After 14 seasons, 857 regular season games and two Slam Dunk titles, former Phoenix Suns guard Jason Richardson will be retiring from professional basketball.
Richardson broke the news Wednesday night on Instagram.
According to the Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, “J-Rich” will be walking away from the game of basketball — after just having signed with the Atlanta Hawks — following an MRI that revealed bone spurs in his right knee.
He spent six hours thinking the decision over yesterday before informing Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer of his decision. For a player who’s missed the majority of the last three seasons due to left knee injuries, the decision to call it quits at age 34 is a sad but sensible one.
"I didnt want to limp the rest of my life. I still have my whole life in front of me," @jrich23 told Y."I want to be able to play w/my kids"
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) September 24, 2015
Known for being an electrifying dunker, athletic scorer and efficient three-point shooter, Richardson spent part of three seasons in Phoenix, averaging 16.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game on .478/.394/.758 shooting splits in 162 games for the Suns.
In 2008, the Suns traded Boris Diaw, Raja Bell and Sean Singletary to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Richardson, Jared Dudley and a 2010 second round pick (used on Gani Lawal).
ALSO ON VALLEY OF THE SUNS: Phoenix Suns: Grading The Offseason
Though he was on the tail-end of his prime at that point in time, J-Rich was a valuable starter for the 2009-10 Suns team that made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals.
Though his time with the Suns might be remembered for his missed boxout on Ron Artest in Game 5 that led to a game-winner for the Los Angeles Lakers, it’s also worth remembering that the Suns wouldn’t have even been in that game if he hadn’t knocked down a three-pointer on the preceding play.
It’s also worth noting that if not for a couple of huge performances in the first round of the 2010 NBA Playoffs, the Suns might not have made it past the up-and-coming Portland Trail Blazers, who pushed Phoenix to six games. Thanks to J-Rich’s career playoff high 42 points in Game 3, the Suns were able to take a 2-1 series lead.
Richardson shot 13-of-19 from the floor in that game and made a staggering eight of his 12 three-point attempts.
In the decisive Game 6 of the first round, Richardson once again led the way on offense for the Suns, finishing with 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting (5-of-8 from downtown).
Richardson spent the majority of his NBA career with the Golden State Warriors, where he first established himself as one of the most dynamic dunkers the game had ever seen. As the fifth pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, Richardson competed in the Rookie Challenge in 2002, winning the Rookie MVP honors.
In 2002, Jason Richardson put his name on the map with one of the most memorable Slam Dunk Contests in NBA history, drawing comparisons to Dominique Wilkins from the broadcaster Kenny Smith in the process.
In 2003, J-Rich defended his title and cemented his status alongside ‘Nique, Vince Carter and Michael Jordan as one of the greatest dunkers of all time. His off-the-bounce, reverse through-the-legs dunk was simply a marvel that had never been seen before.
Richardson competed again in the 2004 Slam Dunk Contest, but lost to Fred Jones in the final. Still, he’s one of only three players in NBA history to win back-to-back Slam Dunk titles, along with Michael Jordan (1987-88) and Nate Robinson (2009-10).
Jason Richardson officially announced his retirement. He is 1 of 3 players to win back-to-back Slam Dunk titles. pic.twitter.com/gFVwVvp8ql
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 24, 2015
Richardson’s best statistical season with the Dubs came in 2005-06, when he averaged a career-best 23.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game on .446/.384/.673 shooting splits.
But his greatest accomplishment with the team was as a major contributor to the “We Believe!” 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. In Game 3, Richardson dropped 30 points in a dominant 18-point victory that put the Dubs up 2-1.
In 2007, Richardson was traded to the Bobcats for the draft rights to Brandan Wright. He played in Charlotte for a season before being traded to the Suns.
In 2010, with the team clearly in need of a change following Amar’e Stoudemire‘s departure, Phoenix shipped J-Rich away from a regressing Suns team to the Orlando Magic for Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat Michael Pietrus and a 2011 first round pick (which the Suns traded to the Houston Rockets along with Goran Dragic in exchange for Aaron Brooks, one of the worst deals in team history).
The Suns also received Hedo Turkoglu and Earl Clark in the deal.
In 2012, the Magic sent J-Rich to the Philadelphia 76ers, but a knee injury severely limited his time there and by the time he got healthy, the Sixers were in full Sam
Tankie
Hinkie mode. Still, Richardson went out with one last vintage performance in March, dropping 29 points in a narrow loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder — one of just 19 games he played in 2014-15.
It’s unfortunate to see Richardson leave the game due to injury, since a player of his caliber deserved to be able to call it quits on his own terms.
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.
Next: 5 Goals For Eric Bledsoe