Mavs icon JJ Barea officially ends basketball career

Mavs icon JJ Barea is officially retiring from the playing game of basketball. However, that doesn't mean he's stepping away from the sport.

Dallas Mavericks icon and fan-favorite JJ Barea is officially retiring from the playing game of basketball. However, that doesn't mean he's stepping away from the sport.

Instead, Barea could very well turn into the next chapter of his career, possibly managing a team or even becoming a coach.

In a report by Puerto Rican outlet El Nuevo Dia, Barea shared that he is ready to call it a career. The Mavs icon, who was playing for the local professional basketball team Cangrejeros de Santurce, emphasized that he is at peace with the way he is finishing his career.

Barea was not able to play in the last game of his team's game due to injury. Nonetheless, the 38-year-old is already happy with what he has accomplished in his basketball career and being able to end it in his home country. The Puerto Rican legend won the NBA championship with the Mavs in 2011 and enjoyed a lengthy 14-year career in the top professional basketball league in the world.

“I'm ready. Last year it worked my head and I wasn't ready. This year, yes, and I am calm about finishing,” Barea shared. “I gave it all. … To have the opportunity to finish in Puerto Rico, to play in all fields, and to enjoy it with my friends.”

Before he decides on what he'll do next, however, Barea indicated that he's going to take a break first. He expressed his desire to continue with Cangrejeros de Santurce in another capacity, but what role that is remains to be seen.

“I'm going to take a break from basketball because mentally I'm dead. But yes, I want to be involved in this. We have a good relationship. This franchise is very important for the BSN in Puerto Rico. I don't think I'm going to direct next year but in the future. I need a break so that, when the day comes, I can do it well, calmly and relaxed. Give me the time that the stage as a player is over and enter another facet, which changes the whole process,” Barea said in the transcribed Spanish version of the report.

Of course a return to the Mavs is something the Dallas faithful will hope JJ Barea will consider. He did express before that coaching is in play for him, and now that's retiring, it could be the perfect opportunity for him.

For now, though, fans should let Barea rest and enjoy his well-deserved rest before he makes his decision on his future.