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I watched the Hong Kong Philharmonic in concert tonight. I can't say I'm a huge fan of classical music, but much like Jazz, I admire, respect, and do enjoy it when I come across it. (Speaking of Jazz and Classical music. Remember that episode of Fresh Prince when Uncle Phil had his family listen to classical music, and right when the climax hits, Jazz scratches the vinyl record, leading to UP throwing him out of the house? HAHAHAH that was rad. Damn US TV shows are great now and all but I miss Fresh Prince reruns)

Okay. As I was listening I was reading the bio on lead violinist Kolja Blacher, and he's a super established dude. And he will only get better.

Then I come home and I read an article on Tim Duncan changing his offseason workout routine (by changing, I mean toning it down) and eating a healthier diet. He says he knows he's slowing down.

"I've only got a couple years left in me," he says

Duncan is 33 years old. He entered the league my sophmore year of high school.

In what other field would you hear a 33 year old mutter words like "I've only got a few years left in me"?

Think about it--whether you're an artist, musician, actor, writer, whatever. You get better as you get older. You don't naturally lose your skills unless you do something idiotic (like take drugs or something).

In basketball, you have a limited lifespan. No matter how good a shape you are, you will decline and lose your abilities as you hit your 30s. Even if you're a supreme physical specimen--like MJ or Malone--you can delay the decline by 4 years. 6 max. There is no way you don't suffer a big decline in skills past say 37.

Even in other sports, such as golf, bowling, and tennis you can continue to maintain--and improve--your skills as you enter midlife.

Because basketball requires explosiveness (requiring twitch fiber muscles), top notch reflexes, and cardio more so than many other sports, pro basketball player have the shortest lifespan (maybe outside of football. And I mean football, not soccer).

So yeah. Imagine being a top notch basketball player and realizing that you only have a few years left? Lets not use Duncan as an example since he's not one of those live-and-die-live-and-breath basketball guys. Let's use Kobe...how depressing is that?

Imagine if you're an artist and you realize you can only draw for two more years and then your skills will decline? You ain't hearing this news at 80. But at 35. What?

I fully understand why Kobe threw a hissy fit two years ago demanding a trade, because he realized he was in his absolute prime and it was being wasted with mediocre teammates.

I fully understand why some players hold on far too long (Gary Payton and Hakeem are examples), they couldn't bear walking away even though they were a shell of their former selves. And the dropoff in basketball abilities is so sharp from the 32-36 range that sometimes it catches players by surprise.That has to hurt too right? Getting outplayed by younger guys--then realizing that "damn, if I was three years younger I woulda eaten this guy alive".

"You're never too old--or too young--to change," said Ben Button. I take that quote as you're never too old to improve yourself or to work on things. But if you're a baller, (and I mean baller as in basketball player, not one who lives extravagantly) you don't have that much time.

33 for many professionals is just the beginning. For Tim Duncan, he knows his time is about to end.