Brooks Inspired by Other Veterans

Led by 19-year-old Lamar Odom, the Clippers are expected to be the youngest team in the NBA this season. Of the 17 players on the team’s training-camp roster, 12 are 25 or younger and only two are over 30.

One of the team’s thirtysomething players is point guard Scott Brooks, entering his 12th NBA season. Brooks, who turned 34 in July, was with the Clippers last season but suffered a knee injury in an exhibition game after colliding with then-Laker Ruben Patterson.

Brooks’ playing career seemed in jeopardy when he had surgery to repair a strained medial collateral ligament in his right knee and then spent part of last season as a radio color analyst for Clipper games.

Brooks, however, could not get playing out of his system, and he’s back competing for a roster position with Troy Hudson and Eric Murdock.

“I’ve been given a great opportunity and I’m just trying to take advantage of it,” said Brooks, who began his pro career with the Philadelphia 76ers as an undrafted free agent from UC Irvine in 1987.

“I never imagined that I’d be going into my 12th year, no doubt. But the league is made up of a variety of players. If you keep your body and mind in shape, you can play for many years. There are guys who are playing their best basketball at age 35.”

Brooks is inspired by the recent contracts signed by Utah’s ageless backcourt combination of John Stockton, 37, and Jeff Hornacek, 36.

“Every year people predict that they can’t win because their guys are too old,” Brooks said of the Jazz. “You can’t take away from experience. Guys come in very talented, but it takes a while to know this league.”

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Maurice Taylor, who said he plans to leave the Clippers as a free agent next summer, has been one of the hardest workers over the first two days of training camp. On Wednesday, owner Donald Sterling spoke briefly to Taylor during practice. It was the first time Sterling had talked to Taylor since the power forward told reporters he was unhappy because he did not receive a contract extension before the season began.

Did the conversation change Taylor’s mind?

“Happy talk, it wasn’t about basketball,” Taylor said. “You know, the ‘How are you doing?’ type of talk. . . . It was nothing real major.”