Current Events > You can Matrix-learn 1 skill to world-class level: Basketball or Chess

(+) Yeah! (+)

Which skill would you dl?

Chessketball

I think chess would serve me better, because I'm way too old to do anything with basketball skills. No one would pick up anyone my age with zero accolades or pedigree to my name, regardless of how talented I am.

Would you get the muscle tone/endurance etc needed for basketball? Skills are nothing without the body for performance.

Chess at least is all mental

I'm 5 foot 6 inches

I can practice basketball for 1000 years and I will never be pro level because of my height

King_Rial posted...

I think chess would serve me better, because I'm way too old to do anything with basketball skills. No one would pick up anyone my age with zero accolades or pedigree to my name, regardless of how talented I am.

That depends. World class like Lebron level or higher or world class like able to get into the NBA but that's pretty much it?

I don't think any team would care about your age if you could play like a young Michael Jordan, regardless of your accolades.

wackyteen posted...

I'm 5 foot 6 inches

I can practice basketball for 1000 years and I will never be pro level because of my height

Spud Webb

Not chess
I don't want to be assassinated
Neither basketball
Because I don't care about it

ArchNemo posted...

That depends. World class like Lebron level or higher or world class like able to get into the NBA but that's pretty much it?

I don't think any team would care about your age if you could play like a young Michael Jordan, regardless of your accolades.

No team is picking up a 40~ year old, regardless of their skill level. Jamal Crawford was 38 years old when he played his last full game. Scored 51 points. Even as a role player and a great veteran bench player, he couldn't get on anywhere. Brooklyn gave him 5 minutes in 1 game and his career was done. And that's someone with a bunch of career highlights to back it up.

Do you think they are giving a shot to a 6'1" damn near 40 year old? It doesn't matter how well I could play. They have no reference to go on for so many other things. How well I would hold up to a 82 game season is the first one. A guy that played not a single game of basketball at any camp, junior high, highschool, or college anywhere?

It's not like the NBA hold Open Tryouts or anything. Not anymore at least. So you have no real way of even showing people what you can do in a 5 on 5. First you'd have to film yourself playing pickup games, then get in a rec crew. But that's never gonna lead an old man into the NBA. The best I could do is win stuff like TBT. If you can find a good group that would take you.

But not a single team in the NBA would pick up that guy.

wackyteen posted...

I'm 5 foot 6 inches

I can practice basketball for 1000 years and I will never be pro level because of my height

Muggsy was 5'3".

King_Rial posted...

No team is picking up a 40~ year old, regardless of their skill level. Jamal Crawford was 38 years old when he played his last full game. Scored 51 points. Even as a role player and a great veteran bench player, he couldn't get on anywhere. Brooklyn gave him 5 minutes in 1 game and his career was done. And that's someone with a bunch of career highlights to back it up.

Do you think they are giving a shot to a 6'1" damn near 40 year old? It doesn't matter how well I could play. They have no reference to go on for so many other things. How well I would hold up to a 82 game season is the first one. A guy that played not a single game of basketball at any camp, junior high, highschool, or college anywhere?

It's not like the NBA hold Open Tryouts or anything. Not anymore at least. So you have no real way of even showing people what you can do in a 5 on 5. First you'd have to film yourself playing pickup games, then get in a rec crew. But that's never gonna lead an old man into the NBA. The best I could do is win stuff like TBT. If you can find a good group that would take you.

But not a single team in the NBA would pick up that guy.

I mean, we're talking about a magical situation where you wake up and can play like the greatest player on Earth. You wouldn't be playing like someone who is good for 40, you'd be playing like someone who plays like the greatest players on Earth in their prime (at least in the scenario I'm picturing when I said it depends)

Granted, there's still a possibility you'd never be noticed, but in the age of social media and viral videos it's entirely possible.

If a team could get a player at that level for a fraction of the cost it would take to hire a well known player at that level, why wouldn't they? Assuming you ever get noticed, which would be the hitch.

In this already impossible situation, I don't think it's unrealistic to assume that a team would give a bare minimum contract to a player they wouldn't have to develop who already has GOAT skills.

King_Rial posted...

No team is picking up a 40~ year old, regardless of their skill level.

If they were one of the best players in the world? They absolutely would. They wouldnt be giving them a 5-year deal, but if you are improbably amongst the best in the world as a 40-year old, theyd sign you to a 1 or 2 year deal.

Do you think LeBron will suddenly be blackballed next year, even if he is playing at his current level? (And he is not considered in the running as best in the world anymore, but still amongst the elite.)

I would pick chess. If the ability I learned was grand master who was smarter than even someone like Magnus . I would face all the best champions in the world and always win

ArchNemo posted...

