Brooklyn Nets’ grandson, LaMarcus Aldridge, 35, announced his sudden retirement from the NBA on his Instagram account on Thursday.
Aldridge said he played his last NBA game on April 10 against the Lakers while dealing with an irregular heartbeat: “Even though I’m better now, what I felt with my heart that night was still one of the most frightening things I have ever experienced. ”
Here is the complete statement:
Today I am writing this letter with a heavy heart.
My last game I played was when I was dealing with an irregular heartbeat. Later that night, my rhythm got even worse, which made me even more worried.
The next morning I told the team what was going on, and it was great to bring me to the hospital and have me taken out.
Even 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 said, I made the difficult decision to retire from the NBA. For 15 years I put basketball first, and now is the time to put my health and family first.
I am grateful for everything this game has given me: the good memories, including all the ups and downs, and the friendships I have made and will stay with me forever. I thank Portland for putting up a skinny Texas kid and giving him a chance. The city of Portland has given me some memorable years.
They will always remain in my heart. I want to thank the Spurs for allowing me into the family and giving me 5 fun years. Last but not least, I want to thank Brooklyn. You wanted me for me. In a game that changes so much, you asked me to come and do what I do, which was good to hear. I’m sorry it did not last long, but I definitely had fun being part of this special group.
You never know when something will come to an end, so make sure you enjoy it every day. I can really say that I did exactly that.
Aldridge has been a seven-time All-NBA Series and five-time All-NBA Series over 15 seasons and spent most of his time with the Portland Trail Blazers. He is Portland’s leading rebound (5,434) of all time and scored the third most points (12,562) in franchise history. During his career, he averaged just over 19 points and eight rebounds per game.
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