I'll give a baseball answer, because I'm far better schooled there: Adrian Beltre. Go back in time and tell a baseball fan in the 2000s, particularly as he was playing for the Seattle Mariners, Adrian Beltre is going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer, clocking in with 3,000+ hits and 90+ bWAR. They'd say you were nuts. Beltre was viewed, until age 30, as something of a hyped prospect who had become an underachiever, minus one insane season with the Dodgers.
Then, at 31, he heads to Boston and has himself a very big year. After that, he's putting up huge offensive seasons in hitter-friendly Texas and playing for a pennant winner. His defense, with the rise of sabermetrics, is properly recognized, and paired with his very good offense, he becomes one of the great third basemen ever. He gets 3,100 hits, which looks even more impressive now with so few active players even passing 2,000 hits.
Beltre is a great answer when it comes to baseball. Until that Boston year he was best known for being overpaid by Seattle.
Another good baseball answer: Randy Johnson. He was good before turning 30, but I don't think anyone would say he was on a first-ballot HOF track. Then he puts up his first sub 3.00 ERA season at age-31, and goes on to become one of the best pitchers of all time.
How about Jimmy Butler? Always was a good player but never had great postseason success until joining the Heat at age 30, a lot like Matthew Stafford. Just missing the championship.
One of my favorite athletes of all time. The NFL Films clip of him playing through a dislocated shoulder his rookie year is must watch for anyone who’s never seen it
Terry Bradshaw is Robert Horry. Dan Fouts is Vlade Divac, Marcus Mariota is Zydrunas Ilgauskaus... Comparing mid tier QBs to 90’-00’s big men might be my new favorite thing. Thanks Ethan, I’ll be thinking about this for the next couple weeks now
I cannot think of a better description of Hakeem than, "your favorite basketball player's favorite basketball player." I grew up in the Chicago suburbs in the 90s, but absolutely loved watching Olajuwan play. There has never been a basketball player with better footwork or a more a esthetically pleasing set of moves.
Maybe Jimmy Butler fits here? He was obviously well regarded before 30 and had success, but both of his Finals trips came post-30.
PS as a sad Rams honk, I’m digging this. Love Staff, not only for the Super Bowl run two years ago, obviously, but the dude gets the shit kicked outta him and still plays. He’s easy to cheer for
Butler is a good one. He's a guy that continues to develop and exceed expectations at all ages from 30th in draft, to best player on Bulls, to the perennial playoff top performer now.
Hakeem slapped Mad Max for spitting on the floor. Hakeem eviscerated David Robinson and his scoring title. Hakeem invented the Dream Shake. Stafford seems like a nice guy with a decent arm. The Dream is an all timer.
Sorry but can we talk about the elephant in the room here? Stafford clearly had a concussion on Sunday; his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he showed a fencing posture. Collinsworth said he had a speculation on what happened but held himself back from saying on-air that it looked like a concussion.
Is there no recourse for this anymore? You talk a lot about how a lot of NBA journalists are captured and protecting the product, but this is much worse and has basically been buried by the NFL media.
Not entirely relevant but...there was a video from the mid-aughts of some Washington players doing a Fantasy Football draft. Probably via Chris Cooley, when he was one of the first new media savvy athletes.
Anyway, someone (Jason Campbell's girlfriend?) drafts Matt Ryan in an early round and Fred Smoot is apoplectic. "MATT RYAN?! He's just a pair of shoes!"
I can't hear Matt Ryan's name without thinking about that insult.
I'll give a baseball answer, because I'm far better schooled there: Adrian Beltre. Go back in time and tell a baseball fan in the 2000s, particularly as he was playing for the Seattle Mariners, Adrian Beltre is going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer, clocking in with 3,000+ hits and 90+ bWAR. They'd say you were nuts. Beltre was viewed, until age 30, as something of a hyped prospect who had become an underachiever, minus one insane season with the Dodgers.
