In any sport, retirement is inevitable. Whether it’s because of age or an unfortunate career-ending injury, one must accept that even a decorated basketball career must come to a close. It’s a part of an athlete’s life.
We’ve seen great players end their careers with a bang. For some, it came in the form of a final dance, if you will. For some, they just want to go out quietly. Either way, they’ve played a great career and have contributed to the betterment of the game.
In this article, I’ll list down the top-five NBA forwards who should consider hanging it up after the 2023-2024 season.
LeBron James
Let’s face it: watching how great LeBron James played at the age of 39 makes fans feel as if he can play until the age of 50. He averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in 71 games in the 2023-2024 regular season.
In the final regular-season game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans, LeBron finished with 28 points, 17 assists, 11 rebounds, and five steals in the Lakers’ 124-108 victory that sealed the their position in the play-in tournament. He also averaged 35.3 minutes per game in the recently concluded regular season.
So, why should he consider retirement?
While there’s no secret LeBron wants to play with his son, Bronny James, in the NBA and the fact that the King has already considered hanging it up for good in the past seasons, 2024 might be the best time to wrap it up.
Regardless of how you see him as a player, LeBron doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. He’s the all-time leading scorer plus the first player to reach 40,000 points, 11,000 rebounds, and 11,000 assists in his career. He’s a four-time NBA champion coupled with other accomplishments.
More importantly, he’s not getting any younger even though his game hasn’t slowed down yet. He’s been injured multiple times lately in his current stint with the Lakers. If you’re LeBron, you would need to consider your health as a major factor for retirement.
Al Horford
Blake Griffin isn’t the lone Celtic whose retirement could happen.
Al Horford, listed as a power forward and a center, averaged 8.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 51.1 percent field-goal shooting in 65 regular-season games in the 2023-2024 campaign, including 33 starts.
While we’ve seen flashes of great performances from Horford in the playoffs, he is also one of the oldest players in the NBA at 37. His age alone is the main reason why he should consider retirement regardless of how far the Celtics will go in the 2024 playoffs.
Jeff Green
Jeff Green, 37, never averaged 20 points per game in his career. However, one of the reasons why Uncle Jeff stayed so long in the league is he was able to contribute to any team he has played for.
He also played a vital role as an experienced veteran for the Denver Nuggets, being a reliable defender and shooter during the team’s championship run in 2023.
Similar to the other players on this list, age is the defining factor why Green should consider retirement this year. His numbers have been in a free fall. If he retires, many people believe Green could be a good assistant coach or perhaps a greater player developmental coach.
Green, for his career, is averaging 8.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 36.5 percent shooting from the three-point line.
Rudy Gay
Rudy Gay last played an NBA game on March 23, 2023, as a player of the Golden State Warriors. Since then, we’ve seen nothing from the eighth pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. He has yet to sign with an NBA team after the Warriors let him go before the start of the 2023-2024 season.
Gay even appeared in two preseason games for Golden State before receiving the boot. While he isn’t officially retired from basketball yet, the fact he hasn’t had an NBA team to play for in the past season is a clear sign for him to walk away from the game. That and him being the age of 37 with a ton of injury woes he has had to endure in his career.
Gay, if he decides to retire this year, will finish with averages of 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and two assists.
