Mitch McCarron has made the decision to retire from professional basketball, choosing to listen to his body over all else by calling time on a playing career.
McCarron -- one of Australian basketball's perennial overachievers -- has forged a career that's taken him around the world, winning titles in Spain and Slovenia, the 2021 NBL Championship as Melbourne United's starting point guard, and a pair of FIBA Asia Cup gold medals with the Australian national team.
But, despite being just 32, a string of leg injuries has forced McCarron to choose his longevity as a human being and father over continuing as a full-time basketball player.
"Essentially, it's a decision for my body and my future," McCarron told ESPN.
"I definitely played through some injuries that, in hindsight, I probably should've sat out for. That's not a shot at any medical staff or anything like that. I always wanted to play and wanted to keep pushing through stuff, even if it was a high pain level. I hated sitting out, and thought I could play through them and maybe rehab them in time off... which I would never take.
"I've just gotten to the point where this knee injury I got in New Zealand didn't heal properly, and then it's gonna be a long term strengthening thing for me to get right.
"I always said, if it was more painful than joy to play, then I needed to stop. I think I've reached a point where I had to make a decision: do I want to be healthy and strong to run around with my kids, or try to get back for one or two more years as a pro? I've chosen the first one."
McCarron, who was born in Alice Springs before growing up in Brisbane, attended the Australian Institute of Sport as a junior, before joining a long list of Australians who would play college basketball at Metro State University.
"Coming out of juniors, I had one scholarship offer, and that was Metro State," McCarron said.
"I'm thankful to Damian Cotter and Derrick Clark for really giving me a shot at that school. The history of Aussies that went to Metro, I believed in it straight away.
"Before I went to Metro, if I said that I was gonna play pro, that wasn't going to be an option. I felt so lucky I was even getting a college scholarship. I sit here, now, after what's essentially a 10-year pro career, having been able to lift trophies with incredible teams. I'm just so lucky."
The combo guard would begin his professional career in Palencia in Spain's LEB Oro, where he would help the team to a championship in what he called "an eye-opening experience". That was the springboard for what would be a long and fruitful NBL career, first with the Cairns Taipans, before he ultimately ended up with United.
McCarron's time in Melbourne is when he established himself as one of the NBL's most prominent local players, earning the nickname 'Money-Makin Mitch McCarron' from the late Corey Williams, en route to being the starting point guard for a United team that would win the 2021 championship.
"Obviously the Melbourne United one was special," McCarron said.
"It was an extra long Covid season, and we had all the stress on the families, the players, everyone involved in the sport and the country, dealing with all the lockdowns. Winning on the end of that season was an incredible feeling."
McCarron would sign a lucrative, multi-year deal with the Adelaide 36ers, before playing one season with the New Zealand Breakers, but that's when a string of injuries began to add up.
McCarron played through plantar fasciitis in Adelaide, which led to a hamstring complaint and ankle sprain; he decided to play through the injuries, despite the pain down his right leg. A few games into his single campaign with the Breakers, McCarron suffered a partially-torn PCL, which scans after the season revealed was 10% away from being completely ruptured. It now has ruptured, and McCarron also has cartilage damage.
"My right leg is not having a good time," McCarron said.
McCarron plans on finishing his season in the NBL1 South with Eltham, with what he's calling an "on-the-go rehab process", but has no bones about calling an end to his professional career.
Along with his eventful career as a professional, McCarron has also been a staple of the Australian Boomers, primarily in qualifying play and FIBA Asia Cup tournaments, where he's won two gold medals.
"I never thought for a second as a junior that I'd get a shot to play with the national team," McCarron said.
"I never played a World Cup or Olympics, but to put on the green and gold on any stage, and especially to go and get two Asia Cup gold medals; to some people, it doesn't mean a lot, but, to me and the group that was involved in that, it was a challenge and newfound ground.
"We went over there and made it known Australia was going to be a leader here. It felt special to be a part of that."
As for what's next, McCarron hasn't thought too far ahead. The immediate future is to prioritise spending time with wife Abby and young children Oslo and Kora, who this retirement decision was ultimately made for.
McCarron doesn't plan on leaving the Australian basketball space, but time will tell at what capacity that is, because even he doesn't know yet.
"I'm working on a couple things, but nothing locked in quite yet," McCarron said.
"I won't be able to stay out of basketball because I love the sport and I'm sure there are lots of opportunities to help people in the future... I love coaching, but I'm not fully locked into that being my full paycheck. I definitely want to be involved in the sport and want to help people get better, and hopefully I can give a good perspective on that... we'll have to wait and see."