Another year, another hundred headlines about the same athlete who’s been playing their game since before you were born. Every night, sports fans tune in to watch some of the greatest athletes of all time – players who are pushing 40 years old – play the same game they’ve been playing for the past 20 years. “I wonder when they’re going to retire?” every sports fan starts to ask themselves.
It doesn’t matter if they’re putting down record-breaking performances every night or if they’re barely able to participate in their game; when an athlete starts to reach their expiration date they can’t avoid the question: “How much longer do you have to play?”
This is especially apparent in the years when the Olympic Games take place. GOATs like Katie Ledecky (27), Simone Biles (27), and Lebron James (39) were immediately asked if they will be going to the next Olympics. Katie Ledecky, the most decorated female U.S. Olympian and tied for the most decorated woman Olympian, just came off of a historic Paris Games and the number one question seems to be: “When will you retire?”
Most athletes can’t say when they’re retiring or if they’ll be at the next Olympics because life happens, and it can change in an instant with career-ending injuries, sicknesses, and so much more. However, some Olympians have taken notice of their age and reflected upon it in response to their attendance being questioned at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Ryan Crouser, a three-time gold medalist in shot put said, “As an American athlete, to have the opportunity to hang up my shoes on American soil at a home Olympics would be a dream come true. It’s a long way off. I don’t know how [silver medalist Joe Kovacs] is doing it at 35. I’m feeling it at 31. If I can channel my inner Joe, I would love to go to 2028.”
Competing in the Olympics in your home country is something few Olympians get the opportunity to participate in, and when they do, it’s magical. For the outstanding athletes representing the U.S., we want to see them win gold in our country, but age does play a factor. When asked if she was competing in the LA 2028 Olympics, Ledecky said, “I would love to be there. I have to take it year by year at this point and I can’t fully say whether I’ll be swimming in it or not, but I’ll definitely be in LA.”
However, I believe age isn’t something we need to be concerned about. An athlete’s performance should be the number one focus. They’re professionals, and they know when to stop. Instead of wondering when they’ll announce their retirement, we need to focus on living in the present and watching them dominate their sport now, especially if they’re winning gold for our country.
Lebron James is one of the biggest athletes currently debated based on his age. The 39-year-old basketball star just won his third gold Olympic medal and appeared in his 4th Olympic games, the first being in 2004. He’s also entering his 22nd season, playing on the same team with his rookie son, Bronny James. The father-son duo are the first to play in the league simultaneously and on the same team.
The average age of retirement for NBA players is between 27 and 28. Lebron is currently the oldest in the league, but he’s still putting down the same, if not better, stats than he has been his whole career. His point average, minutes, 3-point percentage, assists, rebounds, and more have been consistent. Lebron is still playing record-breaking games, and proving that in basketball, age is just a number.
any athletes who prove this – Tom Brady, Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, Candace Parker, Randy Johnson, Albert Pujols, and more. There are plenty of athletes who played consistently good games late into their ages in every sport.
In the future, we’ll wish we could go back in time to when players like Lebron James were at their peak and making history in the game instead of saying they’re too old to be playing and criticizing them. We’ll wish we could go back to when sports were in their ‘prime’ and we got to witness that amazing championship run from our favorite team and players. We don’t know what the future holds, and it’s everchanging, so enjoy the stars on TV, because they won’t be playing forever.
