Danny Ainge compares Pierce to DJ, KG to Bird

[TitleMaster]

As far as contributing in one's prime, one can make a huge case for others, who're not a part of the media circus of Bird, Magic, and Jordan.

Walt Frazier, the Big O, Baylor, Moses, and Hakeem were all tremendous in their respective primes but unfortunately, like Bird, they waited too long to retire which is why their latter years don't look so great in retrospect. The lesser, sort of one trick ponies, see Stockton and Malone "pick 'n roll", never garnered the same sort of all star admiration.

All and all, the difference between LB, Magic, MJ and the other all stars were the teams which they were on and the fact that those teams were not a part of either a historic or modern dynasty.

[Roy Hobbs]

Walt Frazier, the Big O, Baylor, Moses, and Hakeem were all tremendous in their respective primes but unfortunately, like Bird, they waited too long to retire...

I'm not sure that Larry waited too long to retire; in his last season, he was averaging 20.2 ppg / 9.6 rpg / 6.8 apg.  He still had plenty of skills, and had he stayed healthy, he only would have cemented his legacy.

[TitleMaster]

I'm not sure that Larry waited too long to retire; in his last season, he was averaging 20.2 ppg / 9.6 rpg / 6.8 apg.  He still had plenty of skills, and had he stayed healthy, he only would have cemented his legacy

For one, Bird was at the age of 35 which effectively, is the beginning of the biological decline [ natural growth hormone secretion, etc ] of most professional athletes. Between 33 and 38, most athletes at the franchise level go into the sink which is pretty much what happened to Hakeem after the '96 playoffs, his last great year before a tremendous drop off. Yet, he still put up good number in '97 and '98 but it was pretty obvious that the Dreamshake was gone. The fact that he stuck around the league after '98 was a mistake. At that point in time, he was done, much like Bird after the Barcelona Olympics in '92.

In addition, starting in the late 80's, Bird was already suffering from back, ankle, and knee problems. He was an orthopedic basket case who was essentially playing hurt, all the time during the early 90s.

[Sweet17]

I agree with Danny's descripition of Pierce. He is my favorite player on the team but at times I thought he would just chill out (though more on O this year) and snipe from the outside and the like. But if someone on the other team ticks him off he will start to go off on them - maybe even throw down a dunk.

I think perhaps that PP is alot more talented then people realize. I mean his block on Kobe - sick or how he stole the jump ball from Lebron. Whereas KG goes all out PP usually has something in reserve.

BTW not so sure I buy the "hormones" bit about aging athletes. Personally I haven't noticed any difference athletically from my 20s to mid 30's. I think what happens to pro athletes is that their BODY breaks down from wear and tear rather then hormones being at fault.

Pete

[TitleMaster]

BTW not so sure I buy the "hormones" bit about aging athletes. Personally I haven't noticed any difference athletically from my 20s to mid 30's. I think what happens to pro athletes is that their BODY breaks down from wear and tear rather then hormones being at fault.

You got to remember, wear and tear is a part of life, regardless of age.

What changes with age, however, is the repair mechanism from functioning at pre 35 levels. There were experiments performed on mice, altering either antioxidant (SOD, etc) and/or hormone (GH, DHEA) secretions, via genetic manipulation, and what was found was essentially that if we could control the expression of these levels, via gene chip targeting, that players like Jordan could be playing at their prime into their 60s and since MJ's only 45 today, you know what means... multi-decade dynasties.