5 NBA players who could retire after the 2020-21 season
The NBA is not an easy place for aging players to hang around. The game is physically demanding and playing contact sports takes its toll on the body.
Most NBA players see a sharp decline in their performance and capabilities as they enter their twilight years. At that stage, players are either forced to retire or accept new reduced roles with limited minutes on the floor.
5 NBA Players who could retire after this season
On the flip side, there have been many players who have retired too early and could have squeezed out a few more years playing the sport they love. Basketball is not just a game but a lifestyle, it can become hard to say goodbye to it all, but as they say, 'time doesn't wait for anyone.'
In this list, we will look at five players who may call it quits after the 2020-2021 NBA season.
#1 Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol is a future Hall of Famer and one of the most accomplished NBA bigs to have played the game. He was the second option after the late great Kobe Bryant in the LA Lakers back-to-back title runs of 2009 and 2010. Pau has also been a leader for Spain's national basketball team and has a stacked international basketball resume.
Gasol was recently been in the news as there were rumors of him rejoining the LA Lakers and teaming up with his brother, Marc Gasol. We will have to wait and watch if the Lakers do move for him, but the former All-Star certainly won't be suiting up for minutes on the floor as his playing days are behind him.
Pau Gasol is one of the prime candidates to retire after this season ends.
#2 Tyson Chandler
Drafted back in 2001, Tyson Chandler has successfully defied time and has lasted extremely long as a front line player. Most bigs in the NBA are cursed with a shorter period of relevance when compared to their backcourt counterparts.
Chandler has a lot of miles under his NBA career and boasts of an impressive list of accomplishments. He was the 2012 Defensive Player of the Year, but is best known for the Dallas Mavericks’ NBA Championship run in 2011, in which he played a vital role.
However, times have changed and with it, the need for a traditional center like Chandler has reduced significantly.
With little to offer in today's changed basketball landscape, Tyson Chandler could decide to hang it up after this season.