I'm a big AI fan. But he's 37, and he was never a great shooter.
What made him such a great player to watch was the way he would just charge to the rack, get clobbered, and still find a way to get the ball in the hoop for the and-one. He was the fastest, fiercest, most ferocious guy on the court.
Unfortunately trying to play basketball when you're just six feet tall sucks when you don't have the speed and althetic ability to blow past the people who are bigger, stronger, and (now) younger than you. The game has changed, and he's at least ten years away from his prime.
I love the fact that he was never willing to compromise his game and come off the bench for so long. But that's why his career ended the way it did, and that's why I'd prefer it if he stayed off the court (even if he never admits to being retired).