The night of April 7th, 2021 LaMarcus Aldridge dropped 22 points in 23 minutes of play, an efficient 8-for-12 from the field and 4-for-4 from the stripe. Aldridge and the Brooklyn Nets rolled to a 28 point victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, with Aldridge finishing a +22.
Three nights later he was more quiet but similarly efficient, hitting five of his eight shots and both of his free throws to score 10 points. This time the short-handed Nets were romped by the Los Angeles Lakers. More concerning, however, was that during the game LaMarcus Aldridge felt an irregular heartbeat.
Aldridge went to the hospital the next morning, and although he felt better soon after, he missed the next two games. Then, the morning of April 15th, he announced his retirement from the NBA.
— LaMarcus Aldridge (@aldridge_12) April 15, 2021
Aldridge retired after 15 seasons, 1029 regular season games and 19,951 points. Aldridge was a seven-time All-Star and five-time All NBA selection. In the 2014-15 season, he finished seventh in MVP voting. He is 51st in career scoring in league history, nestled between John Stockton and Antawn Jamison.
Time to reflect on LaMarcus Aldridge’s long NBA career
His retirement is sudden and unexpected, but it comes at the end of a long, successful career. The Brooklyn Nets will have to deal with the short-term ramifications: restructuring their rotation and designing different offensive sets. They will likely look to add another player to their roster for the stretch run.
For fans of Aldridge and the NBA, we can take a moment to look back on his career. Picked second overall in the 2006 NBA Draft after two seasons at the University of Texas, Aldridge spent nine seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, five-and-a-half seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and appeared in just five games for the Brooklyn Nets.
As Aldridge hangs up his sneakers for the last time, what are three defining characteristics of his career that fans should remember?