Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

When Jordan, wearing the No. 23 jersey, celebrates his 40th birthday, we can’t help but think of another equally outstanding player: this He has won the title of NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) 6 times, been elected NBA Finals MVP 2 times, and been selected to the All-Star team 17 times. He is Karim Abdul, who has won the reputation of "Sky Hook" for his trademark hook shots. ·Jabbar, the greatest center in the NBA

Speaking of when he was 40 years old, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has now retired from basketball, still has many feelings: "I am very happy to win the championship at that age, of course. , I think he is the only one who can reach the level of Jordan at such an age. ”

The player who once taught “Magic” Johnson to hook shot still averaged 17.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game when he was 40 years old, and at the age of 42 He also won an NBA championship. Although his scoring and assists in his 40-year-old season were not as good as Jordan's, in the NBA's total scoring list, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 38,387 points and 57,446 minutes played still choked all current NBA players. ·Stockton

Of course, at the age of 40, in addition to Jordan and "Sky Hook" Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, there is another person who should also be respected, and that is who will be turning 10 in March this year. 41-year-old John Stockton.

Stockton, who is only 1.85 meters tall, has been elected as the NBA assists champion 9 times and was selected to the NBA All-Star team in 1993. He won the All-Star Game MVP award and won two Olympic gold medals in 1992 and 1996. He is the best passing expert and the most unpredictable stealing expert in NBA history.

Compared with the previous two 40-year-old stars. , Stockton’s only shortcoming is that he still lacks a championship ring so far: “I am very happy that I can continue to play in the NBA. I like playing, that’s all. People over 40 years old cannot play in the NBA. Well, now it's great to see Jordan join us, but my biggest wish is to get a taste of what it's like to be a champion this year. "Bob Corsi

"I can understand the mood of these 40-year-old players who are still playing in the NBA. It is difficult to explain clearly in one or two sentences, but if you ask me how I feel, I really feel for them. Proud of these great people. "The person who said these words is named Bob Cosey. He played 7 games for the Boston Celtics in the 1969-1970 season, and he was 41 years old at the time.

Talk Cosey felt deeply about that experience: "It's not easy to stay in the NBA at the age of 40, let alone a guy like that (Jordan) who averages more than ten points per game. I can only say, It's incredible. "Kevin Willis

This season, Kevin Willis, who plays for the San Antonio Spurs, has also just turned 40. Due to the absence of "Admiral" David Robinson due to injury, Willis has played 43 games for the Spurs this season. “For an ordinary person, 40 may be just a normal age in life, but for basketball players, this is definitely an insurmountable gap. Therefore, I am surprised that Jordan can still maintain such a state. Maybe only he and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar can do it. "Willis said. Rick Mahon

Although Rick is an ordinary player, he played for the 76ers in the 1998-1999 season at the age of 40. "At that time, I I'm very honored to have played against Jordan. I don't have anything good to say about him. I just want to say that he is the best player I have ever encountered. "Rick said. Herb Williams

Herb Williams, who was born in 1957, spent his 40-year-old season with the Knicks. Unfortunately, that was also his last season in the NBA. One season, although he played 27 times for New York that season, he averaged only 1.4 points and 1.1 rebounds per game. However, Williams didn't seem to care about the data: "I never care about the data, I play. Just because I like it. I want to say that a person who can still play basketball at the age of 40 is a miracle, and Jordan is a myth.

" Charles Jones

Although Jones played 24 times for the Rockets in the 1996-1997 season and only averaged 0.6 points per game, the 41-year-old still has a lot to remember: "At that time I just felt like I could still play, so I listened to my old friend Tomjanovich and played another year, but that season proved unsuccessful. But what does it matter? Being able to stay in the NBA at this age is something to be proud of. "John Long

In the 1996-1997 season, less than a year after joining the NBA, the Toronto Raptors had a player over 40 years old. His name was John Long. As a player with rich NBA experience, Long's performance at that time was remarkable: "Because the Raptors had just joined the NBA at that time, my teammates at that time, except for some young guys who were just starting out, were just a few who had been playing for more than ten years like me. I'm an old ball guy, but I'm really happy to have that pleasant experience. It was also my last NBA season, and I miss that time. ” James Edwards

In the 1995-1996 season, the Bulls were invincible. Although Jordan, Pippen and Kukoc were famous at that time, Edwards, the team’s backup center at the time, was also an invincible player. A rare and excellent player. "It's actually a blessing to play with Jordan. He always appears in the most appropriate position. Now that he is 40 years old, I am happy that he can still maintain such a state. However, it is a pity that I will never see him play again. "Edwards said. Robert Parish

Parrish, known as the "Old Chief", played for the Boston Celtics when he was 40 years old, and that was 10 years ago. , however, Parrish still has vivid memories of that season: "Many people, including my family, said to me, 'At your age, you don't need to play anymore, you can really take a rest. ’ But I didn’t choose to quit. Although I am no longer as good as some young people, I feel good about myself. In fact, as long as everyone feels good about themselves, they don’t have to care too much about what others think? Don’t they? "

It is worth mentioning that Parish averaged 11.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game that season. Nate Thicke

He is" The last of the 12 members of the 40-year-old club. Although it was a long time ago (1947-1948 season), and his selection was somewhat far-fetched statistically (no points, no rebounds), Sigg ended up with At the age of 46, he became the oldest member of the "40-year-old club".

As Jordan enters his 40s, it is time to pay tribute to Nate Thicke, a man who once loved basketball. Show respect.