Ilgauskas set to retire after the season

It looks like Zydrunas Ilgauskas’ career in the NBA is closing to a slow halt. The 35-year-old Lithuanian big man has been receiving less and less playing time as seasons went by with time definitely having its toll on Big Z’s game and the player’s body in general. Ilgauskas joined the Miami Heat in the summer together with fellow ex-Cavalier LeBron James with silverware on his mind. However, the star-studded Heat hasn’t been playing well and the center’s playing time has reached a career low of 16.8 minutes per game having been on a steady decline for the last three seasons.

“I think I’ve had enough of this game. I’ve played enough. Sitting on the bench doing nothing is not what I want to do. The long trips and the intensive schedule have taken its toll – I’m not a 20-year-old anymore and my body is telling me that it would be the right time to retire from NBA after this season. I have given everything I could to basketball and now I’d like to spend more time with my family,” Ilgauskas told alietuvis.com after the Heat lost to the Chicago Bulls, led by the super-athletic point guard Derrick Rose.

“If I was younger, I might have had a problem with not playing, but with fewer minutes, I can keep my body rested. I’m just doing my job and doing what’s best for my team. I need to take care of my health and I can do that with less playing time. There are younger guys in our team, who can bring some energy. As a player, I just need to be ready to play and help my teammates and that’s really all I can do,” said Ilgauskas.