Former Sixer veteran Jason Richardson announced that he is retiring from the NBA. The last non-Sam Hinkie acquisition to leave the Sixers’ roster, Richardson had signed a contract with the Atlanta Hawks this past August.
Richardson informed fans and figures of the NBA of his decision via Instagram. In his post, he indicated that he did not want to sacrifice his body for another season and cause future damage to his legs.
“Today is a bitter sweet moment for me. I'm officially announcing my retirement from pro basketball. I like to thank the organizations and fans in Charlotte, Phoenix, Orlando, Philly and especially The Bay Area for their loyal support the past 14 years. Walking away was the hardest decision I had to make but choosing my health and spending time with my family is more important to me! God bless!”
Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports reports that Richardson “did not want to walk around with a limp” for the rest of his life. He recently found out within a week ago that he had bone spurs in his right knee. Spears adds that he feared his right knee could become as bad as his left, the one he spent the past two seasons nursing while recovering from left ACL injury.
As a back-to-back NBA Slam Dunk Champion in 2002-03, Richardson leaves the game having left his mark on the game. He is one of only three people (along with Michael Jordan and Nate Robinson) to have won the contest in consecutive years.
The 13-year veteran will leave the sport with a career average of 17.1 points per game. Acquired in the Andrew Bynum deal, he averaged 10 points per game in Philadelphia, playing 52 games over his two seasons, having missed a full one in 2013-14 due to recovery from his ACL.