I mean, we're talking about a magical situation where you wake up and can play like the greatest player on Earth. You wouldn't be playing like someone who is good for 40, you'd be playing like someone who plays like the greatest players on Earth in their prime (at least in the scenario I'm picturing when I said it depends)

Granted, there's still a possibility you'd never be noticed, but in the age of social media and viral videos it's entirely possible.

If a team could get a player at that level for a fraction of the cost it would take to hire a well known player at that level, why wouldn't they? Assuming you ever get noticed, which would be the hitch.

Because they don't care about that if you're old and short. I kind of feel like you didn't really read what I said, or don't know the league very well. I'm not thinking about being good for my age. I'm thinking about being a phenom. But beating the brakes off of people who couldn't make it to the NBA wouldn't get someone a serious look. There are a lot of exceptionally great people that never got even a development contract. Even with God-level playing ability, no team is wasting a spot on an unproven old man. They wouldn't even waste a G-League spot for one.

Teams very much like to follow a script. Again, not a single second of organized sports throughout my upbringing would be a deal killer from jump, at my age. I could make some good social media money, I guess. But that's about it.

I dont care about basketball.

But what happens with my body if I choose it?
Do I get fit instantely?
Does my joint pain go away?

The_Popo posted...

If they were one of the best players in the world? They absolutely would. They wouldnt be giving them a 5-year deal, but if you are improbably amongst the best in the world as a 40-year old, theyd sign you to a 1 or 2 year deal.

Do you think LeBron will suddenly be blackballed next year, even if he is playing at his current level? (And he is not considered in the running as best in the world anymore, but still amongst the elite.)

LeBron has already proven himself. He's worth it. That's not even close to the same thing. You can't just take a snippet of what I'm saying. You have to take in the totality of it. We aren't talking about a guy that they scouted since middleschool. We're not talking about a guy that's already in the League. A guy that already has Championships and MVPs and Finals MVPs. We're talking about an old, short, fat guy that came out of nowhere and has never played for anyone anywhere.

Suddenly being a world-class basketball player would be insanely profitable. Only holdup is that my career at 38 would be pretty limited.

King_Rial posted...

Because they don't care about that if you're old and short. I kind of feel like you didn't really read what I said, or don't know the league very well. I'm not thinking about being good for my age. I'm thinking about being a phenom. But beating the brakes off of people who couldn't make it to the NBA wouldn't get someone a serious look. There are a lot of exceptionally great people that never got even a development contract. Even with God-level playing ability, no team is wasting a spot on an unproven old man. They wouldn't even waste a G-League spot for one.

Teams very much like to follow a script. Again, not a single second of organized sports throughout my upbringing would be a deal killer from jump, at my age. I could make some good social media money, I guess. But that's about it.

To be fair, I don't know much about the NBA. I just have a hard time believing that if you could demonstrate that level of ability and somehow get noticed, which would be the hard part, that no team would give you a chance. When you consider they would get a GOAT level talent for essentially pennies, you don't think that any team, even a team that otherwise likely would never sniff a championship or a talent of that level, would not be willing to take the risk on even a one year contract?

Like, remember, this is a magical situation. So if you DID manage to get a try-out, you'd be putting up Wilt Chamberlain numbers against other elite NBA talent.

ArchNemo posted...

To be fair, I don't know much about the NBA. I just have a hard time believing that if you could demonstrate that level of ability and somehow get noticed, which would be the hard part, that no team would give you a chance. When you consider they would get a GOAT level talent for essentially pennies, you don't think that any team, even a team that otherwise likely would never sniff a championship or a talent of that level, would not be willing to take the risk on even a one year contract?

Like, remember, this is a magical situation. So if you DID manage to get a try-out, you'd be putting up Wilt Chamberlain numbers against other elite NBA talent.

They don't do tryouts. And there are people that look phenomenal and crush NBA players and the team doesn't pick them up. They have a script they follow. That's just the way it goes. They don't pick up people off the street. You go through a long process. You have to have played somewhere. They need plenty of tape. They need coaches that they know who can vouch for you. They need youth. Endurance, development. Pedigree.

Like I said, you could make some coin on social media, if you're the type that would like to cultivate that. But a 6 foot 40 year old that plays like a basketball god would be a Streetball 30 for 30 at best.

Also, as far as no playing history is concerned, that's true, but you also don't have to prove how good you might be someday. Scouts aren't looking at you to see, in 5 years with proper development, if you could you be a great talent.

You're already that talent, if they put you in a game with other NBA talent you would already smoke them. They'd only need one game to figure that out, because other than in this magic situation, nobody would ever be able to come off the street and outplay every other player in the NBA.

So if you got that one try-out, why would they not take a chance on you?

No, not at 40 with zero history. Probably not even a younger guy, but definitely not an old short man. Short for NBA, that is. You can listen to actual players that had a real history, had a shot, smoked the NBA players, and still didn't get a contract. They like people to come up the way they like them to come up. Also, one of the reasons you need a track record is because you can have a good performance once or twice. But they don't know if it's sustainable.

