Image Credits: via Imago
Image Credits: via Imago
For a while now, pickleball has been a retirement relief for many athletes. But former NBA star Charles Barkley once had a serious warning for NFL star George Kittle about this sport.
“They got this stupid thing going around called pickleball, which is the way old people out here are getting hurt all the time,” Barkley shared during his 2025 appearance on The Kittle Things podcast. “My doctor friends said pickleball is the gift that keeps giving.”
On the surface level, it’s a paddle sport that combines tennis, badminton and table tennis. Players get into a badminton-sized court with a slightly lower net and use paddles to hit the ball. From the sight of it, it is a low-impact game accessible to all age groups.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA San Francisco 49ers at Indianapolis Colts Dec 22, 2025 Indianapolis, Indiana, USA San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle 85 looks on during warmups before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis Lucas Oil Stadium Indiana USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xTrevorxRuszkowskix 20251222_hlf_br2_025
NFL, American Football Herren, USA San Francisco 49ers at Indianapolis Colts Dec 22, 2025 Indianapolis, Indiana, USA San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle 85 looks on during warmups before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis Lucas Oil Stadium Indiana USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xTrevorxRuszkowskix 20251222_hlf_br2_025
Plus, the popularity is on the rise. Former NBA players like Jeremy Lin, Rick Barry, Tyler Hansbrough, Chris Mullin, and Hakeem Olajuwon played pickleball after retirement. NBA star Kevin Durant invested in the Brooklyn Aces of MLP. LeBron James co-owns an MLP expansion team.
So, it won’t be surprising if Kittle also picks up the paddle after retirement. But, as per a 2026 JOSPT Open study, 69% of pickleball players go through at least one annual injury, while 39% of them reported specific upper extremity injuries.
The 32-year-old San Francisco 49ers star is currently recovering from an Achilles tear, and playing pickleball later just to have another injury won’t be too pleasing.
But it seemed like Barkley’s warning worked.
The Safer Retirement Path George Kittle Is Taking
As Barkley stated, there’s a reason why people stop playing sports. An aged body gives out fast, immunity drops, injuries take longer to heal. So, going back to all that “shuffling and diving and lunging” made no sense to Barkley. Thankfully, neither did it to Kittle, either.
“It's so dangerous. I know like multiple people who've like fallen, torn their UCL, fractured their wrist, ACL, Achilles. I am never stepping on that court,” stated Kittle during the same episode. “I'll be golfing, and I'll be in the swimming pool. That's all I need.”
It doesn’t seem like the NFL star will have to worry about a retirement sport just yet, as he’s eyeing a return in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner.
But whenever the curtain drops, none will catch Kittle holding a paddle.
What are your thoughts on pickleball? Let us know in the comments.
Follow Air Jordan Chronicles for more.
Written by
Deblina Roy