[dalger]

All of that is true, but:

1) Dirk has achieved both of his most important goals--taking part in the Olympics and being an NBA champion. He's pretty much done it all. There's no longer the need to play in order to achieve those goals.

2) Dirk has always had very high expectations of himself. When his contract expires in 2014, he'll be 36 and at an age where some sort of decline is inevitable. Although this is nothing more than a guess, I would be surprised to see him pull a Kidd and play until his wheels fall off instead of going out on top.

He's at a point now where he already has what he always wanted. For the next three years, he can go for even more accolades and then retire while still being one of the best players in the league.

In all honesty, it can be a bit sad when some of the greatest athletes of all time just can't seem to find the right moment to call it a career and end said career as a shell of their former selves.

With that said, engaging in retirement talk is depressing. Let's just stop and enjoy at least three more years of the Dirkster.