It is no secret that age often doesn´t play a role when it comes to doing what you love. In the entertainment business especially in music, you have had numerous groups that have decided to keep getting on stage to perform instead of sipping champagne nonstop and getting massages on resort islands. Groups like the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd or the beach Boys keep coming back each year to perform for their fans instead of sitting back and watching their grand children grow up. It is no different in professional sports either as there are always so special sports dinosaurs around who keep returning season after season even though the muscles will be striking and yelling stop, get me off the court please. Famous athletes like tennis legend Martina Navratilova was still playing professional at the age of 49, ice hockey legend Gordie Howe played until he was 52 and at the end with his sons Mark and Marty. In 1997, Howe even played a shift at age 69. In the Beko BBL there are two fine examples of timeworn players that come back each season no matter what their bodies say and keep chugging away as Chris Ensminger and Bernd Kruel do. Ensminger is turning 39 and probably will play until he is 50, because he has that there is no stopping me attitude on the court. He may even keep playing until his sons are on the court. Bernd Kruel is a 36 year old 209cm power forward  that still plays like a 28 year old. There is nothing spectacular about his game now, but he continues to be consistent off the bench and can give scoring and rebounding. He is playing his 16^th season in Hagen and it is always a pleasure when he plays against his ex team Frankfurt where he had the most success winning the Beko BBL title in 2004 over Bamberg and reaching the final in 2005. Kruel returned back to his old stomping ground ready with his typical “mahlzeit” phrase as a greeting and helped Phoenix Hagen win a 107-102 shootout against his old team. He didn´t have much stats, but that doesn´t mean that his presence on the court isn´t important. “Bernd is a wonder. He doesn´t have to do much on the court to be important. He always remains calm and is so smart. He is one of the top five smart players in the league. What he can´t do with his body anymore he does with his head. He gets smarter each season. I played with him here in the 90s. I wonder who will play longer him or Chris Ensminger. It was never about the money. Playing in Hagen is so important for him”, stressed Phoenix Hagen assistant coach Steven Wriedt. Basketball expert Steven Clauss coached Bernd Kruel in the 90s and has fond memories. “I coached him back in the German U-22. He was like a storch early in his career and reminded me of a Henning Harnisch. But he really bulked up through the years. Smaller players usually lose speed, but big guys usually can play longer because they don´t lose strength as quickly and that is what has kept him going”, stressed Stephan Clauss.

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