After an NBA career that lasted 7 years with three separate teams, center Tiago Splitter announced on SporTV that he plans to retire from basketball. Splitter cites his recent injury issues as the reason for his retirement, namely his pesky chronic hip injury (h/t FanRag Sports):
“I am going to stop playing. It’s a decision I’ve made these past few months,” said Splitter. “It’s not something I want, but the hip injury I’ve been having is more troublesome than we thought. It’s a difficult time because you stop doing something you’ve done a lifetime. I remember being on a basketball court as long as I remember my person. I talked to my family, my wife, everyone, and really, it’s time to hang up the sneakers.”
Splitter also announced the decision to hang it up on his Twitter account:
There's nothing better in the world than being a basketball player! The time has come, perhaps the most difficult in an athlete's career, time to say goodbye to the courts.
I say goodbye with a broken heart but in the certainty of duty.
Thank you all ????— Tiago Splitter (@tiagosplitter) February 19, 2018
During his best years in the NBA, Tiago Splitter served as one of the most crucial pieces of San Antonio Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich’s rotation.
Splitter started in San Antonio’s frontcourt alongside future Hall-of-Famer and all-time great Tim Duncan for a two-year stretch, including 2014 when the team was able to secure a championship.
Outside of his successful 5-year stint with the Spurs, Splitter also spent minimal time with the Atlanta Hawks and only appeared in 8 games for the Philadelphia 76ers last year. Splitter, 33, hadn’t found a team yet this season, so that may have also played a role in his ultimate decision to retire.
