For some time, Mike James has prepared himself for life after basketball, even telling his family in each of the past five years that the most recent season was his last. But every time, this former Duquesne University star has found his way back.
Much like any athlete nearing retirement, the end quickly has come into sight for James. It’s one thing to understand that reality, but accepting it can be more difficult than trudging up a court on tired muscles and weathered joints.
As he turns 40 today, James finds himself in a rare position as an athlete who, for now, has fought time as few others have — successfully.
Having just completed his 16th pro season, this one with the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League, James is the oldest pro basketball player in the United States. Even though his playing days are numbered, this durable guard is cherishing the time he has left on the court while maintaining the drive to stay on it.
“When the game is done, it’s done, and I’m not going to ever be able to play again,” James said. “So why not exhaust it as long as I know my body is capable of doing it, so when I finish, I don’t have to look back? I don’t ever have to say ‘I wish I played one more year.’ ”
The question that is thrown James’ way the most often is a natural one — how?
How is a man his age one of the leading scorers on a team whose next-oldest player doesn’t turn 30 for three more months? How has an undrafted guard stayed afloat while all but seven of the players picked instead of him in 1998 are retired? How is an old man (relatively speaking) surviving and, in many ways, thriving in a young man’s sport?
Aided by a vigorous offseason workout and treatment regimen, he has the speed, physique and energy to keep up with spry players who inhabit the D-League, where the average player is 25.1 years old. Admittedly, James also has been lucky, having never suffered an injury worse than a broken pinkie finger as a pro.
That combination of hard work and good fortune showed up again this past season as James averaged 17.2 points and 6.9 assists per game, numbers accumulated while attracting more double teams than he said he has faced at any other point in his career.
“They can’t believe how good of a ballplayer I am still,” 6-foot-2 James said . “That right there reminds me that, even though people may say that I can’t play this game because of my age, they haven’t yet proven to me why I should stop.”
For James, the D-League is both a reminder of his humble beginnings and a far cry from the heights he once reached.
Despite earning first-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors as a senior, James began his pro career with the Long Island Surf of the now-defunct United States Basketball League before playing in Europe. Eventually, he clawed his way into the NBA. After signing with the Miami Heat in 2001 at age 26, James became a quintessential journeyman, playing for 11 teams over the next 13 years. He was never in one place for too long, but he almost always found a spot on a roster.
“I always thought he would be a professional player,” said former Duquesne coach Darelle Porter, who was an assistant when James was there. “He had the work ethic, he knew how to take care of his body. I thought he would have a long career, but you don’t think anyone wants to play until they’re 40.”
In 2004, after a midseason trade from the Boston Celtics, James became a role player on a Detroit Pistons team that won an NBA title. Two years later, he was averaging 20.3 points per game for the Toronto Raptors in a season in which he was one of several players who guarded Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant when he erupted for 81 points in a game.
Almost a decade removed from that banner season, James is far from what he once he was. But as he tries to hold on to the game on a roster with six players 25 or younger and a coach who is a year younger than him, he has embraced the role of the sage veteran, something that is preparing him for his intended post-playing career as a coach.
Like his wide-eyed teammates, James is hoping for a call back to the NBA. It’s a proverbial door that might be closed for good, but he remains upbeat. As long as he’s still able to play at a certain level, he’s committed to continuing that push.
Nearly three months after the Legends’ season ended, James is still wrestling with the familiar and all-consuming question of whether to retire. A new era brings uncertainty for anyone, but, even as his playing career is in limbo, James is hopeful about his life away from a sport that shaped but never totally defined him.
“If I only have one more year of basketball left in me, I’m going to play it with all of my heart and with the energy that always surprised people when they found out my age,” he said. “But at the same time, if I don’t play this year, I’m going to embrace retirement and be grateful for the next chapter in my life.”
Craig Meyer: cmeyer@post-gazette.com and Twitter @CraigMeyerPG.
First Published: June 23, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
