Across all sports, there are several ways we categorize athletes and frame their careers.
We talk about superstars and role players, prospects and veterans, dissecting where these competitors that land on our televisions stand in their sporting life and ponder whether they still have something left or if their prime has passed them by.
On the baseball diamond, football field or NBA hardwood, elite athletes have a greater opportunity to fade away, transitioning from being one of the best in the business to a respected veteran, a role player that contributes in ways that may not be reflected in the nightly box scores.