Then, at 31, he heads to Boston and has himself a very big year. After that, he's putting up huge offensive seasons in hitter-friendly Texas and playing for a pennant winner. His defense, with the rise of sabermetrics, is properly recognized, and paired with his very good offense, he becomes one of the great third basemen ever. He gets 3,100 hits, which looks even more impressive now with so few active players even passing 2,000 hits.
Beltre is a great answer when it comes to baseball. Until that Boston year he was best known for being overpaid by Seattle.
Another good baseball answer: Randy Johnson. He was good before turning 30, but I don't think anyone would say he was on a first-ballot HOF track. Then he puts up his first sub 3.00 ERA season at age-31, and goes on to become one of the best pitchers of all time.
Johnson is the better and more obvious one! His career was made after 30.
Good call
Steve Young is a good one. Essentially built a HoF career from age 31 on.
Damn, good pull
I submit Rich Gannon
How about Jimmy Butler? Always was a good player but never had great postseason success until joining the Heat at age 30, a lot like Matthew Stafford. Just missing the championship.
Andre Agassi was better after turning 30 which at the time was unheard of for a tennis player.
Never put Matt Stafford in the same sentence with Dream ever again 😂😂
One of my favorite athletes of all time. The NFL Films clip of him playing through a dislocated shoulder his rookie year is must watch for anyone who’s never seen it
If the Clippers win the next four titles we'll have to add Harden to this list.
Curt Schilling first became an all-star at age thirty then went on to win 3 World Series and pitched that iconic bloody sock game for the Red Sox.
Curt Schilling is Baseball John McAfee. Wild interviews, Hates the Government, scam software company... it’s all there
Kyle Lowry, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Steve Nash the 4 that spring to mind
If Stafford is Hakeem, then Jameis is Dikembe Mutombo.
Also Jacoby Brissett is Scott Pollard, Gardner Minshew is Brad Miller, and Tyrod Taylor is Laurence Funderburke
Terry Bradshaw is Robert Horry. Dan Fouts is Vlade Divac, Marcus Mariota is Zydrunas Ilgauskaus... Comparing mid tier QBs to 90’-00’s big men might be my new favorite thing. Thanks Ethan, I’ll be thinking about this for the next couple weeks now
I cannot think of a better description of Hakeem than, "your favorite basketball player's favorite basketball player." I grew up in the Chicago suburbs in the 90s, but absolutely loved watching Olajuwan play. There has never been a basketball player with better footwork or a more a esthetically pleasing set of moves.
Maybe Jimmy Butler fits here? He was obviously well regarded before 30 and had success, but both of his Finals trips came post-30.
PS as a sad Rams honk, I’m digging this. Love Staff, not only for the Super Bowl run two years ago, obviously, but the dude gets the shit kicked outta him and still plays. He’s easy to cheer for
Butler is a good one. He's a guy that continues to develop and exceed expectations at all ages from 30th in draft, to best player on Bulls, to the perennial playoff top performer now.
Hakeem slapped Mad Max for spitting on the floor. Hakeem eviscerated David Robinson and his scoring title. Hakeem invented the Dream Shake. Stafford seems like a nice guy with a decent arm. The Dream is an all timer.
Sorry but can we talk about the elephant in the room here? Stafford clearly had a concussion on Sunday; his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he showed a fencing posture. Collinsworth said he had a speculation on what happened but held himself back from saying on-air that it looked like a concussion.
Is there no recourse for this anymore? You talk a lot about how a lot of NBA journalists are captured and protecting the product, but this is much worse and has basically been buried by the NFL media.
Not entirely relevant but...there was a video from the mid-aughts of some Washington players doing a Fantasy Football draft. Probably via Chris Cooley, when he was one of the first new media savvy athletes.
Anyway, someone (Jason Campbell's girlfriend?) drafts Matt Ryan in an early round and Fred Smoot is apoplectic. "MATT RYAN?! He's just a pair of shoes!"
I can't hear Matt Ryan's name without thinking about that insult.