Less than one percent

What are the odds an old player dominates the NBA?

BY HENRY ABBOTT

On a podcast a couple of years ago, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said that the Rockets traded Chris Paul away in part because Paul had the worst contract Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta had “ever seen in business or sports.” No one would argue Paul is one of the best players of all time. The problem was that at the time Fertitta reportedly made that statement, Paul was making a big salary and was at an age—34—at which most of his contemporaries had retired. (Andrew Bogut, Channing Frye, Nate Robinson … Paul’s 2005 draft class mostly stopped playing years ago.)

In the two years since, Paul has made a mockery of Fertitta’s objection to two years at about $40 million each. First he made the tanking Thunder good, then he took the Suns damn near a title. 

Now, though, Paul’s 36, and just signed up for four more years at about $30 million each. Fertitta won’t be wrong forever. Father Time, as they say, is undefeated. What are the odds that Paul, and many of his colleagues who also just si…