Now more than ever, leaving the NBA behind doesn't mean the end of a player's basketball career. In fact, it can be the beginning.
Many players head overseas to play in other leagues, both as a place to start their journies and as a place to end them. At this point, Australia's NBL, the EuroLeague, and the Chinese Basketball League are just the tip of a very big international iceberg.
Even if they aren't playing anymore, there is an entire world of coaching and front office positions that need to be filled. That's where someone with Mike Bibby's experience comes in as the new men's coach at Sacramento State, where he just ran his first practice.
Mike Bibby is a legendary King
Way back in 1998, Mike Bibby was drafted second by the Vancouver Grizzlies. He would play for the team for three seasons, leaving just before the franchise moved to Memphis.
In 2001, Bibby started his time with the Sacramento Kings, where he played until 2008. During his era, the Kings made the playoffs several times, won multiple division titles, and had a legendary 2002 Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bibby spent the next three years with the Atlanta Hawks before bouncing between the Wizards, Heat, and Knicks for his last couple of seasons. His final NBA season wrapped up in 2012.
Coach Bibby takes the stage
Mike Bibby made the transition from player to coach when he started coaching high school basketball. This phase of his career ran from 2013 to 2019 before coming to an end.
Then, in March 2025, Bibby was hired as the head coach for the men's team at Sacramento State. All-Star, MVP, and NBA Champion Shaquille O'Neal is also the general manager of basketball operations at the same school. Mike just ran his first practice this September, a benchmark for the former pro.
It's interesting that the game brought Bibby back to Sacramento, the place where he played his best basketball during his career. This could put him back on the road to the NBA as a coach with the Kings, bringing him full circle.