's putting up now.

KG is also the active leader in minutes played, isn't he? He's also top 20 ALL TIME in total minutes played....and he's still in his "early" 30's. Same thing will prolly happen to LeBron. I guess thats the negative in coming to the NBA so early, you're career ends sooner.

Tmac came out of HS and he's fallin apart, same with Jermaine O'Neal, KG, Kobe, Darius Miles (hehe), etc, etc.

[PleezeBelieve]

I think at 31-years of age: KG > Kobe

I'm really not impressed with Kobe at this point.

[ronnymac]

Most players dream of being broken down and still averaging 28-5-5

[GollyImSoGully]

Tmac came out of HS and he's fallin apart, same with Jermaine O'Neal, KG, Kobe, Darius Miles (hehe), etc, etc.

First off, Kobe is not falling apart. He's DECLINING. Big DIFFERENCE. T-Mac and JO are falling apart. You can't be falling apart if you're first option on the best team in the league. Sorry. Does not make sense.

[SEEBASS1234]

So Lebron won't be a superstar in 2017?

what did that have to do with anything?

[bleedinpurpleTwo]

it's not a broken finger, it's a finger sprain, if it's broken, the bone is broken.

avulsion fracture to be exact.
which is different from his other screwed up finger.

[MK2V1GP]

First off, Kobe is not falling apart. He's DECLINING. Big DIFFERENCE. T-Mac and JO are falling apart. You can't be falling apart if you're first option on the best team in the league. Sorry. Does not make sense.

A thousand pardons for not being as technical as you would like. A thousand pardons oh great one.



falling apart/declining. whatever. Kobe's struggled with his hand, fingers, ankle, back, and probably something else. That would mean his body is falling apart. He IS declining, but that's expected. he's been in the league over 10 years.

I think the only player who ISN'T declining after turning 30 is Chauncey Billups. And he wasn't even logging HUGE minutes his first 5-6 years in the NBA.