Biggest Retirements of 2013

Miikka Kiprusoff

Kiprusoff formally announced his retirement on Sept. 9, after 12 seasons in the NHL. He spent the final nine seasons of his career with Calgary after spending parts of three years with San Jose. Kiprusoff leaves the game as the Flames' all-time leader in wins (305), games played (576) and shutouts (41). He'll be best remembered for his spectacular play during the 2003-04 season when he set a modern-day record with a 1.69 goals-against average. He then led the Flames to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against Tampa Bay, notching five shutouts and 15 wins as Calgary fell just short of winning it all. He went on to win the Vezina and William Jennings trophies in 2006 as he established himself as one of the game's high-end stoppers and a true workhorse.

Tracy McGrady

The seven-time All-Star announced his retirement two months after he appeared in his first NBA Finals. McGrady, 34, was taken with the ninth pick in the 1997 draft by the Raptors, and also played for the Magic, Rockets, Knicks, Pistons, Hawks and Spurs (with whom he won the Western Conference championship last spring) in his career. His final averages: 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists.

James Blake

The former Harvard All-America announced his retirement at the U.S. Open. Blake, 33, who had been ranked as high as No. 4 in 2006, had seen his career derailed by injuries, including a fractured vertebra, and had fallen to No. 100 in the world. He reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open in '05 and '06, as well as the quarters at the '08 Australian Open. Despite never winning a Grand Slam tournament, Blake did defeat top-ranked Roger Federer in the quarterfinals of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, though he failed to medal after losing to Chile's Fernando Gonzalez in the semifinals, and then falling to Novak Djokovic in the bronze-medal match.

Marion Bartoli

The 2013 Wimbledon women's singles champion stunned the tennis world when she announced her retirement after losing to Simona Halep at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on Aug. 14. At the time, Bartolli, 28, insisted that she was suffering from a variety of foot, ankle, hamstring and Achilles injuries, and said, "I have pain everywhere after 45 minutes or an hour of play." Her career-best ranking came last year, when she reached No. 7, and her victory at Wimbledon --she began the fortnight ranked 15th -- came in her 47th Grand Slam tournament. On the eve of this year's U.S. Open, Bartolli alluded to the fact that her retirement could be short lived, saying, "It's pretty hard to say I would never come back."

Ilya Kovalchuk

The Devils announced that winger Ilya Kovalchuk was retiring from the NHL on July 11. "This decision was something I have thought about for a long time going back to the lockout and spending the year in Russia," he said. Kovalchuk, 30, had 12 years remaining on the 17-year, $102 million deal he signed in 2010 -- by retiring, he walked away from $77 million. The Russian sniper played 11 seasons in the NHL, the last four with New Jersey. He retired with 417 goals and 399 assists in 816 games.

Carlos Lee

Carlos Lee announced his retirement from baseball at age 37 on June 21. The three-time All-Star played for six teams from 1999 to 2012, and finished his career with a .285 average, 358 home runs and 1,363 RBI. The outfielder had five 30-homer seasons and six seasons with at least 100 RBI.

Jason Kidd

Ten-time NBA All-Star Jason Kidd announced his retirement on June 3. Selected with the No. 2 pick in the 1994 draft after an All-America sophomore season at Cal, the point guard played for the Mavericks, Suns, Nets, and Knicks. The '95 co-Rookie of the Year, he retired with career averages of 12.6 points, 8.7 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals. Kidd was selected to the All-NBA first or second team six times and the All-Defensive first or second team nine times. He also twice won the league's sportsmanship award. He won gold medals with USA Basketball at the 2000 and '08 Olympics.

Grant Hill

Seven-time NBA All-Star Grant Hill announced his retirement June 1. Selected with the No. 3 pick in the 1994 draft after winning two national championships at Duke, Hill played for the Pistons, Magic, Suns and Clippers. For all his talent, though, the forward was plagued by injuries throughout his career -- he lost the entire 2003-04 season and major portions of four other years to ankle injuries. The 1995 co-Rookie of the Year retired with career averages of 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Hill was selected to the All-NBA first or second team for five straight years from '95-96 to '99-2000, and he won the league's sportsmanship award three times. He also won a gold medal with USA Basketball at the 1996 Olympics.

Brian Urlacher

The heartbeat of the Bears' defense for 13 years, linebacker Brian Urlacher tweeted out his retirement announcement on May 22. The 2005 NFL Defensive Player of the Year spent his entire career in Chicago, and made a team-record 1,779 tackles, along with 22 interceptions and 41.5 sacks. He played in the Pro Bowl eight times.

David Beckham

David Beckham played his final game for Paris Saint-German on May 18, ending an era in which he not only became a global superstar, but also transcended his sport. The midfielder started his career with Manchester United in the English Premier League, and he also played in Spain for Real Madrid and in MLS for the Los Angeles Galaxy -- and won championships with each club. With United from 1992 to 2003, Beckham won six EPL titles, a Champions League crown, two FA Cups and the Intercontinental Cup.

Ronde Barber

Buccaneers cornerback and safety Ronde Barber announced his retirement on May 9. The five-time Pro Bowl pick was taken in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft and played his entire career in Tampa Bay. The twin brother of former Giants running back Tiki Barber, Ronde was expected to see less playing time this season after the Bucs signed free agent safety Dashon Goldson in March. Tampa also acquired cornerbacks Darrelle Revis (trade) and Jonathan Banks (draft). Barber finished his NFL career with 28 sacks and 47 interceptions, including eight that he returned for touchdowns.

