One of the toughest decisions for any athlete is determining the proper time to call it a career.

Former Bull Steve Kerr struggled with those thoughts for a while this summer before deciding last week to retire and accept a job as an analyst for TNT's coverage of the NBA.

Kerr was in town Thursday to conduct a basketball clinic in Skokie and talked about his decision to walk away after winning another championship ring (his fifth) with the San Antonio Spurs a couple of months ago.

''It was kind of a combination of things,'' he said. ''Going out on top, while I still was playing well, was appealing, and in the back of my mind I knew that next year could have been tough with the Spurs.

''I also knew that this opportunity [with TNT] probably wouldn't be there next year. They would have filled the position. I just felt like the timing was right.''