After the Cleveland Cavaliers won their first championship in franchise history this season, 36-year-old Richard announced that he was retiring. A few days later at the championship parade, Jefferson told the crowd that if they wanted, he would be willing to keep playing. Most attributed this to a mix of adrenaline and alcohol, but it appears that Jefferson was serious about un-retiring. From Yahoo’s Chris Mannix:
Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson, a key contributor to Cleveland’s 2016 championship run, has decided not to retire and hopes to play two to three more seasons, league sources told The Vertical.
Jefferson shocked the world with his performance in the postseason this year. At his age, Jefferson was expected to be an end-of-the-bench guy, but instead was a key contributor. Jefferson played so well that he earned a spot in the starting lineup when Kevin Love missed a game with a concussion. He even started the following game when Love was active. Jefferson was a model of efficiency in this year’s playoffs, shooting 52.4% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc.
Through his 15-year NBA career, Jefferson never made an All-Star or All-NBA Team. However, he was an excellent player, averaging over 20 points per game in two different seasons.
