TUESDAY, 12:57pm: Stackhouse clarified to Fred Kerber of the New York Post (Twitter link) that his plans aren't set in stone yet. While Stackhouse may end his playing career after this season, he says reports of his pending retirement are premature.
SATURDAY, 10:25am: Jerry Stackhouse is known around the league for his exceptional conditioning, which has allowed him to enjoy a long career in the NBA. However, the 38-year-old says that 2012/13 will likely be his final season, writes Chris Tomasson of FOXSportsFlorida.com. He plans to move on to the next chapter of his life, which will involve taking on a role with the player's union.
“It’s not completely sold that I don’t get the bug (to play) again,'' Stackhouse said last night. "But, really, I think this is an opportune time to kind of step to the forefront to do something with the union and try to make sure we select the right executive director.’’
For his career, Stackhouse has averaged 17 PPG for eight different teams with his most notable stints coming in Philadelphia, Detroit, Washington, and Dallas. This season, he's averaging 4.5 PPG for the Nets as a deep reserve but he had a handful of strong performances early on in the season.
Stackhouse believes his role after this season will include helping the union select an executive director and keeping players updated on the process. He'll be taking on a leadership position with the union at a time of turmoil with executive director Billy Hunter recently being ousted. After that, Stackhouse says that he would like to go the "Mark Jackson route", which would be going from broadcasting to a head coaching job in the NBA without being an assistant coach in between.