Recently retired NBA players are Udonis Haslem, Lou Williams, LaMarcus Aldridge and Carmelo Anthony. Haslem played his last game in the 2023 NBA Finals.
There have been some notable farewells in the NBA this year, and all those who bid a tearful goodbye to their illustrious career will be missed. The retirement of these incredible players signals the end of an era in the league.
However, their impact will continue to resonate, and their departure opens up opportunities for new, talented players to shine and leave their mark on the NBA's history.
Apart from the above-mentioned names, there are a handful of other familiar NBA players retiring in 2023.
Former San Antonio Spurs guard Keith Langford and the current Portland Trail Blazers player development coach Eugene Jeter are among the few who stepped away from the game.
1. Udonis Haslem
NBA legend Udonis Haslem officially retired from his 20 year career with the Miami Heat in June 2023. Haslem has won three NBA championships during his career.
He has been with Miami since the beginning of 2002 and holds records for the most rebounds and games played. Haslem played a crucial role in the Heat's glory days, contributing to their three NBA championships in 2006, 2012, and 2013.
For his remarkable contribution to the franchise, Miami Heat retired jersey of Haslem, the iconic no. 40. He also represented the United States in the 2008 Olympics and helped the team clinch the gold medal.
Playing at age 42 in the 2022-23 season, he was the oldest active NBA player. Moreover, Haslem became the oldest player to ever appear in the NBA Finals, surpassing the record of 42 years, 58 days set in 1989 by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
2. Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony is a former New York Knicks star who retired from the NBA in 2023. Carmelo Anthony retirement date was on 22nd May 2023.
Anthony, who had an incredible journey from winning the NCAA championship with Syracuse in his college season to enjoying a long 19-year career in the NBA, waved farewell to his stellar basketball career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
He finished his career with an impressive 28,289 points, landing him in the ninth spot on the all-time scoring list. Additionally, he earned the NBA All-Star selection 10 times and made it to the All-NBA team six times.
Despite all his outstanding personal stats, also winning the 2013 NBA scoring champion, Anthony has never won a championship. He tried with six different teams, including the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets but came short of winning every time.
3. LaMarcus Aldridge
LaMarcus Aldridge retired from NBA for the second time on 31st March 2023. Aldridge initially announced his retirement in April 2021 but returned to play.
The Dallas, Texas native played over 16 seasons in the league, winning 7 NBA All-Star throughout his career. Picked by the Chicago Bulls in the 2006 Draft, Aldridge was traded right away to the Blazers, where he stayed until 2015.
He further played for the San Antonio Spurs and Brooklyn Nets before handing up his jersey once and for all.
LaMarcus Aldridge height in feet is 6.92, accounting for 6 feet and 11 inches.
On April 15, 2021, while playing for the Nets, Aldridge said he was retiring from basketball because of health problems caused by his irregular heartbeat.
However, he came back to play for the Nets in the following season after getting the green light from his doctors.
4. Lou Williams
Lou Williams made a big decision to end his basketball career after playing for 17 years. He retired at the age of 36 on 18th June 2023.
Throughout his NBA career, he recorded a fantastic score of 13,396 points while coming off the bench. This incredible feat is now a record in the NBA.
Williams played for six different clubs in his career, beginning with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2005. He then played for the Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets, LA Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and two spells at Atlanta.
After spending a season with the Raptors, Lou joined the Lakers in 2015. He played with them until the middle of the 2016-17 NBA season, when he got traded to Houston.
After completing the season with the Rockets, he was traded to the Clippers again in the 2017 offseason. Then, in 2021, Williams returned to the Atlanta Hawks through a trade deal.
5. Luigi Datome
Luigi Datome brought an end to his blazing professional basketball career on 7th July 2023. Datome bid adieu to the courts at the age of 35.
The versatile player, who emanated from Montebelluna, Italy, spent two years in the NBA playing for the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics. Datome signed a two-year, $3.5 million contract with the Pistons in July 2013.
Two years later, in February 2015, the Italian forward was traded to Boston. But his stay at the Celys did not materialize, and by July 2015, he was out of the team and from the league as he moved to Fenerbahçe in Turkey.
Furthermore, Luigi was part of the Italian national basketball team and helped them earn a bronze medal at the 2013 EuroBasket tournament.
6. Keith Langford
Keith Langford gracefully exited the realm of the basketball world on May 4, 2023. Langford is a former San Antonio Spurs player in NBA.
Langford had a very brief NBA career with the Spurs, appearing in only two matches during the 2007-08 campaign.
Langford spent most of his career playing in Europe in different countries. After a short tenure with the Spurs, he signed with another D-League team Austin Toros until the end of the season.
In 2008, Keith landed in Italy to join Angelico Biella. Afterward, he went on a run playing for several EuroLeague teams such as BC UNICS, Maccabi Tel Aviv, AEK Athens, and culminating his career with the Mass Street Kansas Alumni team.
Moreover, Langford won the EuroLeague Top Scorer twice and was chosen for All-EuroLeague First Team in 2014.
7. Eugene Jeter
Eugene Jeter is an American-Ukrainian former basketball player. Jeter retired from the professional sport in June 2023.
After concluding his playing career, Jeter decided to work with the Portland Trail Blazers. He became an assistant manager for their new G League team, the Rip City Remix. Additionally, he helps train players as a player development coach for the Trail Blazers.
Jeter, 39, joined the Sacramento Kings in the 2010 offseason from Hapoel Jerusalem. Following a year in NBA, Jeter went back to Spain and joined Joventut Badalona for the 2011-2012 season.
After a round trip across Europe, the veteran point guard eventually returned to the United States to play for the NBA G League Ignite team.
8. Tyrell Terry
Tyrell Terry made a decision to step away from professional basketball because of his mental health in December 2022. Terry was only 22 when he retired.
The Dallas Mavericks picked Terry in the 2020 NBA draft. During his first year, he played in 11 games with the team. However, in October 2021, the Mavericks decided to let him go.
He then contracted with the Memphis Grizzlies, where he played 2 games before being waived again in July 2022.
According to Yahoo Sports, Terry revealed that he was stepping away from basketball to prioritize his mental health. Since retiring from playing, Terry found a new purpose in life, becoming a Mental Health Advocate, helping people in need.
9. Ekpe Udoh
Ekpe Udoh is a former NBA big man currently serving as an assistant coach for the NBA side Atlanta Hawks. Udon wrapped his playing career in 2023.
Recently in February, the 36-year-old veteran agreed to join a Japanese B League team Kyoto Hannaryz. However, a few months later, in June 2023.
Udoh retired as a player and made a new move by joining the Atlanta Hawks, not as a player, but as a member of Quin Snyder's coaching staff.
The 6th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft, Ekpe commenced his career with Golden State and made stops in several teams during his NBA career, including the Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Utah Jazz.
After his NBA career, he took his skills to different countries and played for teams in China, Italy, and Japan.
