Despite Tom Brady’s Illustrious Legacy, 7x NBA All-Star Asserts to “Not” Follow NFL Legend’s Footsteps

When you think of longevity, the two names that immediately come to mind are LeBron James and Tom Brady. Winning a Super Bowl and a Super Bowl MVP award at the age of 43? Tom Brady really had unparalleled longevity. However, when asked if he would like to follow the NFL legend’s footsteps, a 7-time NBA All-Star declined.

Tom Brady’s career has witnessed several ups and downs but the legendary quarterback has persevered through it all. Injuries and management trouble have highlighted several underlying issues. In fact, Brady even came back from retirement to continue his legacy. However, the 7-time All-Star has no intentions of doing so.

7-time All-Star has no intentions of pulling off a Tom Brady

Tom Brady has truly made his name synonymous with longevity. Naturally, veteran athletes all carry the expectation of living upto the Hall of Famer‘s longevity. But 7-time All-Star, LaMarcus Aldridge plans on doing nothing of this sort. The 38-year-old is retired for good, in his own words.

Aldridge had a phenomenal career in the NBA for years. The former Portland Trail Blazers star took the league by storm with his exceptional mid-range game and post presence. He also was widely regarded as one of the best bigs in the early 2010s. However at 38 years of age, Aldridge has no plans of returning to the league. He recently mentioned this on former NBA NBA executive, Amin Elhassan’s show “Oddball”.

“The competitor in me would always wanna come back and play” said Aldridge. He added “I stay in shape, I always work out so you know that would always intrigue me…”.However, he then joked “At some point, you gotta stay retired and I’m not Tom Brady but I guess if he stays out I’ll stay retired too”.

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Evidently, Aldridge has no plans of returning to the league. Seems like Tom Brady has company in his post-retirement journey. However Aldridge, who last played for the Brooklyn Nets in 2022 also announced his retirement with a mention of Brady.

Aldridge even mentioned the NFL legend while retiring

LaMarcus Aldridge retired from the NBA after 15 years of competing in the league. Much like Tom Brady, he announced his retirement on multiple occasions before making a heroic comeback. Although, both their reasons differed significantly.

While Brady retired due to age and success, Aldridge hung up his boots for a major health scare. The 7-time All-Star was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a heart ailment. Citing irregular heartbeat, the former Nets forward retired before the 2020-21 season. However, he made a comeback in the very next season before retiring yet again in 2023. Interestingly, he mentioned another legendary No.12, Brady in his retirement post.

“In the words of TB12, you only get one big, emotional retirement… so, on that note…I’m thankful for all the memories, family and friends I made throughout my career. It was one hell of a ride and I enjoyed every min! 12” wrote Aldridge.

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After 15 years of showcasing his brilliance in the NBA, Aldridge has no plans of returning for Year 16. Surprisingly, at the same age, the Los Angeles Lakers forward, LeBron James continues his dominance in the league. However, Aldridge prefers to take Tom Brady’s career path for now.