On Feb. 21, the Larry Sanders era with the Milwaukee Bucks was finally brought to an end when both parties agreed on a contract buyout. He was waived, and ultimately decided that he would take a break from basketball for the time being. He released an article and this video via the Players Tribune, discussing his decision to walk away from the game.
When Larry Sanders first declared for the 2010 NBA Draft, he was being touted as a “future prospect” pick. He picked up the game in junior high, so it was relatively new to him, and while his skill set was raw, his size and physical gifts gave the impression that he would be a nice long-term project for a team to work with.
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The Milwaukee Bucks certainly agreed with that perception, and drafted him with the 15th overall pick. He played 60 games in his first season there, and started just 12. His first two seasons with the Bucks were relatively quiet, as he spent most of his time on the bench.
However, in his third season in the league, Sanders had his breakthrough season. After exclusively coming off the bench in his sophomore season, Sanders started 55 games the next season. He put up career highs in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and minutes.
It seemed like the project was finally paying off for the Bucks, and Sanders established himself as one of the league’s best shot blockers.
He finished the 2012-13 season third in voting for the NBA Most Improved Player award, and earned his big-money contract extension — a four-year, $44 million deal. The future looked bright for the young Buck, and many thought he would be the one to lead the Bucks out of years of mediocrity and constant battling for the eighth seed.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.
After signing the extension, Sanders made a slew of questionable decisions, which led to him missing 25 games after sustaining a torn ligament in his thumb following a nightclub altercation. In the same season, he missed the last two months of the season with an orbital bone fracture. He then tested positive for marijuana, and was suspended for five games by the NBA.
The offseason wasn’t kind either. There were rumors that Sanders was being checked into rehab clinics (a rumor that he admitted was true in the video he posted). Meanwhile, as Sanders’ career was in a tailspin, the Bucks rebuilt and had drafted for themselves a new young core to build towards. Sanders, after all that promise, was not regarded as a piece of that young core.
With new head coach Jason Kidd at the helm, there was the potential for Sanders to rescue his career. Kidd was a no-nonsense coach, and with him, the slate was clean. Unfortunately, Sanders wasn’t able to take full advantage, and when he was suspended for 12 games for failing the NBA’s drug policy again, Kidd and the organization banned him from participating in team activities.
At the time, it was unsure what Sanders was dealing with, but he explained that he had checked in to the hospital to deal with depression and anxiety (in his video). He described it was the turning point in his life, as it opened him up to what was important in his life, and presumably when he decided he wanted to stop playing basketball.
For many, basketball is life. In the recent interviews Kobe Bryant has been doing, basketball comes across as his refuge – his source of escapism from the real world. And for many like Kobe, basketball is everything to them.
However, not everyone is like Kobe.
Sanders begins his video with “I’m Larry Sanders, I’m an artist, I’m a writer, painter, a musician, and sometimes, I play basketball.” We view our athletes through one lens, and we expect them to live and breathe the sport. Too often, we forget that they are people, just like us, with lives of their own. And sometimes, people hate their jobs – why are our athletes expected to be any different?
It’s unfortunate that such a talent like Larry Sanders is walking away from the sport. His unique blend of size and athleticism gave him an advantage over other shot blockers in the league, and with the right training and guidance, he could have become one of the best centers in the NBA.
However, kudos to him for realizing what he needs to do to sort out his life. It became apparent this season that Sanders was dealing with off-the-court issues, and in the grand scheme of things, those outweigh the importance of basketball. Larry Sanders has become the modern day reminder that there are certain things in life that transcend the sport.
Thank you, Larry Sanders. Get well soon.
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