LaMarcus Aldridge Retires; Damian Lillard Says His Jersey Should Be Retired in Portland
LaMarcus Aldridge abruptly announces his retirement from the NBA just weeks after signing with the Brooklyn Nets, a move that sent shock waves through the NBA and its fans. The 7x All-Star explained his decision to retire in a Twitter post this morning.
He says that the decision stemmed from an irregular heartbeat that specifically altered him in the last game he played and the days that followed.
"Though I'm better now," Aldridge wrote in his public letter on Twitter. "What I felt with my heart that night was still one of the scariest things I've ever experienced."
Aldridge retires as a 7x NBA All-Star, the same amount of appearances as Scottie Pippen and more appearances than notable players such as Tony Parker, Shawn Kemp and Rajon Rondo.
6"11' forward spent 14 years in the NBA and left the game at the age of 35-years-old.
He's most notable for his tenure with the Portland Trail Blazers, where he shared a team with fellow All-Star Damian Lillard. Right off the bat, Lillard believes that Portland should retire Aldridge's #12 jersey.
"L.A. is one of the greatest players to play in Portland," Lillard told reporters on Thursday. "He was at the peak of his career when I got here. He was at his best. I was a two-time All-Star as his teammate my second and third year. With my development, had he stayed, C.J.'s development, who knows what that could have turned into?"
Lillard and Aldridge played together for three seasons.
"His jersey should be retired here," Lillard added. "It's just sad that he couldn't go out on his own terms."
Aldridge played 25 career games against the Indiana Pacers in which he averaged 18.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.
