This was definitely a thing just back in the 2000s. You had guys like melo, tmac, Paul pierce, wade, Dwight ect all decline in this age range or way before. People always mentioned lebron still being so good when he was 33. At first that seemed like an anomaly. Now, you have guys like curry, kd, kawhi, dame, lebron still(lol) jimmy butler, all still being in their prime at 33+. Is it an advancement in technology and medicine? Something else?
Soccer/football is so heavily based on obviously your legs, running, and timing, and those are things that even these guys we mention, they’re not at their peak in those departments today. But in soccer/football, also in tennis…you lose a quarter of a step, half a step, you can’t really cover that up the way you can in basketball with footwork/skill/smarts/etc. You lose a little in the legs and the kinetic chain breaks down.