Jason Richardson Retires From National Basketball Association

He announced his official retirement Wednesday evening via an Instagram post, in which he individually thanked each of the five franchises he played for during his 14-year career as well as their fanbases.

“Today is a bitter sweet moment for me”, he wrote. He says his decision was “hard and tough” but made easier by “choosing my family and my health”.

Richardson rose to notoriety in the early 2000s with gravity-defying displays at back-to-back All-Star weekends, claiming victory in the National Basketball Association Dunk Contest in 2002 & 2003. He managed to suit up for nineteen appearances with the Sixers, averaging 9.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. He told Yahoo Spotrs’ Marc Spears that he deliberated on the decision for six hours on Tuesday, and he “didn’t want to limp for the rest of my life”.

Richardson used social media to reveal the news, despite signing a non-guaranteed contract with the Atlanta Hawks in August.

Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer was asked about Richardson in a recent interview with the AJC.

Richardson spent his most productive years with the Golden State Warriors, where he blossomed into a 20-point scorer.

Following an off-season trade in 2007, Richardson began a journeyman career through the league, playing a key role for the Charlotte Bobcats, Phoenix Suns, and Orlando Magic before knee surgery sidelined him for almost two seasons in 2013. Warriors team that got Golden State back to the playoffs for the first time in 13 years and helped upset the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round.

But J-Rich will be remembered for his underrated scoring skills, his unbelievable dunking ability, his efficient three-point shooting and his longevity…and hopefully not as much for one missed boxout on Ron Artest by Suns fans.

For his career, the 6-foot-6 wing player averaged 17.1 points and shot 44% from the field.