Charlotte Hornets: 38-year old Damien Wilkins isn’t showing any signs of slowing down for the Greensboro Swarm

Despite being the oldest player in the NBA G-League, Damien Wilkins is proving his worth for the Charlotte Hornets’ affiliate.

38-year old Damien Wilkins is in his second stint with the Greensboro Swarm. Even though he is in the later stages of his career, the veteran isn’t showing any signs of slowing down as he is having one of the best years or his career. He has been a godsend since re-joining the Charlotte Hornets‘ G-League affiliate.

After an impressive season with the Swarm last year, Wilkins earned a contract with the Indiana Pacers and was back in the NBA for the first time since the 2012-13 season. He only appeared in 19 games for the Pacers this campaign before being waived but he did record one start and averaged 1.7 points per game for Indiana.

It looks like Damien may once again use the G-League and Greensboro as a launching pad to get himself back into the NBA. In a recent podcast with Vigilant Sports, Wilkins said that he will be back in the NBA. If you ask me, that pretty optimistic coming from a player who is almost 40-years old but based on his recent play, it may not be out of the question.

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In nine games with the Swarm, the 6’6 small forward is averaging 26.9 points per game, 6.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting an impressive 50% from the field, 41.2% from three and 89% from the free throw line. He’s averaging 12 more PPG than he did last season and shooting better across the board.

Damien has taken his game to a new level. Not only is he a star for Greensboro but he’s also becoming one of the best players in the G-League. Since he was signed on February 1st, he is fifth in the league in scoring (minimum four games played) behind only Quinn Cook, Isaiah Whitehead, Antonio Blakeney and Walter Lemon Jr. who are all at least 13 years younger than Wilkins.

The North Carolina native has seemingly found the fountain of youth and is putting up big numbers against young prospects nearly half his age. Although he’s lost a step in terms of speed and athleticism, Damien is still at the top of his game.

While many players start to slow down in the later stages of their career, Wilkins looks better than ever before. He’s scored 20+ points in eight of his nine appearances, 30+ in two games and one game with 41 points.

It’s crazy to think that a player who is nearly 40 and in his 14th professional season, is putting up these numbers consistently. At his age, most players are retiring or have already called it a career for a few years. The only explanation is that he’s an ageless wonder and he may very well be doing this into his 40’s. As they say, “Age is just a number.”

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If the Charlotte Hornets are eliminated from playoff contention before the end of the regular season, maybe they will sign Wilkins to a 10-day contract and give him a few minutes of playing time. Although, even if he isn’t called up, he can continue to lead the Greensboro Swarm who desperately need all the help they can get.