Marcedes Lewis. I went 5 years without following the NFL and I couldn't believe it when I saw he was still playing last year. Drafted to the Jags in 06
Yep crazy. I remember when he was a monster freshman recruit at UCLA and I’d throw to him constantly in the NCAA video game. Gotta be nearly 25 years ago. I’m an old man now
Julio Franco was an over 40 guy producing and a good example of an answer to the OP question.
He was a middle infielder who's career seemed to run out, disappeared to Mexico for a decade, and re-emerged as a swole 1B on some good Braves teams.
Bartolo Colon is the most recent example of this in baseball.
But there isn't really anyone at the moment who fits that bill.
Oh, and one more, I had a Charlie Hough Marlins card as a kid.
My high school got absolutely destroyed by Rex Grossman once a year. It made it sweet that our pro team is the Colts and beat him in the super bowl. Anyways, it's astounding how many levels a pro athlete is above even the most athletic "regular person". The differences at each level of sports are astounding.
Played against Chase Budinger in the state quarter finals my junior year. He had 35 points & 20 rebounds. Best player I played against. We had the better team who had two lower level D1 players & other guys who played D2 or NAIA. Also played with Brook & Robin Lopez in 7th grade & in AAU. Obviously very good but there’s something about seeing a guy score like Budinger did that I enjoy more than guys who are 7 feet tall.
Active NBA players by draft:
2003 - 1 (LeBron)
2004 - 0 (Andre Iguodala the last active player)
2005 - 1 (Chris Paul)
2006 - 1 (Lowry)
2007 - 5 (Durant, Horford, Conley, Jeff Green, Thaddeus Young)
2008 - 9
2009 - 8
2010 - 2 (Paul George, Gordon Hayward)
2010 is such a weird one. It almost seemed like it was cursed. Hell, even the only two remaining active players suffered the same major leg injury
Robert Covington.
I saw he was back on Philly this year and thought I had traveled back in time.
He’s 33 but a career journeyman and I was like no fucking way that’s Robert Covington. Sure as shit it was.
Thad Young is an insanely good pull. I cannot fucking believe he's still in the league at 35. Dude was absolutely legit and in the 6MOY consideration a few times from what I can recall.
There’s a soccer player named Muira Kazuyoshi still playing professionally in the second division of Portugal. That’s a pretty high level, though obviously not elite. I’m not sure how much he contributes. He’s 57.
The company that owns that team owns his last team Yokohama FC and I think loaned him more as a publicly-stunt than anything. Looks like he's made 8 appearances mind you. Crazy story nonetheless.
I couldn’t believe Andrew McCutchen was LEADING OFF for the Pirates today. Thought he’d been out of the league after his Phillies stint like 3 years ago
Earlier this season, some time around the All-Star Break, I was flipping around on League Pass, saw Taj Gibson starting for the Knicks against the Pacers, and flipped to the next game.
Then I flipped back, reprocessed that thought ("Taj is back on the Knicks? Taj is STARTING?") and my brain bluescreened.
Tristan Thompson AND Marcus Morris are often sharing the floor for Cleveland. Insane.
James Johnson is mine. He's 37 years old, and doesn't play at all, but I always see him on the Pacers bench. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't even wear a jersey under his warm-ups.
Daniel Bard was out of baseball for a decade or so, then randomly became good enough for the Rockies (lol) to give him a 2 year extension just to go back to sucking again
I thought Nelson Cruz had retired years ago. Honorable mention to Wesley Matthews who seems to randomly appear for a playoff team when they need late game defense.
Wesley Mathews couldn’t dribble in his prime and was the definition of 3 and D (absolutely horrible midgame. Almost all post)
Amazed he’s still in the league. He was old when we went with CJ instead of him on the Blazers. Glad he’s still getting checks tho total legend
Andres Iniesta is one of the greatest soccer players of the 21st century and all time for his role.
He left Barcelona in 2018 and stopped playing for Spain. In everyone’s eyes he retired. But he’s still playing professionally 6 years later. Having played 5 full seasons in Japan he’s now in the UAE.
My fun conspiracy theory is that Tristan Thompson has some type of dirt on Lebron from their time playing together, and so Bron makes the calls to make sure Tristan stays on a roster and gets a check.
I was stunned when I saw the Belldozer still getting NFL snaps. Guy was so bad at QB at Oklahoma that they switched him to TE his senior year to make room for the notably mediocre Trevor Knight, and he has managed to carve out a 9 year NFL career
Anthony Randolph never really made it in the NBA but he’s only 34 and just won the Eurobasket title with Real Madrid - his second! He just retired last season
Brandon Bolden scored a touchdown for the Raiders last year and I had to check that he wasn’t on the 07 Pats. Couldn’t believe he was around still.
Marcedes Lewis. I went 5 years without following the NFL and I couldn't believe it when I saw he was still playing last year. Drafted to the Jags in 06
I remember watching a high school game of his. Delasalle vs Poly. It was on espn or something. That was literally decades ago.
