Why can’t the NBA move on from its old stars?

Kevin Durant, second overall, was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics, a team that has been defunct for seventeen years. After his rookie season, he left the SuperSonics for Oklahoma City, where they were rebranded as the Thunder. Since then, his impact has affected not only every franchise he has been a part of, but the entire league. This can be easily seen on the court: when he joined the NBA, big men were still primarily bruisers. He was tall and willowy, with the grace and dexterity of a guard; There was some confusion about what position he should play. Now the league is full of talented big men who can pass, shoot, and defend, and who cannot be easily stopped or hindered. Durant has been the protagonist in several narratives that have dominated conversations around the league, particularly those related to team loyalty, individual agency, the way certain personalities interact, and what motivates players. It’s stories like this — not narrower discussions about tactics or over-under or whatever —an act It seems to matter to a lot of people, depending on who you ask, for better or worse.

For example, Durant was often angry about the way he was portrayed. But he could never shake his hero status, and it’s not clear whether he wants to or not. He became an MVP while playing for the Thunder before turning the mighty Golden State Warriors team into a dynasty — and then ended his reign when he traded to the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets were a disaster, and their next team, the Phoenix Suns, failed even more so. The way he played was never to blame: he still moved like water, with the same capacity for stillness or abundant power. Off the field, he has been involved in media projects with his entertainment company, Boardroom, and devoted himself to other interests, including responding to online trolls. He explained that he loves the “dopamine hit” from applause. “This is like my coffee in the morning.”

Last Tuesday, on NBA opening night, Durant made his debut with the Houston Rockets. His teammates are young and on the rise, coming off a 52-win season, with eleven players under the age of 30, including three starters who are 23 or younger. Durant is thirty-seven years old. There’s been a lot of talk about how much his teammates will learn from his elite example: how to train, how to eat, how to rest, how to compete. But he’s not just there to teach. The Rockets signed Durant to a two-year, $90 million extension, which is a team-friendly deal, yes, but it’s still the amount you’re paying for the player you expect to be the best on your roster. The Rockets are betting that Durant, despite being past the retirement age of most players, can elevate them into true title contenders. It makes certain things possible, including a lineup full of big players that the team’s coach, Emi Udoka, has begun using, in an attempt to frustrate teams of natural stature. However, I admit that the narrative possibilities are, to me, more exciting. This is an unpredictable chapter in the life of a complex and compelling man.

The outsized importance of the league’s oldest stars is nothing new. LeBron James will turn 41 this year. Stephen Curry is thirty-seven years old and will play for the Warriors alongside Al Horford (thirty-nine), Jimmy Butler (thirty-six), and Draymond Green (thirty-five). And the Warriors aren’t even the oldest team in the league; That would be the Los Angeles Clippers, God help them. Athletes in many sports have worked to lengthen their careers, placing greater emphasis on nutrition, training techniques, and financial incentives. But this trend seems especially noticeable now in basketball.

This is surprising given some of the ways the league is changing. The pace of the game became increasingly punishing. More and more teams are playing full-court defenses and surrounding whoever handles the ball. These strategies favor fresh legs and bodies with less wear and tear, and younger players who can endure a long regular season and survive the spring.

A number of dominant players have arrived in the league after the combination of James, Curry and Durant: Giannis Antetokounmpo, now 30, has been an unstoppable force. Nikola Jokic, also thirty years old, is widely regarded as the best player in the league. The current MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is twenty-seven years old, and Luka Doncic, the favorite to become the next MVP, is twenty-six. The champion Thunder are 25.6 years old on average this year, nearly eight years younger than the Clippers’ average age — and the team the Thunder beat in the Finals, the Indiana Pacers, also played a rotation composed almost entirely of players 30 or younger. The Thunder are the consensus pick to win the championship again this season.