Sir Alex Ferguson

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement on May 8, ending a legendary career that included 13 English league titles, five FA Cups and two UEFA Champions League trophies in 26 seasons with the club.

Jason Hanson

The NFL's longest-tenured player, Lions kicker Jason Hanson, retired after 21 seasons on April 4. Hanson, 42, holds league records for games played with one team (327) and 50-yard field goals (52), and is third in NFL history with 2,150 points and 495 field goals. He had been Detroit's place-kicker since the team drafted him with a second-round pick in 1992. Hanson made 32 of 36 field-goal attempts in his final season -- three of his four misses hit an upright.

Steve Hutchinson

After 12 seasons, Titans guard Steve Hutchinson called it a career on March 12. After being taken by the Seahawks in the first round of the 2001 draft, Hutchinson quickly built a reputation as one of the best interior linemen in the NFL, going to seven Pro Bowls and making five All-Pro first teams. He started all 169 games in which he played during his career. In '06, Hutchinson signed an unprecedented seven-year, $49 million contract with the Vikings. Not only was it the richest contract ever given to a guard -- but it also contained a provision that guaranteed Hutchinson's entire contract if he was not the highest-paid lineman on his team.

Ray Lewis

The polarizing Lewis retired following the Ravens' 34-31 victory over the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. The 26th pick in the 1996 draft played his entire 17-year NFL career in Baltimore. In January 2001, the linebacker earned Super Bowl MVP honors as the Ravens won their first NFL championship with a 34-7 blowout of the Giants. The victory came seven months after Lewis had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor obstruction of justice charges for giving misleading statements to police about his involvement in a deadly fight outside an Atlanta nightclub in the hours after Super Bowl XXXIV.

Jeff Saturday

Colts center Jeff Saturday (who played his final season for the Packers in 2012) retired on March 7. Originally snapped up by Indianapolis as an undrafted free agent in 1999, Saturday ranks among the best such signings NFL history. He played in five Pro Bowls and was twice honored with first-team All-Pro recognition. His off-the-field work with the NFL Players' Association made him one of the most respected players in the game.

Donald Driver

The 38-year-old Packers wide receiver retired on Feb. 6. Driver was taken by Green Bay in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL draft, and the only other man to play more games as in a Packers uniform was Brett Favre. Driver finished his career as Green Bay's leader in receptions, with 743, and yards, with 10,137.

Matt Birk

The six-time Pro-Bowl center and 15-year veteran decided after the Ravens won the Super Bowl last February that he'd just as soon leave the game on top than return for another season. A sixth-round draft pick in 1998, Birk played 11 seasons for the Vikings before going to Baltimore.

Hideki Matsui

The Yankees outfielder retired on July 28, after signing a one-day, minor-league deal with New York. Matsui, who debuted for Japan's Yomiuri Giants in 1993, quickly ascended to the nation's pantheon of baseball greats, hitting 332 home runs in 10 seasons and leading the Giants to three titles. Controversially, he followed that success by signing with the Yankees as a free agent. In 2003, he helped New York return to the World Series, and in '09, he won series MVP honors as the Yankees defeated the Phillies in six games.

Brandon Webb

When he retired on Feb. 4, the 33-year-old Webb hadn't pitched in the majors since 2009 because of shoulder problems. He came up with the Diamondbacks in '03 and had a 2.84 ERA in 180 innings. Webb pitched more than 200 innings in each of the next five seasons for Arizona, using his heavy sinker to win the NL Cy Young Award in '06. He finished second in the Cy Young voting in both '07 and '08, winning a total of 40 games those seasons.

Kevin Millwood

The well-traveled Millwood, who retired on Feb. 2, went 169-152 in his career playing for the Braves, the Phillies, the Indians, the Rangers, the Orioles, the Rockies, and the Mariners. He was part of two no-hitters -- the first he took care of himself with the Phillies in a victory over the Giants in April 2003; the second came when he worked the first six innings for the Mariners in a combined no-hitter against the Dodgers in June 2012. He ends his career with a 4.11 ERA, and one All-Star appearance.

Tomas Holmstrom

After 15 season with the Red Wings, Holmstrom announced his retirement last January. The winger, who debuted for Detroit in 1996, won the first of two straight Stanley Cups that season. He finished his NHL career with 243 goals and 287 assists in 1,024 regular-season games.

Kelly Pavlik

Pavlik, 30, retired due to health concerns last January. He held the middleweight championship from 2007, when he took it from Jermain Taylor, until '10, when he lost to Sergio Martinez, and successfully defended his title three times. A hero in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, he struggled with alcoholism between 2010 and '12.

Dan Severn

A 2005 inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame, Severn retired on New Year's Day. Nicknamed "The Beast," he finished his mixed martial arts career with a record of 101-19-7. Severn, who still competes as a professional wrester, plans to remain involved in MMA as an instructor and a commentator.

Mariano Rivera

Rivera, the greatest closer in baseball history will hang up his spikes after the 2013 season. Now 43, he has dominated and intimidated hitters with his cut fastball and "Enter Sandman" entrance music since breaking in with the Yankees in 1995. In 18 years, Rivera has racked up an MLB-record 608 saves, and appeared in 12 All-Star games. Before his '12 season was cut short by a torn ACL, he had recorded 30 or more saves in nine straight seasons. Rivera also regularly shined in the postseason, when he saved 42 games, had a 0.70 ERA in 141 innings pitched and helped New York win the World Series five times.