Sixers Are Better? We’re Better! You Bet!

Apr 15, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; General view of the exterior of the Wells Fargo Center as seen through a gate before a game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Dr. Martin Fountain of Youth

With so many young athletes in the Philadelphia 76ers organization, does that mean the team will burn them out rapidly and move onto the next wave of youth?  Unlikely.

"“Forties is the new 30s for physiological capacity. We’re going to continue to see people do well into their 40s — no question.  Obviously the body deteriorates a little bit at that age, but you make up for other things,” he said. “If you take care of your body and you enjoy what you’re doing, these are the two major parameters that can keep you going. If you run the body down, train too hard at an early age, or you ignore injuries, you get injections to stay fit, then you have trouble. – said Scott Trappe, director of the Human Performance Lab at Ball State University."

Players who arrive onto the Philadelphia 76er roster may not believe they will win a championship this year, but they can take solace that, if they adhere to the plan administered by Director of Sports Medicine Dr. David Martin, their career will last a long time, long enough to increase their odds of a championship significantly.

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So a team with a host of youth, and a Doctor who is leading the science of athletic longevity?   That’s a powerful combination.   The average length of an NBA career is 4.8 years.   So many in sports who analyze the ‘where will he go next’ focus on the likelihood of an immediate championship.

But soon, today’s athletes will see their career in the same light that Sam Hinkie sees building a championship.  The perception that “here and now” will begin to fade in the face as they see colleagues who opted for the slow and steady career path.  The Sixers are building that player friendly environment now.   If they have success, and I suspect that they will, other teams will follow.

Next: Sixers Reload