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How do u walk away as a pro athlete? We have seen Jordan leave and come back. We have seen Brett Favre do the same, but when do u know if it is the right move? Sometimes athletes leave the game too soon like Allen Houston and some stay too long like Mutumbo. I just wonder if athletes just get that feeling when they know it is time to move on. I feel like if I was a pro athlete that it would be one of the hardest things to do, is to walk away from the game u love....

Its about getting up the next day and deciding if they want to go through the grind of being a professional athlete. They make it seem easier than what it really is. Getting in shape. Perfecting your form.

Brett Favre had to leave. I'm sure he wanted to play again but his body just didn't let him. His mind told him to run, but his body forced him to crawl.

Jordan was winning rings even when his athleticism was declining. He use to jump from the free throw line for a dunk. He then adapted into the fade away jumper. In the mean time you got stars coming up quicker, faster, bigger, and definitely younger.

In a sense, your mind still wants to play, but you just physically can't anymore.

I love that I wrote this and the next day Brett Favre decides to come back. I guess that competitive juice and that love for the game is still in him...he signs a 2 year deal 25 million dollars...wow.

slickgreek wrote:I love that I wrote this and the next day Brett Favre decides to come back. I guess that competitive juice and that love for the game is still in him...he signs a 2 year deal 25 million dollars...wow.

He's playing on house money now.

Just living the life and doing what he wants to do.


I might even catch a regular season game of his to see how he does.


Btw, he signed with Minnesota right?

Teams need to stop being impatient and chasing or trading away the face of the franchise

Look at DFISH he is here at age 36.

Kobe should be able to start for the Lakers until he is 40 even if he diminishes. It's not worth the extra 1st round pick to let an all-time great play in another uni. Great teams should encourage their face of the franchise players to stay and help the young guiys develop.

The problem w/ young guys is that they don't get a chance to learn from the greats. Like how TO learned from Rice. Seeing a player put all the work in helps the next guy learn to put all the work in.

Well forget what I said about Favre. @_@

enlightenment wrote:Teams need to stop being impatient and chasing or trading away the face of the franchise

Look at DFISH he is here at age 36.

Kobe should be able to start for the Lakers until he is 40 even if he diminishes. It's not worth the extra 1st round pick to let an all-time great play in another uni. Great teams should encourage their face of the franchise players to stay and help the young guiys develop.

The problem w/ young guys is that they don't get a chance to learn from the greats. Like how TO learned from Rice. Seeing a player put all the work in helps the next guy learn to put all the work in.

I couldnt agree with u more...

Allen Houston didn't walk away, he got a micro fracture injury at the wrong time in his career after age 30. Guys that age don't recover like guys in their 20's.

^Yup.

Guys like Larry Bird, and Charles Barkley - players that are recognized as two of the NBA's best EVER got injuried late in their careers and were never the same after.

Case in point:
-Bird's achilles/back.
-Barkley's ankle/knee. (I think it was his ankle, or knee - not sure.)


An exception to the rule would be The Mayor, Kevin Johnson.

Kev retired "on top".


The same holds true for guys like John Stockton, Karl Malone, Kareem, Michael Jordan, etc.

Could they keep playing; contributing? Yes.

But could they play on the level they would like to, the way they used to?


Maybe not, so they leave on top and go out their own way.

A player can go out like Michael Jordan or Dominique Wilkins.

How would you like to go out?

enlightenment wrote:Teams need to stop being impatient and chasing or trading away the face of the franchise

Look at DFISH he is here at age 36.

Kobe should be able to start for the Lakers until he is 40 even if he diminishes. It's not worth the extra 1st round pick to let an all-time great play in another uni. Great teams should encourage their face of the franchise players to stay and help the young guiys develop.

The problem w/ young guys is that they don't get a chance to learn from the greats. Like how TO learned from Rice. Seeing a player put all the work in helps the next guy learn to put all the work in.

Good post, enlightenment. +1

I agree with some of what you said.


Derek Fisher, 35 years of age, is replaceable as a starter if someone can do the job better.

Not hating on him, but that's just what it is.


I'm sure Kobe can start for the Lakers until he's 40, but I know he can do quite well in a 6th man scorer's role if he wanted to; but that's a long time from now, so I'm not gonna address it.


Kobe definitely influenced guys like Lebron, Melo, Wade during the Olympics experience. (off-season, last season)

If we were ever fortunate as a franchise to get an ultra-talented perimeter player to be put under the tutelage of best active shooting guard alive (and most complete player in the game) it'd be awesome.


The only glaring weakness on our team is the PG position.

We haven't had a true point guard ever since Nick Van Exel was traded to the Nuggets for two role players that couldn't pan out b/c Del Harris and Nick Van Exel couldn't get along... sigh.

I've always heard the greats say once the game feels like a job, it's time to walk away.

It depends on what your "legacy" means to you. If your not super proud and don't mind playing and just helping out in a small role you do it until nobody wants you. That is what I would do. I think when players go out on top there afraid they won't be remembered as a great player and they care a little to much what people think.

Barkely explained it once in an easy way. He used to be one of the fastest players and then keep up with the players and then one day he couldn't keep up with anybody so he called it.
Simple.