Final Interviews Of Famous Athletes

Though sports icons are primarily known for their achievements on the field (or pitch or court), their insights into their thoughts and experiences are often just as valuable as their trophies and medals. In fact, some quotes from athletes are some of the most famous of all time. For example, Wayne Gretzky's "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take" or Vince Lombardo's "it's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up" are ubiquitous on blogs on motivation and success (per Life Hack).

But, despite providing kernels of wisdom, the life of an athlete after the sporting years can be a difficult one. Some athletes are able to look back on their careers with fondness and wisdom. Others have to deal with the physical scars from their demanding careers. Lastly, some can confess to feeling sadness or even anger about their careers due to its demanding nature, fans, and media intrusion. Here are what are believed to be the last interviews with some of the world's best athletes who died too soon.

Sometimes, the most mundane of interviews can actually hold deep clues when analyzed in hindsight. This seems to be the case with Aaron Hernandez, a star tight end for the New England Patriots whose career ended after he was arrested for the murder of his friend Odin Lloyd in 2013. He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison in 2015. During that time, he was also indicted for two other murders; though he was acquitted of the charges, he died by suicide just days after the verdict. An autopsy later showed that he suffered from extreme chronic traumatic encephalopathy (per The Washington Post).

In what appears to be Hernandez's final interview, reporter Les Carpenter asked the athlete (via The Guardian) about the Patriot's newest recruit, University of Florida superstar Tim Tebow. Hernandez was "polite," muttering that Tebow was a "great team-mate, great leader." He also answered a question about the public fascination with Tebow with similar cordial brevity. 

However, Carpenter later noted that Hernandez seemed off. "His responses were short, and strangely devoid of insight ... His voice lacked warmth. He struck me that day as a man detached from the team on the field beside him," Carpenter wrote in The Guardian. Carpenter was not wrong to sense that something was wrong with the then 23-year-old. Just days later, he murdered Lloyd — spurring the end of his career, his imprisonment and death, and grief for Lloyd's family and friends.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

Baseball legend Babe Ruth is not only famous for his skill on the diamond but also for his clever commentary, and he remains one of the most quoted sports stars in history. Some of his most famous sayings include "never let the fear of striking out keep you from coming up to bat" and "it's hard to beat a person who never gives up" (via Baseball Bible).

But while the above quotes showcase Ruth's gumption and perseverance, his final interview from early August 1948 shows his compassion. According to biographer Jane Leavy in The Art of Manliness, Ruth's final interview in the last months of his life was with an 11-year-old blind boy from Minneapolis named Johnny Ross. At the time, Ruth was in particularly poor health, and his cancer had spread to his nasal passages, making it difficult to speak. Nevertheless, the Great Bambino kindly answered Johnny's questions about who would win the pennant, how he was feeling, and his thoughts on the best pitchers in the league. 

When Johnny didn't know how to conclude the interview, Ruth did. He put his arm around the young boy and said, "It's all right. We're both just about out of words." He died just days later, on August 16.

Basketball Goliath Wilt Chamberlain is an icon of the sport's golden era. Standing at 7 feet and 4 inches tall, Chamberlain was considered one of the greatest NBA players of all time and still holds numerous basketball records. Arguably his crowning achievement was scoring 100 points in a single game against the New York Knicks, which remains the all-time best in the league (via The New York Times).

In what appears to be his final interview, Chamberlain sat down with a television crew from Philadelphia to discuss his regrets, his desire to fight Muhammad Ali, and his life in general. As summarized by ESPN, Chamberlain referenced his infamous rivalry with Boston Celtics player Bill Russell. Chamberlain claimed that "if you could give me 10 points in all those seventh games against the Boston Celtics, instead of Bill Russell having 11 rings, I could've at least had nine or eight."

Russell also brought up Chamberlain's desire to box Muhammad Ali in his prime and was even offered $5 million for the fight. However, his dad wisely told the Big Dipper to "work on his free throws instead." Lastly, Chamberlain also brought up his much-discussed confession that he had slept with around 20,000 women throughout his life. Chamberlain claimed that the comments were misinterpreted, and said that while his nocturnal escapades were an important part of his life, "I've found out that having one woman a thousand different times is much more satisfying."

Diego Maradona is considered one of the best soccer players ever to grace the pitch and even won FIFA's "World Cup Goal of the Century" for a shot from the 1986 World Cup. He was also famed for his "hand of God," after he punched a ball to the goal to score against England in 1986, per CNN. 

The Argentina native was no stranger to machismo, and often boasted of his own achievements and skills. In that vein, it's little surprise that the soccer legend made sure to have the last word, by publishing an autobiography titled "Diego Maradona: The Last Interview." In excerpts published by Inside Hook, El Pelusa discussed his love of soccer and more. "I was and am very happy. Soccer gave me all I have, and more than I could have imagined," he confessed.

Maradona also touched on current events, particularly the coronavirus pandemic. At the time of Maradona's death, the virus was still spreading quickly and claiming thousands of lives throughout Argentina and South America in general, and Maradona movingly spoke of the destruction and poverty that accompanied the disease.

"It pains me to see kids with nothing to eat; I know what it is like to go hungry; I know what it feels like in your stomach when you haven't eaten for several days," he added, giving insight into his own less fortunate past. Maradona died in 2020 due to heart failure, per NPR.

Lusia Harris might be the best athlete few people have heard of. As noted by NPR, she helped her college team win NCAA championships in the 1970s, scored the first points in the history of Olympic women's basketball, and was even drafted by the New Orleans Jazz, the only woman ever to be drafted by an NBA team.

But unfortunately, the era that Harris lived in was not built for female athletes, especially ones of color. The WNBA did not yet exist, and though Harris was able to play for one year in the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL), it folded after 12 months. 

To honor Harris's accomplishments, basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal helped spearhead a short documentary on her titled "The Queen of Basketball," in which Harris discusses everything from her personal life to her struggles with mental health. Most touchingly, she talks about how her life would have been different had she been born a man: "There would have been options for me to go further and play ... I would have had money, would have been able to do a lot of things that I would have wanted to do," she mused. 

However, she remained grateful for her experience, despite the inequality. "I wanted to grow up and shoot that ball just like they would shoot it, and I did." She died just four days after the interview on January 18, 2022.

Baseball legend Jackie Robinson was born in 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. After serving in the army, he became a baseball star in the Negro League. In 1947, he started playing with the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first Black athlete to play in the MLB (via History). 

Though some of his last interviews are fluff, Robinson's final interview could not have been more meaningful. Conducted on October 18, 1972, Robinson talked with Larry Upton, a fellow former baseball player in the Brooklyn Dodger Organization and a Boston radio sportscaster, about his life and achievements, particularly with breaking the color barrier.

"I'm proud of that day," Robinson confessed, in audio saved on the official Jackie Robinson website. "I look back on it as the day that saved baseball," he added. Upton also touched on Robinson's activism for Civil Rights and bettering race relations, to which Robinson replied, "You have to do everything you possibly can."

Robinson died less than a week later on October 24, 1972, due to complications from heart problems and diabetes. His number, 42, has been retired by all MLB teams, and April 15 has been deemed Jackie Robinson Day in remembrance of his bravery.