Miami Heat reserve forward James Jones contemplating retirement – NBA News
Miami Heat guard - forward James Jones has been thinking about retirement for some time now, and with the Miami Heat now having won the NBA championship, he might bring his NBA career to an end.
At 31, Jones has had a tough 24 months leading to the championship. He was recovering from injury in the offseason last year, and then went straight into negotiations for the new Collective Bargaining Agreement as the secretary-treasurer
of the NBA players union.
The negotiations turned into a 5 month process before the league and the players union agreed to a CBA. That resulted in a lockout and a shortened season, and Jones went straight into the regular season with the Miami Heat. Speaking
before the Miami Heat won the NBA championship, Jones said the past 24 months have taken a toll on him.
"Mentally and physically, it's taken a toll on not just on me, but for my family. At some point, you know the game comes to an end. You see the writing on the wall. You try to prolong it as long as possible. Like anything I've
ever done, I want to walk away from my challenges rather than my challenges push me aside,” said Jones.
Jones also admitted that he was considering retiring before the 2011-2012 regular season. He had offers from 5 teams but decided to join the Miami Heat as he wanted to be in a championship contending team.
"I know once it's (the season) over and done with, I don't know how the competitor in me will feel,” Jones added.
With the Miami Heat now having won the elusive NBA championship and Jones having fulfilled is dream, he might hang up his shoes and call it a day. He signed for a three year deal with the Miami Heat at the beginning of the season
and still has two years left on that deal, in case he decides to continue playing.
But after winning a championship, there could be no better time for Jones to retire and be content with his achievements over the course of his career, particularly the last year.
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