Darren Collison's sudden retirement came as a shock to his Indiana Pacer teammates. Anyone who paid close attention to the Pacers' unheralded 2018-2019 season certainly took notice of Collison's effectiveness as both a starter and a valuable bench scorer. The 10-year vet informed Marc J. Spears (of The Undefeated) of his decision, before taking the reins himself in publishing an op-ed under his own name. Plainly titled "Darren Collison: I have decided to retire from the NBA," the 31-year old point guard spoke of his decision to leave the NBA at the height of his powers, in an effort to devote himself to the Jehovah's Witness ministry.
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"I wish my brother and good friend well in his next stages in life and in all of his future endeavors going forward," Pacers' teammate Thaddeus Young told a journalist working for HoopsHype via text message. "He was one of the best competitors I've ever played with. He played with fire, energy, and desire every night. He's definitely a teammate I'd want to go to war with any day. I feel blessed to have played with DC."
Collison's NBA will thus come to an end once his contract expires on July 1st. The 31-year old was set to become a free agent during the offseason and was likely viewed as a cost-effective option for many teams in need of perimeter shooting, or a back-up point guard. Collison averaged 12.5 points per game and 5.0 assists (per game) over the course of his NBA career. All the best!
