LaMarcus Aldridge retires from the NBA due to health concerns

The Brooklyn Nets have been probably the most-watched team this season with Kevin Durant signing with the Nets followed by former teammate James Harden then trading for NBA-All Star Blake Griffin and finally acquiring LaMarcus Aldridge. Once the team picked up Aldridge, many had the team slated to win the NBA championship. But LaMarcus Aldridge’s heart problems forced him to a tough decision that ultimately saved his life.

The seven-time All-Star announced on April 15th that he was retiring from the league after he suffered an irregular heartbeat during the Nets game vs the Lakers on Saturday, April 10th. “I've made the difficult decision to retire from the NBA. For 15 years I’ve put basketball first, and, it is time to put my health and family first.”

He also tweeted after the announcement, “My last game, I played while dealing with an irregular heartbeat. Later on that night, my rhythm got even worse which really worried me even more.”

The Texas native also thanked the Portland trailblazers for drafting him (he played in Portland for nine years) and the San Antonio Spurs (played there for 5 years).

Neil Oshey, general manager of the Trail Blazers, said: "LaMarcus had a storied NBA career and his time as a Trail Blazer will always be remembered fondly. Any success we experienced during his tenure in Portland would not have been possible without his work ethic, dedication and talent. During his nine seasons in Portland, LaMarcus battled through multiple injuries and health concerns but never once allowed them to affect his commitment to his teammates and coaches on the court or the people that benefited from his outreach in the community off the court.”

Damian Lillard also showed love to his former teammate on Instagram “Healthy and Family will always come before a game. Amazing career bro! Prayers Up!”

During his tenure with the Trail Blazers, he was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, a condition that causes the heart to beat abnormally fast for periods of time. He underwent surgery after the diagnosis in 2007 and a similar process in 2011, which caused him to miss short periods of the season.

In 2017, while playing with the San Antonio Spurs, he was ruled out indefinitely after a test revealed a minor case of arrhythmia. Shortly afterward, he was cleared by doctors.