Larry Sanders walked away from the NBA in order to take care of some off-court business, and he won’t come back until those interests are off and running on their own.
Sanders on Tuesday told Yahoo! Sports’ Shams Charania he’ll consider returning to the NBA once he gains firmer footing in the music and art worlds. Sanders hasn’t played professionally since January 2015 when the Milwaukee Bucks bought out the remainder of his contract, and he subsequently entered a treatment program to help him battle his mental illness.
“Once my art, music and passions off the court feel stable, I will look into coming back,” Sanders told Charinia. “I still love basketball. I want stability around me, and part of my mindset to leave was not to put all my eggs in one basket.
“I feel highly valuable on any team. There aren’t a lot of people who can bring my game to a team. I still play basketball all the time, staying in shape. I will need to make sure the situation is right for me.”
Sanders’ apparent desire to play won’t give him easy access back to the NBA. He retired amid mental health and substance abuse problems, and any of the league’s 30 teams that are interested in him likely will pursue him cautiously.
Should Sanders ease their concerns, a market for his services is likely to exist. He stands 6-feet 11-inches tall, has five years of NBA experience and hopefully is finding balance off the court.
Like any league, the NBA could use a good redemption and comeback story.
Thumbnail photo via Tom Szczerbowski/USA TODAY Sports Images
