Former Kings Star Mike Bibby Dedicated His Life to Lifting in Retirement
Mike Bibby made a name for himself as a lanky, yet extremely effective point guard.
That’s why some NBA fans might be surprised to see modern pictures of Bibby, the former Sacramento Kings star. Nearly a decade after his final NBA game, Bibby looks shredded and nothing like his former self.
How did Bibby get so jacked in retirement? Let’s take a look back at his career and where he’s at now.
Mike Bibby had a long NBA career
The second overall pick in 1998 out of Arizona, Mike Bibby spent his first three seasons with then-Vancouver Grizzlies.
Bibby flashed as an effective scorer (his points per game went from 13.2 as a rookie to 12.9 by his third season) and excellent floor general.
The 8.4 assists per game Bibby averaged in 2001-01 were the highest he ever recorded in one season.
Neither Bibby nor the Grizzlies were long for Vancouver. A few days after the team relocated to Memphis, the Grizzlies traded Bibby to the Sacramento Kings.
Bibby had his best years with the Sacramento Kings
Basketball-Reference uses an advanced metric known as VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) to gauge how valuable a player is.
Through the 2019-20 season, Mike Bibby ranks seventh on the Kings’ list with 14.8 VORP. He narrowly trails former teammate and Hall of Fame center Vlade Divac, who totaled 14.9 VORP in six seasons with the Kings.
Bibby averaged 17.6 points on 43.9% shooting to go along with 5.4 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in seven seasons with the Kings. A solid three-point shooter, Bibby connected on 37.7% of his shots from long-range.
The numbers were similar in the playoffs, a time where Bibby averaged 17.9 points on 41.8% shooting from the field, 5.6 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per night.
Bibby drilled 37.1% of his shots from three-point range.
Sacramento began Bibby’s tenure as a Western Conference powerhouse. When the Kings traded him to Atlanta midway through the 2007-08 season, the team was beginning what grew into a time of irrelevancy.
Mike Bibby dedicated his life to lifting in retirement
Mike Bibby’s departure from Sacramento didn’t signal the end of his career. He played a couple of seasons with the Atlanta Hawks then bounced around the league, even partnering with LeBron James on the Big 3 Heat.
Of course, Bibby wasn’t part of that Big 3. Still, Bibby settled in with Miami late in the 2010-11 season and contributed to a team that lost to Dirk Nowitzki in the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.
Bibby closed his career with Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks in 2011-12.
When Bibby resurfaced in the BIG3 a few years ago, basketball fans were taken aback at how different he looked. Once a skinny, lanky point guard, Bibby looked like an NFL player.
What went into the new look? In an interview earlier this year with the Kings’ official website, Bibby explained the lifestyle change and how he dedicated his life to lifting.
“I was always built like this; it’s just (NBA teams) never wanted me to lift. That’s what I do. I love lifting weights, I love to workout and I love extra work.”
Bibby’s thought process is simple enough. More importantly, the veteran point guard clearly enjoys the new and improved Bibby.
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