After experiencing an irregular heartbeat during Brooklyn’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, Nets center LaMarcus Aldridge announced Thursday on Twitter that he is retiring from the NBA, effective immediately.
“Though I’m better now, what I felt with my heart that night was still one of the scariest things I’ve experienced,” Aldridge said in part in his statement. “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 … You never know when something will come to an end, so make sure you enjoy it everyday. I can truly say I did just that.”
Aldridge, who recently joined the Nets after reaching a buyout with the Spurs last month, spent the first nine years of his career with the Portland Trailblazers before spending the last 5.5 years in San Antonio.
A seven-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA selection, Aldridge averaged 19.4 points and 8.2 rebounds and shot 49.1% from the field in 1,029 career games. He is 35 years old and has two kids.
“The Nets organization fully supports LaMarcus’ decision, and while we value what he has brought to our team during his short time in Brooklyn, his health and well-being are far more important than the game of basketball,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said in a statement. “We know this was not an easy decision for him, but after careful consideration and consultation with numerous medical experts, he has made the best decision for him, his family and for his life after basketball.”
Despite the loss of Aldridge, who averaged 12.8 points, 4.8 rebonds, 2.6 assists and 2.2 blocks per game in his time in Brooklyn, the Nets are still the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference as they still have four All-Star-caliber players in James Harden, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Kyrie Irving.
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