Could Michael Jordan Still Play at 50?

Jesus OOP I didn't take it as an insult to hockey at all. Christ, you going to start a fight on this thread as well?

No sport has changed more than hockey in the last 25 to 30 years from a speed standpoint. Just watch a game from the 80's to now. Gordie Howe was still a big physical presence, that is why he could still play. You can think that all you like but you would be completely wrong.

 

The former great who could still play a 10-15 minute role and be decent is Hakeem Olajuwan. He happens to be 50 also.

 

And athletes haven't gotten faster in the NBA, too?

Not trying to pick a fight, JC. Just think that perhaps your biases are getting in your way on this one. Then again, mine might be doing the same.

 

Here's the thing to me, Gretsky was a small player who got by with sheer grace, skating expertise and puck control. Now he wouldn't be graceful and wouldn't be able to out skate players. He'd be destroyed and lucky as hell to not be injured because he can actually be hit.

 

They switch.

Jordan with the big body plays hockey.

Gretzky basketball as Steve Nash v.2.

 

They have in every sport but if you throw an 80's NBA game on now it still looks like basketball. You throw an early 80's hockey game on it looks like good beer league.

These are stupid arguments as they'd both be terrible, the difference is Jordan wouldn't leave the court on a stretcher. Mario Lemieux on the other hand might be able to do a little out there.

 

I'd just like to know how much Nike is paying ESPN and SI to blow their cash cow in print and over the air this week.

It's especially ridiculous that SI followed last week's NFL-only issue (do we really need a fucking offseason PREVIEW in the Super Bowl issue?) with an almost entirely Jordan-only one.

How fucking lazy is that?

 

Too bad Wilt's dead.

Stories about his supposedly-imminent comeback used to come out every year until a year or so before he died.

I remember in the late 80s, when he was in his middle 50s, there was supposedly some bullshit that he was going to come back and spell Kareem for 10 minutes a game.

 

Wilt was just disgusted when he saw talented players like Kareem barely cracking 12-13 rebounds a night. As much as the scoring stroked his ego, Wilt always said the record he was most proud of was his 55-rebound game.

 

This kid's dad was disgusted with Kareem as well.

 

Kareem never averaged even double digit rebounds in the final eight seasons of his career.

However, Wilt wouldn't have been averaging any 27 rpg in the late eighties either, with FG percentages going up and total attempts going way down.

 

The better question is, would MJ the NBA executive/evaluator of talent, who presides over one of the worst stinkbomb franchises in NBA history, think a 50-year-old MJ could still play?