The Oldest Basketball Player To Retire

The Oldest basketball player To Retire

When it comes to basketball, age is just a number. That’s why it’s always impressive to see an older player still going strong on the court. But eventually, every player has to hang up their sneakers and call it quits. So who is the oldest basketball player to ever retire?

Read on to find out!

Introduction

Basketball is a relatively young sport, with the first Professional Basketball league forming in the early 20th century. However, that doesn’t mean that there haven’t been some incredibly old players in the sport. The oldest player to ever retire from basketball was Robert Parish, who played until he was 43 years old.

Early Life and Career

Robert Parish was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on December 5, 1953. He played High School basketball at Woodlawn high school in Shreveport before receiving a scholarship to compete at Centenary College of Louisiana. He was selected in the first round of the 1976 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors and spent his first 14 seasons with the team. In 1980, he was named an NBA All-Star for the first time.

Parish played a total of 21 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 1997. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest active player in the league. He is widely considered to be one of the best centers of all time and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.

Retirement

In recent years several well-known professional athletes have chosen to retire relatively early in their careers. This is often due to injury, declining performance, or simply because they have accomplished all that they set out to do. While it is not uncommon for athletes in their 30s to retire, it is still relatively rare for someone in their 40s or 50s to do so. This is what makes the recent retirement of 54-year-old basketball player Robert Parish even more notable.

Nicknamed “The Chief,” Parish played an incredible 21 seasons in the NBA before finally calling it quits in 1997. He played for four different teams during his career, but is best remembered for his time with the Boston Celtics He was a key member of their 1986 championship team and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.

While Parish may not have been the most talented player to ever take the court, his longevity is truly impressive. In an era when players are constantly being pushed to their physical limits, he proved that it is possible to have a long and successful career without burning out too early. For that reason, he will certainly be remembered as one of the greats of his generation.

Legacy

At 43 years of age, Shawn Marion is the oldest player in NBA history to ever retire. He played for six different teams during his decorated, 19-year career. He was a four-time All-Star, an All-NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and a member of the legendary 1999 Dallas Mavericks team that upset the heavily favored Shaquille O’Neal-Kobe Bryant led Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Interestingly, Marion is one of only two players in NBA history to record at least 15,000 points, 8,000 rebounds, 1,500 steals, and 1,000 three-pointers made The other player is Future Hall of Famer Lebron James

During his playing days, Marion was known as “The Matrix” because of his unique blend of size, speed, strength, and athleticism. At 6’7” and 228 pounds, he had the rare ability to play both small forward and Power Forward He was an excellent three-point shooter (career 37%), a tremendous rebounder (8th all-time among small forwards), and an elite defender (13th all-time in steals). In fact, Marion is one of only four players in NBA history to average at least 2 blocks and 2 steals per game for their career. The other three players are Hakeem Olajuwon David Robinson and Tim Duncan – all future Hall of Famers

Marion announced his retirement on November 18th, 2018 via social media In his retirement letter addressed to “all the kids out re Playing basketball” he wrote:

“I always dreamed of playing in the NBA but never imagined I would play for 19 years… basketball has given me everything I could have ever wanted or asked for… I will miss competition but what I will miss most are the relationships… basketball has provided me with some amazing friends that I will cherish for life… To my friends and family who have supported me throughout my career… Thank you from the bottom of my heart! And lastly thank you to all the fans who have followed my story… It has been an amazing ride! Thank you all so much!!!”

Reasons for Retirement

Reasons for Retirement
-Lost interest in playing
-No longer enjoying the game
-Injury forced retirement
-Health concerns
-Can’t keep up with the competition
-Family responsibilities
-Changed priorities

Other Oldest Basketball Players

Similarly, here are the oldest players in other major North American professional sports leagues:

MLB (baseball): Julio Franco who played his final game at age 49 in 2007;

NHL (hockey): Gordie Howe who retired at 52 in 1980;

NFL (football): George Blanda, who left the game at 48 in 1975.

Conclusion

With the retirement of Dirk Nowitzki we take a look at the oldest player to retire from the NBA. Nowitzki was 40 years and 105 days old when he played his final game on April 10, 2019. That made him the oldest player in NBA history to play a game and retire, surpassing Robert Parish, who was 40 years and 102 days old when he retired in 1997.

References

In 2017, Robert Parish, then 43 years old, became the oldest player in NBA history to retire. He played for 21 seasons with the Boston Celtics Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls before finally hanging up his jersey for good.

In an interview with the Boston Globe upon his retirement, Parish said that he had toyed with the idea of retirement for a few years before finally deciding that it was time to move on. “It’s been a great run,” he said. “But I just felt like it was time.”

Parish is not the only older player to have retired in recent years – in 2016, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar then aged 70, also announced his retirement from basketball. Abdul-Jabbar is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time and holds the record for the most points scored in an NBA Career He played for 20 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers before finally retiring at the age of 42.

Further Reading

-Reggie Miller
-Robert Parish
-Dwyane Wade
-Ray Allen

External Links

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the oldest player in NBA history to retire, doing so at the age of 42. He played for 20 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers winning six NBA championships and being named MVP six times.