Veteran guard J.J. Redick retires after 15 NBA seasons

Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Veteran shooting guard J.J. Redick, who starred at Duke University before embarking on a 15-year career in the NBA, announced his retirement from the league Tuesday.

The 37-year-old Redick played with the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans, Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks over 15 seasons. He averaged 12.8 points across 940 career regular-season games.

Redick also ended his career as one of the NBA's greatest threats from 3-point range, ranking 15th in league history in 3-pointers made (1,950).

"As a 7-year-old boy, I dreamed of playing at Duke as I got older. I dreamed of playing in the NBA," Redick said on his The Old Man and the Three podcast. "The last 30 years of basketball have been beyond my wildest dreams. I never could have imagined that I would have played basketball for this long.

"After years of youth leagues, AAU, high school basketball, four years at Duke and 15 years in the NBA, I'm retiring from the game that I love so much."

Redick remains Duke's all-time leading scorer, notching 2,769 points in his collegiate career. He is the school's all-time leader in 3-pointers made (457) and free-throw percentage (91.2%).

After averaging a school-best 26.8 points as a senior at Duke, Redick was selected with the No. 11 overall pick by the Magic in the 2006 draft. He spent parts of his first seven seasons in Orlando before joining the Bucks for 28 games in the 2012-13 campaign.

Redick then played four seasons for the Clippers before joining the 76ers for two years. Injuries limited him to just 44 games for the Pelicans and Mavericks last season, when he averaged just 7.4 points.

"It was difficult for a number of reasons," Redick said of last season. "Being injured, being away from my family, COVID protocols and really, truly not playing up to my standards. I would like to describe last season as a seven-month exercise in coming face-to-face with my own athletic mortality, and it was scary and confusing.

"... I have some clarity now and I know it's time. It's time for me to be a dad. It's time for me to reflect, pause, and it's time for me to get ready for the next phase of my life."

Redick averaged 12.8 points, two assists and two rebounds in his NBA career.