Projecting when top sports figures will announce retirement
With Dale Earnhardt Jr. announcing on Tuesday that he plans to retire at the end of the 2017 season, we look at 15 other prominent athletes or coaches and project when they may call it a career:
LeBron James, age 32: He’s smarter than most about managing his body, and chasing Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant will keep him young for a few more years. 2022.
Stephen Curry, age 29: His father played until he was 38, so that seems to be a pretty good benchmark. 2026.
Lionel Messi, age 29: He turns 30 in June, and his body has endured a decade’s worth of wear, tear and abuse. But the World Cup is the one title he hasn’t won and that will keep him playing. 2022.
Breanna Stewart, age 22: Already an Olympic gold medalist and four-time NCAA champion, there are many more titles in WNBA star's future. 2031.
NASCAR takes serious blow with Dale Earnhardt Jr. retirement
Dale Earnhardt Jr. retiring on his terms, like he did everything else in racing
Tom Brady, age 39: He said in 2015 he wants to play for 10 more years, which would make him 48 years old. Seems reasonable for today's bionic quarterbacks. 2025.
Ezekiel Elliott, age 21: Even in a league dubbed “Not for Long,” running backs have notoriously short shelf lives. 2024.
Mike Trout, age 25: Even though he’s already a two-time MVP, at 25, he’s just getting started. 2030.
Roger Federer, age 35: He’s playing as well as ever, and his plan to limit his schedule and peak for the majors should help prolong his career. 2020.
Serena Williams, age 35: Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slams is still out there, and no doubt Williams would like for her child to see her win a title or two. 2020.
Tiger Woods, age 41: Sad to say, but his back surgeries have effectively ended his career. 2017.
Sidney Crosby, 29: As long as he’s healthy, there’s no reason Sid the Kid can’t play into his late 30s. But his history of head trauma is troubling. 2025.
Katie Ledecky, age 20: She was a five-time Olympic gold medalist before her 20th birthday and has another 10 good years to go. 2028.
Nick Saban, age 65: Losing two offensive coordinators in less than six weeks, along with a last-second loss to Clemson in the title game, will erase any thoughts about retirement he may have had. 2022.
Bill Belichick, age 65: Unless someone can make a real run at his dynasty, why should he retire? You can only spend so much time on a boat. 2024.
Oksana Chusovitina, age 41: Don’t bother trying. Even the gymnast from Uzbekistan has given up trying to predict how much longer she might compete. ????
