By John Rammas/ irammas@eurohoops.net
If there is one thing no one can beat on the court, it is time. Or is it? Eurohoops presents the 10 oldest players in this season’s Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and what they’ve accomplished in these first 23 rounds.
For some, age is an ally and for others, it is another opponent. Eurohoops looked at the 10 oldest players this season and tried to work out who belongs in which category. How difficult is life on the court after 35? Or later still? Here’s the Top 10, from the… youngest of the bunch to he who will celebrate his 38th birthday on the court!
Marcelinho Huertas, Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz – May 25, 1983
2017-18 stats: 4.5 points | 1.1 rebounds | 3.1 assists | 0.1 steals | 0.0 blocks | 1.5 turnovers | 14:36 minutes
Despite the fact he’s almost 35, Marcelinho Huertas is still a reliable solution for Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz This is his second stint with the team (2009-11, 2017-today) and eighth season in the EuroLeague (2006-07, 2009-15, 2017-today). In 23 appearances, he has scored in double digits six times and he’s one of only 12 players this season to achieve a 10-assist game. His most productive performance was in a 105-75 victory over Real Madrid in Round 7 in which he had 13 points (4-for-6 shooting) and 6 assists for performance index rating of 20.
Sergey Monia, Khimki Moscow Region – April 15, 1983
2017-18 stats: 3.3 points | 1.6 rebounds | 1.5 assists | 0.2 steals | 0.5 blocks | 0.6 turnovers | 13:25 minutes
Sergey Monia, who is trying to help Khimki Moscow Region climb higher in the standings, hopes to spend his birthday in the playoffs. His experience makes him a multi-tool weapon in the hands of his coach, which is obvious in wins like the 86-68 victory against Anadolu Efes Istanbul in Round 13 in which he scored 9 points on 3-for-5 three-point shooting plus 5 rebounds and 4 assists, just a few weeks after tying his career-high in assists (6) and steals (4), even if he didn’t enjoy it as much as he would’ve liked in a Round 8, 69-77 loss against Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv.