A man with a lovely wife and three kids you could put on cereal boxes. A man with several burgeoning businesses and limitless opportunities to join others slavering for his presence and his name. In short, a man of boyish 38, glowing with health, surrounded by family, cosseted by wealth, about to step away from a game he has loved since before he could walk and dominated at every level since he was six years old. It was going to happen. Now, a year from now, or two.
Athletes play in a world turning at a different rate.
They flash across the sky like comets, and like comets they are gone. If they're lucky, their career spans a decade. I wanted him to stay for me. But it was his show, his magic, and he'd given us 21 years. It's been a hell of a show.