Vince Carter is no longer the NBAs highest flyer, though hes certainly not ready to be grounded.Once one of basketballs most ferocious dunkers who put opponents on posters long before there were internet Vines, he can no longer rely just on his athleticism. Nearing 40 years old, the guy who famously put his arm through the rim while winning a dunk contest now often plays below it.Like everyone who wants to keep playing toward middle age, its about the mind now as much as the legs.Thats how I was able to stay around this long, is just, I learned the game, Carter said. Not being able to play. Everybody can play basketball, but learning the ins and outs of the game is what has kept me around.Same with Manu Ginobili in San Antonio, Jason Terry in Milwaukee, Paul Pierce in Los Angeles and Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas, who follow Carter as the oldest players in the NBA this season.Basketball is a game a lot of people dont understand, Terry said. When you are not as athletically gifted, you still have your brain. I learned from none other than Jason Kidd.Terry plays for Kidd now, but they were teammates in Dallas when the Mavericks won the 2011 NBA title. Kidd by then was well past his dynamic days as a nightly triple-double threat, a guy who burst into the league with everything but a reliable jumper and left it at 40 ranked third in career 3-pointers.As I got older, the speed limit started coming into effect. Instead of going 55, I could only go 45, Kidd said. But, you know, when things started to go a little bit slower, you got to see things a lot better. For me, things were a lot clearer. As you get older, thats the best time to get better at the game. You can always learn, you can always do something different. For me it was shooting the ball. If I wanted to play for a while I needed to make an outside shot.Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant made similar transitions, outworking and outsmarting opponents when they could no longer just outplay them. Now Carter, who will turn 40 on Jan. 26 and ranks in the top 25 in career points and games played, does the same in Memphis -- where he surpassed Jordan this season as the oldest player to score 20 points off the bench.Like Jordan, he played at North Carolina for the mastermind, Dean Smith, as Carter called him, where even as a teenager he was being prepared for how he would need to play 20 years later.So he taught us how to learn the game, how to take your abilities and dominate to the best of your ability, Carter said. And with that being said, as Ive gotten older, just the little things that we tend to not want to do as a young guy stuck with me, as far as just the little things that we say a lot of guys make mistakes on.Carter acknowledges tiring of the endless play the right way mantra preached at Chapel Hill, but now he lives it. He cant just jump over players like he did to Frederic Weis in the 2000 Olympics , though he quickly earned the trust of first-time coach David Fizdale, who had Carter on the floor defending 21-year-old Andrew Wiggins to spark the Grizzlies comeback victory over Minnesota in their season opener.Again, Ive said this before, I dont put limitations on anyone because of age, whether its youth or because theyre one of the elder statesman, Fizdale said. Vince Carter, hes a veteran, hes a professional, he stays in shape. I always remind people he was the best athlete in the NBA, so his falloff athletically isnt the same as an average athletes falloff.Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said the key for players who are effective into their mid-to-late 30s is their work ethic, and he marvels at what the 38-year-old Nowitzki puts himself through to keep playing on legs that support his 7-foot frame, particularly in this season when hes battled an injured Achilles tendon.Medical enhancements have helped, with teams providing such improvements for their players that Mavericks owner Mark Cuban believes young players entering the league now should be able to play into their 40s if they have the talent.When I first got to the NBA, taking care of your health meant not eating Twinkies before a game, Cuban said. Guys would smoke cigarettes, theyd drink, there would be beer -- people sometimes would have a beer at halftime. There literally were bars in locker rooms. Things have changed.The things that we let players do 15 years ago that created inflammation and created orthopedic issues in their bodies, we know not to do as much anymore.Carter has prolonged his career by becoming a reserve for the last five seasons, and by resisting the urge to create the spectacular highlights that made him the leading vote-getter to the All-Star Game four times. The Grizzlies say hes questionable to play Wednesday in Toronto, his first NBA home, after hurting his hip Monday.He still gets the internet buzzing -- and occasionally surprises himself -- with some vintage Vinsanity, but mostly skips the unnecessary risks to preserve his body to get through the long NBA season.And how many more after this?I dont know yet, he said. Im still flying. Its not time yet.---AP freelance writers Joe DiGiovanni and Andrew Gruman in Milwaukee contributed to this report. NFL Jerseys Free Shipping . 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PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Jake Odorizzi shut down New York in the start of a key weekend for the Yankees.Ordorizzi pitched masterfully into the seventh inning, Logan Forsythe and Corey Dickerson hit solo homers in the first, and the Tampa Bay Rays cooled off the surging Yankees 5-1 on Friday night.Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner was expected to be at game that saw scouts from many playoff contenders in attendance for the start of a three-game series with Mondays non-waiver trade deadline looming that could help determine if New York might join Tampa Bay as potential sellers.Try and win every game no matter what the situation is, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.The Yankees had won eight of 11 to get 3 1/2 games behind Boston for the second AL wild card, prompting Girardi before the game to call the Rays series big.This is playoff baseball for us, Girardi said.Teams represented included San Francisco, the Chicago Cubs, Florida, Cleveland, Washington, Toronto, Baltimore, Texas and the Chicago White Sox.Odorizzi (5-5) struck out five and allowed six hits over 6 2/3 innings. Alex Colome entered with two on and one out in the ninth, and got two straight outs for his 23rd save.Im not really worried about it, to be honest, Odorizzi said of trade speculation. Im worried about what I do here, and coming out in the second half and starting off well, which I think we have. Thats what my purpose is, to get better because in the first half I wasnt happy with myself.Ivan Nova (7-6) gave up five runss and six hits in 4 1/3 innings.dddddddddddd When pulled by Girardi, Nova directed several comments toward plate umpire Laz Diaz walking toward the dugout and then fired his glove against the wall after reaching the dugout steps.Ivan wasnt pleased with his strike zone, Girardi said. Its hard for me to tell, but I thought there were some pitches that looked pretty good.Nova didnt blame the strike zone for his loss, but bad pitch command.TRAINERS ROOMYankees: RHP Bryan Mitchell, out since the end of spring training with a left toe injury, will throw in a simulated game Saturday.Rays: RHP Alex Cobb (Tommy John surgery) resumed a minor league rehab assignment after taking 2 1/2 weeks off due to fatigue and struck out two over two hitless innings for Class A Charlotte.MOVING DAYTampa Bay placed 1B Logan Morrison (right forearm strain) and OF Oswaldo Arcia (right elbow strain) on the 15-day disabled list. RHP Brad Boxberger (strained left oblique) was reinstated from the 15-day DL and INF-OF Nick Franklin was recalled from Triple-A Durham.A-RODGirardi said DH Alex Rodriguez could start Saturday night after being out of the lineup six straight games. A-Rod, who singled as a pinch-hitter in the ninth, is in a 2-for-22 slump.UP NEXTRays LHP Drew Smyly (2-11) looks to end an 11-start winless streak -- that includes seven losses -- as he goes against Yankees RHP Nathan Eovaldi (9-6). ' ' '