The Los Angeles Lakers look to have a strong roster for the upcoming season, but a concern that some have is the age of the roster.
New addition Carmelo Anthony seemed to clap back at such concerns when he made an interesting analogy to an aging LeBron James.
“We knew that,” Anthony said in regards to criticism of the age of the roster. “We expected people to say those things; they have to. They have to start a debate, get engagement from people; that’s what it is. This is the only industry where you can be too old. After you reach a certain age, it’s like you’re supposed to lose everything. After 32 years old, it’s a wrap. Like, no. We’re getting older, we’re getting wiser. We know how to move differently, we know how to think differently. We know how to pick our spots and we know what we need to do when we need to do it and how we need to do it.
“It’s like…you go to an Italian restaurant, you got the grandmother in there who’s 900 years old cooking the food. The food comes out amazing, though. You’re not gonna say she’s too old to be cooking. You’re gonna taste and enjoy that food. It’s the same situation with us. We’re the cooks in the kitchen. When you taste the food, you’re gonna love the food. That’s how I look at it.”
The Lakers have several players who are at least 35 years of age, including James and Anthony. Anthony himself started showing signs of decline a few years ago, but has since remade himself into a 3-point specialist.
James’ production last season was about where it had always been, until he suffered a severe ankle injury in March as a result of a freak collision.
In the Lakers’ first-round playoff loss to the Phoenix Suns, the four-time MVP looked limited, although his mobility appeared to get better with each game.
The concern about the Lakers’ age is more pronounced when one considers that they will be even more of a fast-break team than they have been the last couple of seasons.
But medical science has come a long way, and the team also has several younger players in their primes who can help it contend for another NBA championship.
