Many athletes want to be appreciated and celebrated for the work they put in over their long careers. A retirement tour is a vehicle for the athlete to get their due from their peers, fans, and the media.
Over the course of their final season, arenas filled with fans give the athlete their flowers. A retirement tour can leave a lasting impact, but it’s rarely successful.
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For example, this season, Chris Paul announced his retirement with the Clippers. He wanted to finish out his career with the franchise he helped put on the map. The future Hall of Famer’s plans came burning down as he was sent home by the team.
The retirement tour creates a bitter end or an exclamation point on an athlete’s career.
Going Out On Your Own Terms
To go out on their own terms, an athlete has to control their narrative in their final year. So many things are out of the athlete’s control, it feels like the fate of the athlete is in the hands of others. For example, Paul and the Clippers did not see eye to eye on his impact on the franchise, with LA barely allowing him to play.
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A lot has to align for the tour to be successful. Management, fans, teammates, and the player themselves have to be on the same page. The likelihood of that happening is minimal, especially over the course of a full season.
The world is unpredictable, which means the retirement tour will probably never go completely as planned.
Fan Interest
The NBA and every major sports league are businesses trying to sell a product. The League lives and dies by fan interest. NBA media knows this; if a story isn’t hot, they won’t cover it, meaning fan interest dies down even more.
When Paul announced his retirement, it felt like the story wasn’t as big as it should have been. It seemed like the fans weren’t super interested in the 40-year-old’s final chapter.
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When fans are enthusiastic about a farewell tour, it’s unlike anything else. Every fan in every arena would wear the player’s jersey. There would be a swell of support and cheers when they step on the court. When done properly, the tour feels like a season-long celebration.
The fans must feel that the player is still relevant and an important part of the NBA for them to give the farewell tour the love it deserves.
It’s Not All Bad
The retirement tour can be a beautiful thing. It can be filled with good moments that last a lifetime and strengthen the bond between player and fan. It also gives other players a chance to celebrate the all-time greats. The NBA’s social media teams often create amazing video packages to memorialize the player’s career.
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Some of the NBA’s greatest moments occurred during retirement tours, such as Kobe’s 60-point send-off or Dwyane Wade’s last home game. At its best, a player’s final year is an attraction that everyone gravitates to.
The retirement tour still has a place in the NBA, but it should be a rarity reserved for the sport’s greatest players.
A Quiet Retirement
The other retirement option is the quiet retirement. The player announces their retirement after their final season to smaller fanfare.
This seems like a better option for most, as the celebration is shorter, which means the excitement doesn’t have to be sustained over the marathon of a season. The athlete doesn’t have to worry about their play and living up to their legacy. They can just enjoy their flowers.
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Players with low-key or quiet personalities/brands often chose this path. For example, Tim Duncan retired after 19 seasons with a small statement. Duncan said goodbye and retired, no big press conference or ceremony. The five-time champion just rode off into the sunset. He left the way he wanted to with complete control over his retirement announcement.
The quiet retirement has fewer moving parts and one singular focus, announcing to the world their desire to stop playing.
This path isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. One problem is that the player doesn’t get to see or feel the fans’ appreciation, as they’re not playing in these areas. It comes down to what the player wants out of their final year.
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