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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.
#3 Kyle Korver
Kyle Korver is one of the best pure shooters to have played in the NBA. The one-time All-Star has a reputation for being a three-point assassin and has led the league in three-point field goal percentage four times in his career. Korver also represented the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second LeBron James era.
While Korver can still get hot from beyond the arc, the years have worn him down, and he remains a liability on the defensive end. It may be time for Korver to consider retirement as he has played in the league for over seventeen years now.
#4 Jamal Crawford
Jamal Crawford has played in the NBA for two decades now. Drafted back in 2000, Crawford has three Sixth Man of The Year awards to his name. He has been a reliable scorer throughout his career and has seen a lot of interest from several teams over the years. Crawford is best known for being a prolific scorer for the LA Clippers from 2012 to 2017.
In the 2020 postseason, Crawford got another opportunity to play in the NBA when he was picked up by the short-handed Brooklyn Nets. Unfortunately, Crawford was sidelined due to an injury.
Despite his accomplished career, Crawford's lack of defense and his injury history may result in him calling time on his professional career at the end of this season.
#5 Udonis Haslem
Udonis Haslem is a name synonymous with the talented Miami Heat team. He has stuck with the organization through thick and thin and has played his part to perfection.
Haslem has three championship rings in his time playing in the NBA, and all three have come in South Beach.
Lately, Udonis has not seen much action due to his low production but he continues to be the leading voice in the locker room. That said, the time has come for Haslem to retire, and let Heat fans celebrate his accomplished career.
