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In a sense, Rick Barry is once again a newcomer. As he nears his 80th birthday at the end of March, the renowned NBA player is qualified to join the youngest members of the oldest age division in a sport he is beginning to excel in, just as he did many years ago in basketball.
As numerous individuals in their seventies have done in recent times, Barry abandoned his previous sports endeavors of tennis and golf, that he engaged in during his retirement, in favor of pickleball, a sport commonly linked with leisurely older individuals.
“After my retirement from the NBA in 1980, I sought out a new competition,” stated Barry in a recent interview. “My body was taking a beating from tennis, and it became too physically challenging for me.”
Between 2007 and 2013, Barry won four world championships in Long Drive golf. However, when the “old farts divisions” of the competition were removed, he faced a new athletic dilemma. His wife, Lynn, who was a college basketball star in her own right, offered a solution.
“Why not give pickleball a try?” Barry chuckled as he remembered her asking him during their conversation. “I remember saying, ‘What on earth is pickleball?'”
Barry was not as familiar with pickleball as he was with traditional basketball free throws. During his 15-year career in two different leagues and one NBA championship, he had perfected the underhand free throw, making it like an artistic form.
With his tall stature and long arms, along with his tennis abilities, Barry, standing at 6 feet 7 inches, adapted rapidly to a game with a peculiar name and unconventional regulations.
He frequently faced difficulty in learning and accepting the most important shot in pickleball: the dink. It was a challenge for him to hit the ball while inside the kitchen, which is a 140-square foot area in front of the net where hitting volleys in the air is not allowed. However, over time, this became both a challenge and a benefit for Barry’s skill in pickleball.
Barry initially disliked the kitchen when he first tried it while playing pickleball. However, he came to understand that the kitchen is a crucial part of playing pickleball at a high level.
Barry traveled for two hours from his winter residence in Bradenton, Florida to participate in a game at The Villages. This retirement community boasts 200 pickleball courts and is home to numerous dedicated players, including many who have gained national recognition for their skills.
He mentioned, “I had the opportunity to play with some exceptionally skilled individuals, and it is the key to improving. My aim was to reach a level where I could compete for a national championship.”
In the past, Barry has achieved this accomplishment by taking the men’s doubles title in his age category at last year’s US Open in a neighboring city, Naples. He has also received medals for playing mixed doubles at various national, regional, and local tournaments.
After competing in tournaments for three years, Barry has an impressive record of 99 wins and 45 losses leading up to his upcoming national event, the US Open in April. This will be his first time playing singles with the goal of achieving a triple crown by winning three gold medals in the same tournament.
Barry’s main challenge in reaching his recent objective is the limited availability of players in his age group. The 80-and-over category usually has the least amount of participants due to the requirement of playing numerous matches (up to six or seven) within a 10-hour time frame in order to be eligible for a medal.
Carl Foster, the president and co-owner of a professional team in Florida, runs tournaments across the country and notes that older individuals often do not participate in competitive events due to the physical demands and draining nature of the competition.
Barry was the second player to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, after playing in both the NBA and ABA. He is not the sole sports icon to join the group of current and retired professional athletes participating in pickleball.
Ivan Lendl, a legendary tennis player inducted into the Hall of Fame, achieved consecutive victories in the 5.0 division for men’s professional doubles, at the age of 63. This is the highest level, second only to the professional division, in the 50-and-over and 60-and-over categories.
56-year-old Carling Bassett-Seguso achieved a ranking as high as No. 8 in the WTA in 1985. However, her career was hampered by injuries and a long battle with depression, ultimately putting an end to her bright prospects. Despite this, she remains a constant presence on the Delray Beach courts alongside her son and daughter.
Bassett-Seguso started playing pickleball two years ago, but suffered an ACL and MCL injury only seven months later during a tournament. These injuries were on top of previous serious setbacks, such as a broken hip and shattered pelvis, as well as multiple concussions from horseback riding in the ten years after she retired from tennis.
During a pause in the recreational matches in Delray Beach in early February, she stated, “I have caused damage to my entire body.”
She spent three years receiving treatment for her clinical depression, which included the use of psilocybin mushrooms. However, pickleball has proven to be the most effective remedy for her recovery.
“I absolutely adore life,” she expressed. “I was once struggling, but then I discovered pickleball and my love for it has only grown. I truly believe it is the most therapeutic sport for me. I now have around 100 friends who I know I can count on. There’s no other sport quite like it.”
Two newer top 10 athletes, Jack Sock and Genie Bouchard, have shifted to playing professional pickleball after their promising tennis careers hit a roadblock.
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According to Foster, the misconception that professional tennis players are constantly dominating is not true. He, as the director of a tournament in Florida that Ivan Lendl won, explains that many young players who were not succeeding in the tennis tour are now switching to other events.
