Darren Collison's sudden retirement came as a shock to his Indiana Pacer teammates. Anyone who paid close attention to the Pacers' unheralded 2018-2019 season certainly took notice of Collison's effectiveness as both a starter and a valuable bench scorer. The 10-year vet informed Marc J. Spears (of The Undefeated) of his decision, before taking the reins himself in publishing an op-ed under his own name. Plainly titled "Darren Collison: I have decided to retire from the NBA," the 31-year old point guard spoke of his decision to leave the NBA at the height of his powers, in an effort to devote himself to the Jehovah's Witness ministry.
"I wish my brother and good friend well in his next stages in life and in all of his future endeavors going forward," Pacers' teammate Thaddeus Young told a journalist working for HoopsHype via text message. "He was one of the best competitors I've ever played with. He played with fire, energy, and desire every night. He's definitely a teammate I'd want to go to war with any day. I feel blessed to have played with DC."
Collison's NBA will thus come to an end once his contract expires on July 1st. The 31-year old was set to become a free agent during the offseason and was likely viewed as a cost-effective option for many teams in need of perimeter shooting, or a back-up point guard. Collison averaged 12.5 points per game and 5.0 assists (per game) over the course of his NBA career. All the best!