LaMarcus Aldridge has officially announced his retirement from the NBA. The multiple-time All-Star took to Twitter to pen this message.
In the words of TB12, you only get one big, emotional retirement… so, on that note…I’m thankful for all the memories, family and friends I made throughout my career. It was one hell of a ride and I enjoyed every min! 12
— LaMarcus Aldridge (@aldridge_12) March 31, 2023
Aldridge last played for the Brooklyn Nets in the 2021-22 season. Of course, this was before the Nets decided to trade both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant and had championship aspirations. Regardless, LaMarcus Aldridge has had an impressive NBA career and will be a future Hall of Famer.
LaMarcus Aldridge Announces Retirement
LaMarcus Aldridge’s Career
Aldridge has had one of the more underappreciated careers in this era. He is a seven-time All-Star, a five-time All-NBA Team member, and even made the All-Rookie Team during his first season of his career. Aldridge was one of the first big men to revolutionize the big-man shooting the mid-range jump-shot during the 2000’s era. For his career, the former Trail Blazer averaged 19.1 points, 8.1 total rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game.
On top of this, he also tallied a career 49.3 field goal percentage. Toward the tail end of his career, Aldridge also started to hit more and more three-point shots as well. During the 2016-17 campaign, LaMarcus hit a career-best 41.1 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. All in all, LaMarcus Aldridge was one of the best offensive power forwards of his era and will also go down as one of the best Portland Trail Blazers in league history.
Some of His Best Moments
Aldridge had plenty of memorable moments throughout his career. Many forget he was actually taken by the Chicago and traded to the Trail Blazers on draft night. The trade will go down as one of the best in Portland history as Aldridge would become a staple for the Trail Blazers to build around for seasons to come. During the 2014 postseason, Aldridge went to work against the James Harden and Dwight Howard-led Houston Rockets. During that series, the multiple-time All-Star had a statement game with 46 points and 18 rebounds as the Trail Blazers came away victorious in the series.
However, LaMarcus Aldridge’s biggest moment of his career is arguably his buzzer-beater over the Dallas Mavericks in 2013. The power forward scored the last five points for the Trail Blazers and hit the game-winner on a drawn-up inbound play. As a result, Portland overcame a 21 point deficit to come away victorious. LaMarcus Aldridge had many great moments throughout his career and will certainly be in the Hall of Fame one day.
