SAN ANTONIO, TX - NOVEMBER 15: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks with Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs after the NBA Cup game on NOVEMBER 15, 2024 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images Jeph Duarte Sat, October 17, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTC · 3 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement San Antonio Spurs former vice president for strategic research Kirk Goldsberry recently posted this graphic.
" It's a young man's game, and increasingly so. Over 80% of the NBA is now 29 or younger. This hasn't always been the case but the combination of pace and space basketball with the lack of durability we associate with older players has resulted in the NBA getting younger and younger. Pretty soon it's just gonna be 50 year-old LeBron and 500 23 year-olds! "
Goldsberry is an expert of the modern game, differentiating how the game has evolved. In addition to his time with the Spurs, he wrote for Grantland , the ESPN blog brainchild of Bill Simmons, from 2012-2015. Other notable writings include The Kobe Assist , The Evolution of King James , and DataBall . His 2019 book SprawlBall: A Visual Tour of the New Era of the NBA commented on the inefficiency of shots taken from the restricted area to the three-point line.
While the game has skewed younger, Goldsberry doesn't delve into the rationale for the shift. Is it the pace of the game wearing players out at an earlier age? It's commonly accepted that load management and modern healthcare allows for players to have longer careers. So why are they not?
Perhaps the propensity to draft and sign younger players feeds into the "win now" mentality that franchises have established. It pairs with the hiring and firing of coaches without allowing time for a team to fully develop.
Whatever the reason, players are entering the league younger — the "one and done" collegiate effect — and exiting the league sooner. Think of former Spurs shooting guard Lonnie Walker IV. At age 27, he's played on four teams over seven seasons. Now, at age 27, it looks as if his time in the NBA is over. He can still have a long and prosperous career overseas (in fact, he just signed with Beşiktaş of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi two days ago).
Seven years seems to a fair amount of time to analyze a player's NBA career. But is it his age relevant to his ability to play in the NBA, or is he being assessed solely on talent?
A look at many players could yield a clearer picture. For now, it's important to note that players do not have the time to develop that they did a quarter century ago.
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Source: Sports
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