NBA legend Vince Carter backs up Frank Vogel after the Los Angeles Lakers head coach stated that age doesn’t matter when you have a group of players that can consistently provide for the team.
That’s why the purple and gold are favorites to win it all next year, and Vogel is well aware of that. During a recent interview, the 2020 NBA champion coach made it clear that being in their 30s sounds more like an advantage to the Lakers, explaining that a player’s productivity has nothing to do with his age.
“I’m not asked, I’m told that we’re old… I’m in my mid-30s, I like that… It sounds wonderful.”
“I don’t really like the narrative. I don’t. These guys can play. We have great players on our team. Yes, some of them are towards the end of their career. But, they’re still producing at a high level. If you’re producing at a high level, it doesn’t matter how old you are.”
On Thursday’s edition of ESPN’s The Jump, Carter agreed with Vogel’s claims, saying that looking at a player’s age nowadays, when they take care of their bodies as nobody else did before, it’s just crazy. We’ve seen big names like LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony still going off even in their mid or late 30s.
(Transcription via Clutch Points)
“Oh, I love to hear it. I love to hear it. I’ve been saying this for a lot of years. We don’t look at the years. We look at the player. What are your eyes telling you? Your eyes are telling you that player can produce. Not because of their age. Because they can get it done – regardless of their age.”
The Lakers assembled a terrific team this offseason. They’re considered favorites to win the championship with the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks, although most of the roster is past their 30s.
That doesn’t seem to be a problem within the organization. They created a Big 3 with Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis, filling the rest of the spots with veterans hungry to win. Not many teams in the West seem able to compete against the Lakers, regardless of their age.
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