LaMarcus Aldridge shocked the world when he signed with the Brooklyn Nets last season. The franchise already had Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Kevin Durant, so Aldridge’s arrival was a shining example of the rich getting richer in the NBA, and it struck a nerve for many in the community.
Perhaps even more shocking than his move to Brooklyn was his abrupt retirement that came just 5 games later.
At the time, it was discovered that the basketball veteran was experiencing an irregular heartbeat. This was the message he sent at the time:
“My last game, I played while dealing with an irregular heartbeat. Later on that night, my rhythm got even worse which really worried me even more.
The next morning, I told the team what was going on and they were great getting me to the hospital and getting me checked out. Though I a better now, what I felt with my heat that night was still one of the scariest things I’ve experienced.
With that being said, I’ve made the difficult decision to retire from the NBA. For 15 years, I’ve put basketball first, and now, it is time to put my health and my family first.”
But now, Aldridge is back in the league and set to re-join the Nets after being medically cleared.
According to reports, he has inked a one-year deal.
“I retired in April based on what I believed was the wisest precautionary decision for my personal health at the time, but further testing and evaluation by several top physicians has convinced the doctors, myself and the Nets that I’m fully cleared and able to return to the rigors of the NBA,” Aldridge told ESPN. “I loved my brief time with Brooklyn and am excited to rejoin the team in pursuit of a championship.”
At 36-years-old, Aldridge is well past his days of being a focal point on the offensive end. He’ll be playing a minimal role off the bench for Brooklyn.
Still, L.A. still has a lot left on the tank. Just two seasons ago, he averaged 18.9 points per game in San Antonio.
We’ll see what kind of numbers he’s able to put up this upcoming season.
