Indiana Pacers point guard Darren Collison today announced his decision to retire from the NBA after 10 seasons to focus on his faith and family, he told ESPN's The Undefeated.
"Basketball has been my life since I was a child. I could never imagine finding anything that brings me more joy than I get from playing the game," Collison said.
"While I still love basketball, I know there is something more important, which is my family and my faith. I am one of the 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."
The 31-year-old was set to become an unrestricted free agent this off-season and was expected to attract offers between $10 and $12 million per year on the open market, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Darren Collison was on target to secure a $10M-$12M annual salary in free agency. He retires at 31. https://t.co/456Y67RUva
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2019
Collison helped the Pacers to the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference last season, losing in the first-round of the playoffs to the Boston Celtics. He averaged 11.2 points and 6.0 assist per game in his final playoff campaign.
In 708 regular season games through his career, Collison averaged 12.5 points, 5.0 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals, while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from the three-point line.
