Grandpa Is Determined to Finally Play in the NBA

The 61-year-old is on a mission to become the oldest person ever to play in the NBA after failing to make the team when he was selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1980 NBA Draft.

He officially retired in 1999 after a career spent playing overseas, but Roberts got the itch for a comeback when his wife bugged him to get into shape so he could play with their children.

“When I started working out, I reached a point where I got back into my college shape, and it just kind of kicked in, I felt good,” Roberts tells PEOPLE.

Then he kept pushing himself harder, to the point where he felt he was in even better shape than when he was a player at California State University Fullerton (where he once played against Magic Johnson).

So, the father of five and grandfather of two sent letters to teams stating he was ready to hit the court for them during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

As the Summer League began and with no teams inviting him to try out, Roberts attended the games as a spectator so he could hear coaches calling out plays, catch the players talking, and to see the seats along the sidelines where he felt he belonged.

The oldest person to ever play in the NBA was Nat Hickey at 45.