Life after the NBA can be tough. This is especially true for players without star power who still have to make a living after retirement.

While the most logical move for majority of retired players comes in the form of either coaching or broadcasting — both still in the field of basketball, of course — former NBA journeyman Cherokee Parks explains why this may not come as easy as most people assume.

“People generally think that if you played, you can coach and you can do commentary, which is totally not true,” explained Parks, via Ian Levy of FanSided. “Just because you played does not make you qualified to be the coach. And just because you played does not mean you can sit in front of a camera and talk about games. Both of those take a lot of time, a lot of training to be good at these things. Same with the business side of the game.”

Parks is perhaps most recognized for his achievements with the Duke Blue Devils, in which he won one NCAA title under coach Mike Krzyzewski. After four years at Duke, he was drafted 12th overall by the Dallas Mavericks in 1995.

Parks' NBA career lasted for nine seasons between 1995 and 2004. During that span, the 6-foot-11 big man suited up for seven different teams.

Now almost a decade and a half into retirement, Parks is has become part of the NBA organization, working in player development. He had to go through a league-sanctioned associate program in order to obtain his position, which is likely where he is coming from with regards to his recent statement.