Former New York Knicks Guard Retires from NBA at Age 28 to Pursue Business

Any aspiring athlete who works towards becoming a professional basketball player wants to play as long as his body allows him. There are NBA players who have played through their 30s and 40s, keeping themselves in shape. Take LeBron James also, for example, but some aren’t as lucky. Former Knicks and CSKA guard Ron Baker has retired from his dream job at just 28 years of age but is also starting a new venture in which he will keep himself busy.

Baker played college basketball for the Wichita State Shockers but had no luck in the NBA. He went undrafted in 2016 and only spent 3 seasons playing for the Washington Wizards and the New York Knicks. When it seemed like a better avenue had opened up for him in August 2019, when CSKA offered him a one-year contract, that did not fair out well either. In 27 of the EuroLeague competitions, he averaged only 2.7 points.

But failure was not the only thing that Ron saw in his short and sweet career. He won the bronze medal for the USA’s national team at the Pan American Games in 2015. But apart from that, he hardly saw any opportunity that could help him climb the ladder of success further. Of course, injuries have played a big part in his decision to retire. But of course, Baker has better plans for himself.

WATCH THIS STORY: From Nike to Liverpool FC: LeBron James’ Best Investments That Made Him a Billionaire

What is former Knicks player’s new business?

It was back in May 2021 that Baker announced his retirement on the TBT Podcast. He explained that even though his hip surgeries were successful; he had made the decision to start a new chapter in his life instead, which will be entering the world of business.

As per Basket news, “His next job is as a project manager in Ascension Via Christi’s strategy and business development department, a role he says combines several passions — health care, business, and the desire to impact his community. He begins on August 30.”

Baker also shared his thoughts on the big move. He said, “I love basketball and what it’s done for me, it’s given me a lot of connections in that world… I reached my dream at age 23, and some people don’t do that. I felt like I did the best I could for 27 years in that profession, so I can live with that and I can move on knowing that I did my best and made those that sacrificed for me, like my parents, proud.”

Baker’s basketball career may have died, but his ambitions have clearly not. While he could be sitting home and enjoying the retired man’s game, golf, he is going to continue to find more success elsewhere.

READ MORE: Here’s How Knicks Can Still Trade for Damian Lillard