Jason Richardson decided that 14 years in the NBA is enough.
Richardson announced Wednesday night on Instagram that he’s retiring. He had signed an unguaranteed contract with the Atlanta Hawks during the offseason but will not go to training camp.
His career began with Golden State during the 2001-02 season and included stops in Charlotte, Phoenix, Orlando and Philadelphia.
“Today is a bittersweet 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!” Richardson posted on his Instagram account.
The 34-year-old Richardson is best known for becoming the first player since Michael Jordan to win back-to-back NBA dunk contests. He played on mostly bad teams throughout his career, reaching the playoffs just three times and never making an All-Star team.
Injuries kept Richardson from playing during the 2013-14 season, but he returned last season with the 76ers and averaged 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 19 games, including 15 starts.
Richardson finished with career averages of 17.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 857 games, including 842 starts.
“I didn’t want to limp the rest of my life,” Richardson told Yahoo Sports. “I still have my whole life in front of me, God willing. I sat alone at a park in Atlanta thinking and no one said anything to me because they didn’t recognize me since I just got there.
“I talked to my wife for an hour on the phone and then I sat for five hours thinking while listening to music before deciding that retiring was the right thing to do.”