Wow.
On Thursday, Brooklyn Nets forward LaMarcus Aldridge announced on Twitter that after 15 seasons in the NBA, he’ll be retiring due to an irregular heartbeat.
“My last game, I played while dealing with an irregular heartbeat. Later on that night, my rhythm got even worse which really worried me even more,” he wrote. “The next morning, I told the team what was going on and they were great getting me to the hospital and getting me checked out.
“Though I’m better now, what I felt with my heart that night was still one of the scariest things I’ve experienced. With that being said, I’ve made the difficult decision to retire from the NBA. For 15 years, I’ve put basketball first, and now it is time to put my health and family first.”
The seven-time All-Star spent the majority of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers, where he became the team’s all-time leading rebounder and scored the third-most points in franchise history. As we reported at The Root, in March, he agreed to a buyout with the San Antonio Spurs in order to join the Brooklyn Nets for one of the only accomplishments missing from his resume: a championship ring.
“I’m thankful for everything this game has given me: The great memories, including all the ups and the downs, and the friendships I’ve made and will keep with me forever,” he wrote. “You never know when something will come to an end, so make sure you enjoy it every day. I can truly say I did just that.”
On Twitter, the 35-year-old received an outpouring of love from the NBA community.
This definitely isn’t how any of us expected such a remarkable career to end, but I wish LaMarcus the best.
DISCUSSION