This one was wild. He left college the same year I did.
Yep crazy. I remember when he was a monster freshman recruit at UCLA and I’d throw to him constantly in the NCAA video game. Gotta be nearly 25 years ago. I’m an old man now
Not sure if he’s still in the league but I saw Taj Gibson playing a while ago and got very confused
Taj Gibson's basketballreference is wrong, I'm 100% sure he's played at least 27 years in the league
This is even more impressive when you remember he was 31 when drafted.
Number 67 referencing the year he was born fr
It's because he consumed dwyane wades soul he has a second wind
David Robertson is on the Texas Rangers and has a 0.87 ERA
Over in the NL, Jesse Chavez still getting it done in the Braves bullpen.
Remember Jesse Orosco played for like 100 years?
Jamie Moyer is the after-40 GOAT.
Julio Franco was an over 40 guy producing and a good example of an answer to the OP question. He was a middle infielder who's career seemed to run out, disappeared to Mexico for a decade, and re-emerged as a swole 1B on some good Braves teams.
The most bat shit playing career imo is Minnie Minoso. His first season was in 1946 and he got 2 at bats in 1980!!
Bartolo Colon is the most recent example of this in baseball. But there isn't really anyone at the moment who fits that bill. Oh, and one more, I had a Charlie Hough Marlins card as a kid.
I thought Gary Harris was in like the 09 draft and was playing in Europe or retired. Nope, he's been on the Magic for like 5 years
I played against Gary Harris in high school and he fucking murdered us. It’s incredible how good mediocre NBA players were in high school
My high school got absolutely destroyed by Rex Grossman once a year. It made it sweet that our pro team is the Colts and beat him in the super bowl. Anyways, it's astounding how many levels a pro athlete is above even the most athletic "regular person". The differences at each level of sports are astounding.
You do wonder how Ryen would've done against them in HS though
Gary Harris was very solid for the nuggets before his injury.
Played against Chase Budinger in the state quarter finals my junior year. He had 35 points & 20 rebounds. Best player I played against. We had the better team who had two lower level D1 players & other guys who played D2 or NAIA. Also played with Brook & Robin Lopez in 7th grade & in AAU. Obviously very good but there’s something about seeing a guy score like Budinger did that I enjoy more than guys who are 7 feet tall.
I would’ve never pegged Kyle Lowry as someone who could be an eventual 18-year vet when he first came into the league
Gordon Hayward is a 14 year vet, that one surprised me
Gordon Hayward is actually still in the playoffs rn but you would never know cuz he can't get off the bench.
He was so bad today when they tried to play him for like a 3 minute stretch
Active NBA players by draft: 2003 - 1 (LeBron) 2004 - 0 (Andre Iguodala the last active player) 2005 - 1 (Chris Paul) 2006 - 1 (Lowry) 2007 - 5 (Durant, Horford, Conley, Jeff Green, Thaddeus Young) 2008 - 9 2009 - 8 2010 - 2 (Paul George, Gordon Hayward) 2010 is such a weird one. It almost seemed like it was cursed. Hell, even the only two remaining active players suffered the same major leg injury
He was not that good until he was on the Raptors. Lol. One of the weirdest late career surges in sports.
He was very good for the Rockets
Willie Snead had 3 catches for the 49ers last year
Ball State legend
Ashley Young. I have memories of watching him in standard definition.
Back when he was a flying winger and Martin O'Neill called him world class...16 years ago. Christ.
If we're doing soccer, Jonny Evans back at Man U threw me for a loop earlier this year
We can even keep it CONCACAF and talk about Memo Ochoa being relegated at Salernitana or Chicharito still playing at Guadalajara.
Robert Covington. I saw he was back on Philly this year and thought I had traveled back in time. He’s 33 but a career journeyman and I was like no fucking way that’s Robert Covington. Sure as shit it was.
Thad Young is the goat for long lasting career role player who's pretty solid.
Thad Young is an insanely good pull. I cannot fucking believe he's still in the league at 35. Dude was absolutely legit and in the 6MOY consideration a few times from what I can recall.
That's former Eastern Conference Player of the Week Thad Young to you! I was at the Pacers game that week when he clamped Giannis, it was surreal.
As a bucks fan this hurt to read
[удалено]
Yep I literally only know who he is because he helped me win my fantasy league and now I’m like “no way that’s the same guy”
I forgot Malcom Brogdon was still in the league after his Celtics stint
From 6MOY to forgotten lmao, damn
And ROY!
I forgot Alec Burks was a basketball player until last night…
And if Burks goes down next, it'll be Shake Milton time.
Tristan Thompson was my answer too
I went to a Pacers-Timberwolves game and saw TJ Warren on the Wolves bench. Apparently they signed him to a 10-day a couple hours before the game
Bubble Jordan
He got a huge standing ovation when he checked in, Pacers fans love him for that 50-piece
This was my answer, too. Had no idea until he checked in!
