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The journeyman guard made the announcement in a
letter to ESPN's The Undefeated on Friday.
"While I still love basketball, I know there is something more
important, which is my family and my faith," Collison wrote in
his statement. "I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and my faith
means everything to me. I receive so much joy from volunteering
to help others and participate in a worldwide ministry. The joy
I feel is unmatched. With that being said, I have decided to
retire from the NBA."
Last season, his second during his second stint with the Indiana
Pacers, Collison averaged 11.2 points, six assists and 3.1
rebounds per game. He was due to be an unrestricted free agent
this summer.
Collison played for the New Orleans Hornets (2009-10), the
Pacers (2010-12 and 2017-19), the Dallas Mavericks (2012-13),
the Los Angeles Clippers (2013-14) and the Sacramento Kings
(2014-17).
Collison enjoyed his best scoring season in 2014-15 for
Sacramento, averaging 16.1 points, 5.6 assists and 3.2 rebounds
-- but he appeared in a career-low 45 games that season.
Overall, he averaged 12.5 points, five assists and 2.7 rebounds
in 708 games (518 starts).
Collison was a 2009 first-round draft pick (21st overall) out of
UCLA.
"Basketball has been my life since I was a child," Collison
wrote. "I could never imagine finding anything that brings me
more joy than I get from playing the game."
--Field Level Media
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