(Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
By Anthony Payero
(BROOKLYN, N.Y.) Brooklyn Nets center LaMarcus Aldridge revealed on Twitter on Thursday that he is stepping away from the National Basketball Association (NBA) after dealing with an irregular heartbeat during his last appearance with the team, according to ESPN.
"For 15 years I've put basketball first," Aldridge wrote. "And now, it is time to put my health and family first."
Aldridge, 35, shared details on Twitter about his experience with the irregular heartbeat during the Nets' game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, after which his condition worsened.
"The next morning, I told the team what was going on and they were great getting me to the hospital," Aldridge wrote. "Though I'm better now, what I felt with my heart that night was still one of the scariest things I've experienced."
Aldridge did not play in the Nets' last two games due to a non-COVID-19 related illness, the team reported.
Nets general manager Sean Marks said the team agrees and supports Aldridge's decision to retire.
"We know this was not an easy decision for him, but after careful consideration and consultation with medical experts, he made the best decision for him, his family and for his life after basketball," Marks said in a statement.
Aldridge signed with Brooklyn after reaching a buyout agreement with the San Antonio Spurs where he had spent the previous 5½ seasons. The seven-time All-Star spent the first nine years of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers.