Less than a month after joining the Brooklyn Nets, power forward LaMarcus Aldridge announced his retirement, citing a heart ailment.
Aldridge, 35, said he experienced an irregular heartbeat during a recent game.
“Though I’m better now, what I felt with my heart that night was still one of the scariest things I’ve experienced,” Aldridge said in a statement. “With that being said, I’ve made the difficult decision to retire from the NBA. For 15 years, I’ve put basketball first, and now, it is time to put my health and family first.”
Aldridge was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome as a rookie in 2007 and missed time in 2017 because of a hearth arrhythmia.
“While we value what he has brought to our team during his short time in Brooklyn, his health and well-being are far more important than the game of basketball,” Nets GM Sean Marks said in a statement. “We know this was not an easy decision for him, but after careful consideration and consultation with numerous medical experts, he made the best decision for him, his family, and his life after basketball.”
Aldridge agreed to a buyout with the San Antonio Spurs last month, giving up a sizeable chunk of his remaining contract. He appeared in five games with the Nets.
He began his career with the Portland Trail Blazers and was a seven-time All-Star.