Basketball, play in the NBA then move on and play for the Harlem Globetrotters.

King_Rial posted...

They don't do tryouts. And there are people that look phenomenal and crush NBA players and the team doesn't pick them up. They have a script they follow. That's just the way it goes. They don't pick up people off the street. You go through a long process. You have to have played somewhere. They need plenty of tape. They need coaches that they know who can vouch for you. They need youth. Endurance, development. Pedigree.

Like I said, you could make some coin on social media, if you're the type that would like to cultivate that. But a 6 foot 40 year old that plays like a basketball god would be a Streetball 30 for 30 at best.

Are these people crushing elite NBA players? Are they outplaying LeBron, Luka, or Doncic calibre players or just any player in the NBA?

Admittedly, you might never get a shot. You keep saying they need youth, but youth is completely irrelevant in this situation. They need youth because young players are either in or entering their prime and have longevity. But the person in this scenarios, regardless of if they're 13 or 60, are playing at a GOAT level. You don't need to be developed, you don't need to prove your skills because you can walk off the street and drop 50 on people who have been playing basketball their entire life at an elite level.

The only thing they'd have to worry about (other than team chemistry of hiring someone who walked off the street) is how likely you are to be injured. And with everything else you're offering, I'm sure they'd take the chance.

In this situation it wouldn't matter if you were 70 years old and 4'6, you would be able to beat Michael Jordan in his prime one on one. It's a magic situation, this is the level of ability we're talking about. Something that could not possibly happen in real life.

You don't think a team would make an exception for a situation that is literally not constrained by reality?

King_Rial posted...

No, not at 40 with zero history. Probably not even a younger guy, but definitely not an old short man. Short for NBA, that is. You can listen to actual players that had a real history, had a shot, smoked the NBA players, and still didn't get a contract. They like people to come up the way they like them to come up. Also, one of the reasons you need a track record is because you can have a good performance once or twice. But they don't know if it's sustainable.

I mean, nobody is coming in off the street, throwing up video game numbers against an NBA team and someone is looking at it and going "Well, it was a good performance but can he repeat it?"

These people work with elite basketball talent all day, every day.

If someone with no history showed up and showed bbiq, footwork, skill, etc, on elite, GOAT levels, you don't think people would realize this is a special situation?

Nobody is looking at this situation and saying "Well, he may be able to drop 80 on the an NBA team but he didn't play in college so, we're gonna have to take a pass"

Like, it's not happening. And I'm sure people who live basketball can tell the difference between a really good street ball player and a Michael Jordan-esque player even from a few viral videos.

Basketball. I'd have more fun beating scrubs at beach courts than beating scrubs at parks. I won't be going pro at either so may as well have fun with it. Maybe become a YouTuber

ArchNemo posted...

You don't think a team would make an exception for a situation that is literally not constrained by reality?

I'm not going to keep repeating myself, but you're wrong about why they want youth. And you're ignoring how things work. They're not thinking "this guy is magically good, so we don't care about anything else." You're also changing the parameters of the hypothetical. But even in your version of it, they aren't picking the guy up. You'd have to alter the hypothetical to the point of them already putting the guy on the team, essentially.

King_Rial posted...

I'm not going to keep repeating myself, but you're wrong about why they want youth. And you're ignoring how things work. They're not thinking "this guy is magically good, so we don't care about anything else." You're also changing the parameters of the hypothetical. But even in your version of it, they aren't picking the guy up. You'd have to alter the hypothetical to the point of them already putting the guy on the team, essentially.

I don't think I did. The hypothetical was, you're playing like a GOAT level talent, that means even with the constraints of size, age, etc, you're putting up GOAT numbers.

We're obviously not going to agree on this though.

Actually, I guess I did change the hypothetical >_> I forgot you just matrix learned it, which just implies you know the skills but wouldn't have any of the actual physical ability to pull it off.

So I'll take the L on this one. Though I believe in my scenario you'd get picked up.

ArchNemo posted...

Actually, I guess I did change the hypothetical >_> I forgot you just matrix learned it, which just implies you know the skills but wouldn't have any of the actual physical ability to pull it off.

So I'll take the L on this one. Though I believe in my scenario you'd get picked up.

Even if you had the physical ability, which I think you're going to get some of, because basketball demands it. World class doesn't mean greatest of all time. But even then, Michael was not unguardable. He wasn't unbeatable. Neither is LeBron, nor was Kareem. And neither was Neo.

And again, people with much better pedigrees than you'd think have smoked top tier NBA players in 5 on 5s. They don't get contracts from it. You can listen to stories of them.

They aren't picking up an unproven 40 year old. They don't have the spot for it.