Brooklyn Nets center LaMarcus Aldridge has announced his sudden retirement from the NBA after playing with an irregular heartbeat last week in what he described as ‘one of the scariest’ moments of his life.
The 35-year-old former All-Star who recently signed with Brooklyn as a free agent played his final game on April 10 in Brooklyn, logging 23 minutes in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Afterwards, Aldridge explained in Thursday’s statement, he was taken to the hospital where he learned the gravity of his situation.
‘My last game, I played while dealing with an irregular heartbeat,’ he wrote. ‘Later on that night, my rhythm got even worse which really worried me even more.
‘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.’
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Aldridge insists he is on the mend.
Brooklyn Nets center LaMarcus Aldridge has announced his sudden retirement from the NBA after playing with an irregular heartbeat last week in what he described as ‘one of the scariest’ moments of his life
Aldridge posted his retirement statement on Twitter, thanking his three former teams
‘Though I’m better now, what I felt with my heart that night was still one of the scariest things I’ve ever experienced,’ he wrote.
Aldridge, who recently accepted a buyout from the San Antonio Spurs before signing with the title-contending Nets, explained that he was finally putting his health before basketball.
‘I’ve made the difficult decision to retire from the NBA,’ he wrote. ‘For 15 years, I’ve put basketball first, and now it is time to put my health and my family first.’
A number of NBA and college basketball players have battled heart conditions during their careers, such as Channing Frye and Aldridge’s Nets teammate Jeff Green. In college basketball, former Loyola-Marymount star Hank Gathers famously died on court of a heart arrhythmia.
Aldridge, who recently accepted a buyout from the San Antonio Spurs before signing with the title-contending Nets, explained in his Twitter statement that he was finally putting his health before basketball
Perhaps most notoriously, former Boston Celtics All-Star Reggie Lewis died from cardiac arrest during an off-season practice in 1993 after previously collapsing during a first-round playoff series against Charlotte only months earlier.
Standing 6-foot-11, Aldridge was taken out of the University of Texas by the Portland Trail Blazers with the second-overall pick of the 2006 NBA Draft. He went on to average 19.4 points and 8.2 rebounds over 1,029 NBA games for the Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, and Nets.
In March, the Spurs bought out the remainder of Aldridge’s $72 million contract, allowing him to sign with the second-place Nets.
The seven-time All-Star earned over $211 million in his 15-year career.
In his statement on Thursday, Aldridge thanked his former teams.
‘I’m thankful for everything this game has given me: the great memories, including all the ups and downs, and the friendships I’ve made and will keep with me forever,’ Aldridge wrote. ‘I thank Portland for drafting a skinny, Texas kid and giving him a chance. The city of Portland has given me some unforgettable years. They will always remain in my heart.
‘I want to think the Spurs for letting 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’s changing so much, you asked me to come and just do what I do which was good too hear. I’m sorry it didn’t get to last long, but I’ve 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 everyday,’ he concluded. ‘I can truly say I did just that.’
Aldridge, a seven-time All-Star, earned over $211 million in his 15-year NBA career
