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Trevor Booker Says Farewell to Pro Hoops
Former Clemson star Trevor Booker released a heartfelt letter announcing the retirement from professional basketball Tuesday.
The eight-year NBA veteran released a short video to go with a note about where he came from and what the game of basketball did for him from his hometown of Whitmire, S.C., to Clemson and on to the best basketball league in the world.
"I never knew that my love for the game would take me places that some can't even imagine," Booker wrote. "That's why it's so tough to sit here and write that I'm officially announcing my retirement from the game."
Booker said in the video that it took him "three or four days" to write the emotional letter.
Booker went from a three-star recruit in high school to an All-ACC first-team selection as a senior at Clemson. He averaged 12.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in his four-year career with the Tigers, including a career-high 15.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game as a junior.
Booker went on to become the 23rd overall player selected in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, but his rights were traded to the Washington Wizards. He spent four seasons in D.C. before signing a two-year, $10 million deal with the Utah Jazz in 2014.
Booker's best season as a pro came in 2016-17 when he averaged 10 points and eight rebounds in 71 games for the Brooklyn Nets. He was traded the next season to the Philadelphia 76ers and after being released, he played the final 17 games of his career with the Indiana Pacers.
Booker signed to play with the Shanxi Brave Dragons in the Chinese Basketball Association in 2018, but he returned home after suffering a foot injury.