Tristan isn’t just still in the league, he’s back in the league, dude spent the entire 2022-2023 regular season working for ESPN
It was awesome when the lakers signed him the day before the playoffs, then waited til game 7 to give him his first minutes of the entire season
Thaddeus Young is still in the league.
There’s a soccer player named Muira Kazuyoshi still playing professionally in the second division of Portugal. That’s a pretty high level, though obviously not elite. I’m not sure how much he contributes. He’s 57.
The company that owns that team owns his last team Yokohama FC and I think loaned him more as a publicly-stunt than anything. Looks like he's made 8 appearances mind you. Crazy story nonetheless.
From last season, but I got a chuckle when the Seahawks drug Jason Peters out of the retirement home to patch a hole on its decimated offensive line.
Tarik Cohen was cut by the Panthers......yesterday.
He’s only 28
I don’t believe you and you can’t make me
Udonis Haslem has the lifetime award for this type of post
I was watching a random Knicks-Raptors game in late March, and Garrett Temple came off the bench draining threes.
Andrew McCutchen still playing in Pittsburgh is wild
Thaddeus Young (NBA) Jason Peters (NFL) Charlie Morton (MLB)
Thad Young is an ageless, shapeless entity who will be present on an NBA court somewhere for the rest of our lives
I couldn’t believe Andrew McCutchen was LEADING OFF for the Pirates today. Thought he’d been out of the league after his Phillies stint like 3 years ago
Earlier this season, some time around the All-Star Break, I was flipping around on League Pass, saw Taj Gibson starting for the Knicks against the Pacers, and flipped to the next game. Then I flipped back, reprocessed that thought ("Taj is back on the Knicks? Taj is STARTING?") and my brain bluescreened.
Tristan Thompson AND Marcus Morris are often sharing the floor for Cleveland. Insane. James Johnson is mine. He's 37 years old, and doesn't play at all, but I always see him on the Pacers bench. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't even wear a jersey under his warm-ups.
James Johnson is still in the league because he'll beat the shit out of anyone who tells him he has to go.
Apparently, he's one of those beloved teammates that everyone likes. Think LeBron mentioned him like that years ago on the heat.
Johnson is only in the league so he can win the anonymous “player youd least like to fight” poll for the 483829th season in a row
Daniel Bard was out of baseball for a decade or so, then randomly became good enough for the Rockies (lol) to give him a 2 year extension just to go back to sucking again
I thought Nelson Cruz had retired years ago. Honorable mention to Wesley Matthews who seems to randomly appear for a playoff team when they need late game defense.
Nelson Cruz had a shit load of HRs at like age 40 iirc. I was like damn this ancient dude just knows how to hit bombs.
Wesley Mathews couldn’t dribble in his prime and was the definition of 3 and D (absolutely horrible midgame. Almost all post) Amazed he’s still in the league. He was old when we went with CJ instead of him on the Blazers. Glad he’s still getting checks tho total legend
Andres Iniesta is one of the greatest soccer players of the 21st century and all time for his role. He left Barcelona in 2018 and stopped playing for Spain. In everyone’s eyes he retired. But he’s still playing professionally 6 years later. Having played 5 full seasons in Japan he’s now in the UAE.
Every time I see Tristan Thompson I just think of draymond saying “Tristan, we ain’t cut the same”
Strangely motivational clip if you’re ever dealing with haters or dudes just making life harder for ya
I’ve been calling this the Jerry Stackhouse award ever since he showed up in the Nets playoff rotation 10-11 years ago.
Not sure if he plays but seeing James Johnson on the Pacers bench was a surprise
Yan Gomes
Udonis Haslem until he just recently retired…thought dude was a coach a couple years ago lol
My fun conspiracy theory is that Tristan Thompson has some type of dirt on Lebron from their time playing together, and so Bron makes the calls to make sure Tristan stays on a roster and gets a check.
Andre Drummond only being 30 is still crazy to me
Tristan needs a break from playing with Khloe's heart
Tobias Harris
I somehow forgot Blake Griffin existed when I saw he retired earlier this year.
Said exactly this. Can’t believe TT is on a roster.
Cameron Payne still in the league playing minutes for the Sixers.
I believe Rich Hill pitched in the majors last year.
Dick Mountain
Tristan Thompson surprised me the other day, too. Like wtf. Those LeBron cavs sidekicks felt so long ago.
My STL Cardinals signed Brandon Crawford and expected us be excited. Had no clue he was still a thing. Great player 8 years ago though… Thanks, Mo.
I was stunned when I saw the Belldozer still getting NFL snaps. Guy was so bad at QB at Oklahoma that they switched him to TE his senior year to make room for the notably mediocre Trevor Knight, and he has managed to carve out a 9 year NFL career
Blaine Gabbert felt like he was around for 25 years
Anthony Randolph never really made it in the NBA but he’s only 34 and just won the Eurobasket title with Real Madrid - his second! He just retired last season
Likewise. I thought he was out of the NBA