The primary concern among more seasoned pickleball athletes at any skill level is the growing trend of the sport appealing to a younger demographic.
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Ben Johns, a 23-year-old from Maryland, is currently the leading male player. On the women’s side, Waters, who hails from Florida and just turned 17 in February, has held the number one spot for several years and is a highly skilled player.
At the age of 12, Waters achieved her first tournament victory while competing alongside her mother, Leigh, who had previously played tennis at the collegiate level. Johns and Waters, who have now won 30 mixed doubles titles together, both hail from states that experienced a surge in popularity for pickleball during the pandemic.
Foster believes that the accomplishments of Waters as a preteen in the sport cannot be replicated due to the changing demographics. Despite this, there are still some who are attempting to achieve similar success.
Foster believes there will not be another 12-year-old who will be as dominant as she was in pickleball. However, other players such as Ben Johns are now catching up to her. Like in any sport, there are upsets. What sets athletes like her and Johns apart is their athletic prowess and hand-eye coordination. This is a major factor in the rapid growth of pickleball because it allows people to quickly become competitive. The level of success they achieve in the sport ultimately depends on how well they learn the game.
In addition, there are famous athletes who are supporting the growth of Pickleball by owning Major Professional Pickleball teams. These include LeBron James and Tom Brady. Others, like John McEnroe and Andre Agassi, have participated in Pickleball Ball Slam I and II, televised Pickleball events.
McEnroe and Agassi recently competed for the second straight year in the ESPN event at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino near Fort Lauderdale. McEnroe played with Maria Sharapova against Agassi and Steffi Graf in the night’s featured match.
When questioned about his participation, Agassi expressed during his mixed doubles match with Graf, “My intention is to contribute to the growth of the sport. It’s already a community-driven activity so I’m hopeful that this will only add to its expansion. It’s a great way to socialize and find well-matched opponents.”
Though the Pickleball Slam may not have showcased the most elite level of play, Foster believes that the presence of celebrities brings a certain level of authenticity to the sport. While many current athletes have taken up pickleball for physical fitness, not all are dedicated to competing in it.
Former multi-sport athlete Steve Rose, who transitioned to pickleball eight years ago, recently teamed up with Lendl to win a 60-and-over professional tournament. According to Rose, tennis players are now realizing that pickleball offers a more achievable path to success.
“In the past, tennis players were hesitant to try pickleball,” stated Rose. “But now, prominent players like Ivan and Jack Sock are drawing in other tennis players, elevating the overall level and popularity of the game and bringing more well-known names to the public eye.”
Lendl does not view his status as a tennis legend as the sole motivation for playing and contributing to the sport’s popularity.
After Lendl assisted Rose in winning their thrilling gold medal match in February, he stated, “I am creating enjoyment for myself and those close to me.” Whether he is playing in a professional setting or just in his own backyard, Lendl finds joy in playing tennis, as it gives him a sense of fulfillment when he plays well.
According to Foster, Lendl’s participation in the Boca Masters was due to its close proximity to his new residence in Vero Beach. This win marked over 40 years since Lendl’s initial ATP tournament victory at the age of 20 in Houston. He would go on to win a total of 93 tournaments, with eight of those being grand slams.
Foster stated that Lendl, who is considering joining his professional team within the year, mentioned that winning the Boca title in pickleball was a memory he’ll always cherish.
Despite his lack of personal interest in the game, McEnroe stated that it provides a valuable outlet for retired athletes who still crave competitive challenges.
McEnroe jokingly remarked, “There are people like Rick Barry who are crazy enough to compete in autograph signing.”
According to Rose, who has observed Barry’s performances in tournaments, many veteran athletes, including Rick Barry, are given the opportunity to compete again and have been successful in doing so.
Unlike his pro basketball career, which included 13 All-Star selections between the NBA (eight) and ABA (five) as well as being named as one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players on its 50th and 75th anniversary teams, Barry is competing in near anonymity except for the looks of slight or even startled recognition among some opponents.
Barry, who was the leader of the Golden State Warriors during their 1975 four-game victory against the Washington Bullets and earned the title of NBA finals MVP, is just as energetic as he was 50 years ago when it comes to his and others’ current obsession. However, the challenge now is finding other players in their eighties to compete against. The pickleball version of basketball legends like Elgin Baylor or Julius Erving are not readily available to face Barry’s skilled dinking game instead of his former dunking prowess.
Barry will continue to participate in games, even if he is competing against opponents who are decades younger.
Barry expressed his enjoyment of competing in tournaments against individuals twice his age and his determination to win whenever he engages in sports or other athletic activities. He also acknowledged the social aspect of these tournaments for others.
Source: theguardian.com
