Veteran center Tyson Chandler not ruling out a 20th NBA season

“It all depends on how my body feels at the end of this run, and how successful we are,” the veteran Rockets center said of his future.

Veteran center Tyson Chandler is on an expiring contract with the Houston Rockets, and he’ll turn 38 years old in October. Even so, he’s not ready to rule out returning for a 20th NBA season in 2020-21.

“It all depends on how my body feels at the end of this run, and how successful we are,” Chandler said after Tuesday’s practice.

In a perfect world, it sounds as if the 7-foot-1 center — who did win an NBA championship in 2011 as a starter for the Dallas Mavericks — would love to ride off into the sunset with another ring, should Houston fulfill its championship ambitions at the NBA’s restart in Florida.

But if that doesn’t happen, the 19-year veteran wants to keep the door open to making it an even 20 years in the NBA. His comments:

It’s hard to make the answer now. I thought last year, at the end of the year, I thought ‘This is probably it.’ And then the end of the summer rolls around, and you start getting that itch. I’ll do myself some justice, not get ahead of myself, and wait for that moment to come.

Chandler was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft. Among numerous career accolades, he was an All-Star in 2013 with the New York Knicks and the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2012.

Now in the twilight of that career, Chandler hasn’t played for the Rockets since their permanent switch to smaller lineups in late January. Between his diminished role and the inherent risk of the NBA’s restart amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Chandler admitted Tuesday that he considered not playing. But ultimately, he chose to rejoin his teammates.

“I didn’t want it to end this way,” said Chandler, who has a key leadership voice as the only current Houston player to have won an NBA title.

According to the Rockets, Chandler remains quite valuable to the team, even if he isn’t playing. As head coach Mike D’Antoni explained earlier in the week, Chandler allows Houston to replicate in practice how larger, more traditional opponents might try to play them.

[lawrence-related id=33796]

“My presence, especially with this team, is a lot in the locker room,” Chandler said in describing his current role with the Rockets. “It’s a lot of the day-to-day things, and in practice.”

After a key win in late February at Utah, Chandler delivered a passionate postgame speech to his teammates. Among his comments:

Every game, think about what we’re playing for. It’s a shortened season now. So every time we step on the court, we’ve got to understand what we’re building for.

So we’ve got to keep getting better defensively. Because we can. Yeah, we can keep getting better offensively. We’re worried about us getting better.

Even so, Chandler still hasn’t totally given up on the idea of returning to the court in a game situation. On Tuesday, he cracked a smile and said:

I always tell coach, ‘If you want to switch it up, I’m right here and I’m ready!’

Chandler has appeared in 26 games this season, with an average of 1.3 points (77.8% FG) and 2.5 rebounds in 8.4 minutes. For his career, he averages 8.2 points (59.7% FG) and 9.0 rebounds in 27.3 minutes.

Though he remains in great shape, the reality of the NBA’s aging curve means those peak years are behind him. Even so, Chandler is convinced that he can still help a title contender in some capacity — and entering the restart, he’s hopeful that his Rockets have the right formula.

“I think we’ve got a great shot,” said Chandler, who was asked whether he believed these Rockets (40-24), led by a pair of former MVPs in James Harden and Russell Westbrook, could ultimately win it all.

“I really do,” Chandler continued. “I really like our chances. The style of basketball that we’re playing right now, I think teams had a tough time adjusting to it. … I think if we get hot and our shooters are knocking down shots, it makes it very difficult to beat us.”

[lawrence-related id=33954]