Former Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston announces his retirement from the NBA

Shaun Livingston is retiring.

The 34-year-old took to Instagram on Friday to announce his decision, explaining how "excited, sad, fortunate and grateful" he felt in an emotional statement.

"Hard to put into a caption all of the emotions it takes to try and accomplish your dreams," Livingston wrote. "I wasn’t supposed to be here. Anybody that has beat the odds understands the mental and emotional strain it takes to inspire yourself on an uphill war, let alone inspire others."

 

 

 

 

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After 15 years in the NBA, I’m excited, sad, fortunate and grateful all in one breath. Hard to put into a caption all of the emotions it takes to try and accomplish your dreams. I wasn’t supposed to be here. Anybody that has beat the odds understands the mental and emotional strain it takes to inspire yourself on an uphill war, let alone inspire others. “The injury” gave me a chance to find and prove to myself (and the world) that I wouldn’t be defined by my circumstances. With my time in the League what I will be most proud of is the fact that my character, values and faith were tested, and I persevered. To my pops that told me to “go get the big ball” I THANK YOU. To my Grandpa that always showed me there was more to life than basketball I THANK YOU. To my Uncles that helped raise me like I was one of their own, THANK YOU. To my wife and kids...the future IS BRIGHTER than our past, and I couldn’t see myself taking on this chapter without you. To all of my teammates, coaches, TRAINERS, staff, my journey is a collection of experiences, and those of you that helped me along the way, THANK YOU! To all the fans and anybody else that inspired me, supported me, cheered for me, or even said good words about me, THANK YOU. “The greatest gift we can give is service to others” #Raiseaglass 🍷

A post shared by Shaun Livingston (@sdot1414) on Sep 13, 2019 at 8:30am PDT

The fourth pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, Livingston got his start in the NBA with the LA Clippers. He was on his way towards establishing himself as a rising star in the league until a devastating knee injury sidelined him for the entire 2007-08 season and temporarily derailed his NBA career.

Livingston bounced around on a number of teams upon returning and had a breakout season in 2013-14 as a member of the Brooklyn Nets. That set him up for a five-year stint with the Golden State Warriors, with whom he won three championships as one of the team's leaders off the bench.

Livingston retires with career averages of 6.3 points, 3.0 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game. His story has been an inspiration to many, including his NBA peers.

--crazy talented from a youngin. Always classy, always straight up, always real..salute to you champ! https://t.co/JrQrnXvtwI

— 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) September 13, 2019