Mike Conley is gearing up with the Minnesota Timberwolves as he enters his 19th NBA season.
After being eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the recent Western Conference Finals, the Wolves are hungrier than ever to obtain their first title.
Conley, one of the leaders of the team, has not thought of any retirement plans yet, as he kept his focus on the chip and mentoring their young core, such as Rob Dilingham.
The floor general said he prioritizes his body to be able to sustain himself to compete and contribute, especially being teamed up with Anthony Edwards, where they were to chase their first title.
“There hasn’t been a day that I have felt like I should retire yet. I think that’s the day when I do feel it. That’s the day I’ll be like, all right, it’s time to go. But for the most part, I take care of my body pretty well. I do the things I’m supposed to do diet-wise and be ready to go every night,” Conley said via Hoopshype.
“I think I can keep going. And now I’m looking over my shoulder, it’s 19 and counting. So, just an unbelievable run. I’m looking forward to trying to get to 20 and see what happens,” he added.
However, the 38-year-old felt something different this time compared to his prime, when he had unlimited chances to bounce back after getting eliminated in the playoffs.
“As a young man, it was like we’ll have a chance next year, we’ll have a chance the year after that. You’re not thinking about the end of anything, you’re just thinking about the opportunities you have ahead of you, so definitely now it just becomes more of that realization that this could have been my last chance, or how many more opportunities do we get to have that bite at the apple,” Conley added.
With his 36,596 minutes in the NBA, he still has not been hit with a single technical foul, which proves his multiple sportsmanship awards.
Aside from his coolness on the court, he became an NBA All-Star in 2021 during his stint with the Utah Jazz.
The 6-foot-1 veteran averaged 8.2 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.6 boards with 41% on the three-point line to help Edwards lead the Wolves into the Western finals.
