Former Portland Trail Blazer Gerald Henderson Jr, who played on the team during the 2015-16 season, recently wrote about coming to terms with his early retirement from the NBA for Closeup360. In the piece, Henderson Jr. reflects on how although his repeated injuries may have forced him from the basketball court, they have not left him without additional opportunities. Henderson Jr. announced his retirement in the piece, noting it followed an Achilles tear.
With a torn Achilles, I could have tried to come back and still play. But immediately, I was just was, like, I’ve had enough, because the process of surgery, which a lot of athletes know, it’s painstaking.