SportsBrooklyn Nets’ LaMarcus Aldridge Forced To Retire Due To Heart Condition

Brooklyn Nets’ LaMarcus Aldridge Forced To Retire Due To Heart Condition

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BEVERLY HILLS, April 15, (THEWILL) – LaMarcus Aldridge, a seven-time All-Star Brooklyn Nets forward has retired from the National Basketball Association (NBA) due to issues stemming from an irregular heartbeat which he is currently experiencing.

The 35-year-old explained on Thursday that he played during the team’s 126-101 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, April 10 “while dealing with an irregular heartbeat.”

And added: “Though I’m better now, what I felt with my heart that night was still one of the scariest things I’ve experienced,” in a statement he shared online to make his condition public.

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On behalf of the team, Sean Marks, general manager of the Nets, sent out a statement that read, in part: “The Nets organization fully supports LaMarcus’ decision, and while we value what he has brought to our team, his health and well being are far more important than the game of basketball.”

THEWILL recalls that in the 2006/2007 season, Aldridge was not allowed more than 63 games as a rookie especially as he was suffering from dizziness and a rapid heartbeat noticed during a game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Aldridge was then diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, a syndrome in which an extra electrical pathway in the heart, that appears between the heart’s upper and lower chambers and is present at birth, causes a rapid heartbeat than normal.

Yet, Aldridge went on to enjoy a 15-year career while rarely experiencing any major health issues even though there was the situation in March 2017 when a minor heart arrhythmia left him briefly on the sidelines.

Prime Aldridge was easily one of the NBA’s premier power forwards and had a career that made him one of 14 players in league history to finish with at least 19,000 points, 8,000 rebounds, 2,000 assists and 1,000 blocks. He’s third in Portland Trail Blazers history in points (12,562) and first in rebounds (5,434).

On December 10, 2011, when teammate Brandon Roy announced his retirement from basketball due to a degenerative knee condition, Aldridge was the bridge until the Blazers could return to relevancy with Damian Lillard, the following year.

Aldridge had a point average of 19.4, was 8.2 for rebounds and 1.1 for blocks per game. While he also expanded his offensive repertoire in recent seasons, the forward continued to do his most damage from mid-range for the Nets.

The decision to join the Nets brought him chance to chase the championship that had eluded him while with the Blazers and San Antonio Spurs. Yet, just as a title appears to be well within reach for Brooklyn, which is one game behind the Philadelphia 76ers for first place in the Eastern Conference, Aldridge will not be able to join his now-former teammates in their quest for the NBA Finals.

But, a place in the Hall of Fame could be waiting for the 6’11” big man. In addition to his seven All-Star appearances, he was an All-NBA player on five occasions and made nine trips to the postseason.

About the Author

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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

Jude Obafemi, THEWILLhttps://thewillnews.com
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

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