Shocking news came out of the NBA today as it was revealed that LaMarcus Aldridge would be retiring from the game of basketball due to a heart condition. After signing with the Brooklyn Nets, many expected Aldridge to make a huge playoff run this year, which made his retirement announcement that much more shocking. In the end, however, Aldridge wanted to be around for his family and you can't help but respect his decision.
Aldridge's former Blazers teammate Damian Lillard was on ESPN as the news was breaking, and in the clip below, you can see Lillard make the case for Aldridge's jersey retirement in Portland. As Lillard notes, Aldridge deserves to be honored as he was instrumental in that team's success.
"It's time the Blazers retire the number 12 man," Lillard said. "He had an amazing career in a Trail Blazers uniform. There is no denying the kind of career he had in Portland and what he meant to this city. I think that's the proper respect to retire that jersey because of who he was and what he did for the organization."
While it might take a while for the Blazers to make such a decision, it's clear that Aldridge has the support of players throughout the league, which is great to see considering the circumstances.
