Darren Collison is far from washed. He played in 76 games for the Pacers last season, averaged 11.6 points and 6 assists a game, shot 40.7 percent from three, and was an above-average point guard all the way around. While the Pacers were looking to move on, there was a market for Collison’s services that would likely have paid him eight figures next season.
He is walking away from that.
In a story he wrote for ESPN’s The Undefeated, Collison announced his retirement from the league.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. 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.
Collison spent 10 seasons in the NBA after four seasons at UCLA (he was the point guard on the 2007-08 Bruin team that had Russell Westbrook as the other guard, Kevin Love in the paint, and Luc Mbah a Moute on the wing, a team that went to the Final Four).
It’s a surprise announcement, but few players get to leave the game on their own terms. Collison just did that. We all hope he finds true joy in what comes as the next phase of his life.