BREAKING: 2020 NBA Draft Pick Retires From Basketball
Tyrell Terry had an excellent season at Stanford during his first year of college, which led him to be the 31st overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks.
He averaged 14.6 points and shot over 40% from the three-point range on 4.9 attempts per contest in 31 games.
However, he got off to a slow start to his pro-career, and only played in 11 games for the Mavs (he was waived before the beginning of the 2021-22 season).
Last year, he played in two games for the Memphis Grizzlies and was waived over the offseason.
On Thursday, the 22-year-old announced his retirement from basketball (h/t Callie Caplan of Dallas Morning News).
Terry captioned his post on Instagram: "This message is a very difficult one to share and an emotional one to write.
Today I decided to let go of the game that has formed a large part of my identity. Something that has guided my path since I took my first steps. While I have achieved amazing accomplishments, created unforgettable memories, and made lifelong friends…I’ve also experienced the darkest times of my life. To the point where instead of building me up, it began to destroy me. Where I began to despise and question the value of myself, much more than those surrounding me could ever see or know. Intrusive thoughts, waking up nauseous, and finding myself struggling to take normal breaths because of the rock that would sit on my chest that seemed to weigh more than I could carry. This is just a brief description of the anxiety this sport has caused me, and while I’m grateful for every door it has opened for me, I can’t continue this fight any longer for something I have fallen out of love with.
To most, I will be forever known as a bust, a failure, or a waste of talent. While those may be true when it comes to basketball, it is the biggest failures in life that lead to the greatest success. There is more for me out in this vast world and I am extremely excited to be able to explore that. And for the first time, to be able to find my identity outside of being a basketball player.
I am eternally grateful to those who have believed in me and apologize to those that I have let down. But I’m headed down a different path now, one that will hopefully lead to happiness and being able to love myself again.
Yours truly,
Ty❤️"
He finishes his career averaging 1.0 points per contest in 13 games in the NBA and averaging 13.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest in 29 G League games.
The most playing time he got in an NBA game came on January 17, 2021, when he played 15 minutes for the Mavs and had four points (on 2/4 shooting) and two steals.
Seeing him retire at such a young age is a surprise, but his heartfelt message is commendable.
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