Cavs’ Anthony Parker Mulling Retirement
By Lang Greene
NBA Writer
http://www.hoopsworld.com/cavs-anthony-parker-mulling-retirement?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cavs-anthony-%20parker-mulling-retirement
Anthony Parker Considering Retirement: Father Time is one entity that has remained undefeated throughout the entire history of professional sports, sapping the athletic prowess of players in their primes and relegating once solid performers into old men right before our eyes – year in and year out.
There are no exceptions.
Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Anthony Parker knows the clock is winding down on his career on the court and admits the rigors he’s endured during the course of the condensed season due to the lockout has been tough.
Seeing the recent retirements of guys like guard T.J. Ford and center Jeff Foster this season has given Parker time to reflect on how much gas he actually has left in the tank.
“Well especially in a season like this where there are so many games crammed together it definitely doesn’t bode well for guys who already have a lot of miles on their bodies,” Parker told HOOPSWORLD about the impact of getting older in a young man’s game. “[Retirement] is something I’m not going to make a decision on now because I’m in the middle of the season and it’s such a grind mentally and physically. But once I get out of the season, you know, I kind of take it season by season and I’ll make the determination then.”
Parker will turn 37 in June, which is ancient by NBA standards for shooting guards, but he has consistently demonstrated this season that he still has some pop left to his game – notching 31 starts for the rebuilding Cavs.
If Parker does decide to lace the high tops for one more season, he’ll enter this summer as an unrestricted free agent free to join a contending team and chase an elusive championship ring before his career concludes.
The nine year veteran readily admits, as a competitor, the thought of joining an already established team set for title contention is intriguing but also wouldn’t rule out a return to the Cavs, who are currently just 4.5 games behind the New York Knicks for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff seed with 22 games to go in the season.
“As an athlete you want to compete,” Parker said about the possibility of joining a title contender. “As a competitor you want to win. That’s what we play this sport for, but there are other factors as well. I love the culture of this team and I love the people they’re bringing to the team. I think this team has a bright future and I’ve grown close with some of the guys on the team.”
Whatever the future holds for Parker, who was also a free agent after last season, he fully plans to evaluate all of his options at season’s end.
“It’s one of those things that once [free agency] happens, similar to last year, you kind of survey everything, see all of the offers on the table and then you make your decision,” Parker said. “I made the decision to come back to Cleveland (last year) and who knows what’s going to happen next year.”
Whether Parker’s plans are coming back in a mentoring role for the young Cavs, knocking down jumpers for a title contender or riding off in the sunset to begin retirement remains to be seen.
By Lang Greene
NBA Writer
http://www.hoopsworld.com/cavs-anthony-parker-mulling-retirement?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cavs-anthony-%20parker-mulling-retirement
Anthony Parker Considering Retirement: Father Time is one entity that has remained undefeated throughout the entire history of professional sports, sapping the athletic prowess of players in their primes and relegating once solid performers into old men right before our eyes – year in and year out.
There are no exceptions.
Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Anthony Parker knows the clock is winding down on his career on the court and admits the rigors he’s endured during the course of the condensed season due to the lockout has been tough.
Seeing the recent retirements of guys like guard T.J. Ford and center Jeff Foster this season has given Parker time to reflect on how much gas he actually has left in the tank.
“Well especially in a season like this where there are so many games crammed together it definitely doesn’t bode well for guys who already have a lot of miles on their bodies,” Parker told HOOPSWORLD about the impact of getting older in a young man’s game. “[Retirement] is something I’m not going to make a decision on now because I’m in the middle of the season and it’s such a grind mentally and physically. But once I get out of the season, you know, I kind of take it season by season and I’ll make the determination then.”
Parker will turn 37 in June, which is ancient by NBA standards for shooting guards, but he has consistently demonstrated this season that he still has some pop left to his game – notching 31 starts for the rebuilding Cavs.
If Parker does decide to lace the high tops for one more season, he’ll enter this summer as an unrestricted free agent free to join a contending team and chase an elusive championship ring before his career concludes.
The nine year veteran readily admits, as a competitor, the thought of joining an already established team set for title contention is intriguing but also wouldn’t rule out a return to the Cavs, who are currently just 4.5 games behind the New York Knicks for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff seed with 22 games to go in the season.
“As an athlete you want to compete,” Parker said about the possibility of joining a title contender. “As a competitor you want to win. That’s what we play this sport for, but there are other factors as well. I love the culture of this team and I love the people they’re bringing to the team. I think this team has a bright future and I’ve grown close with some of the guys on the team.”
Whatever the future holds for Parker, who was also a free agent after last season, he fully plans to evaluate all of his options at season’s end.
“It’s one of those things that once [free agency] happens, similar to last year, you kind of survey everything, see all of the offers on the table and then you make your decision,” Parker said. “I made the decision to come back to Cleveland (last year) and who knows what’s going to happen next year.”
Whether Parker’s plans are coming back in a mentoring role for the young Cavs, knocking down jumpers for a title contender or riding off in the sunset to begin retirement remains to be seen.