Richard Jefferson calls it quits after 15 seasons in the NBA. AP
Farewell Richard Jefferson – Leaving on a high note
Richard Jefferson announces his retirement to @FSOAllieOop on @cavs Live postgame
STREAM: https://t.co/PVOvJghtO4 https://t.co/k3Rr2ki9g0
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) June 20, 2016
“I am retiring. I am retiring,”
Fifteen seasons, two lost finals, seven teams, 32,516 minutes played, 14426 points and finally on the eve of his 36th birthday Richard Jefferson is an NBA champion.
In the 2001 NBA Draft, Jefferson was drafted 13th overall by the New Jersey Nets where he played for seven seasons, and was a key element of their back-to-back Eastern Conference Championship teams of 2002 and 2003.
RJ began his career as a substitute small forward for Keith Van Horn and showed great defensive skills and all-around ability. Because of his potential, and Van Horn’s conflict with power forward Kenyon Martin, the Nets traded Van Horn to the Philadelphia 76ers and trusted Jefferson as a starter. Jefferson blossomed in the role, becoming a good mid- and long-range shooter in addition to his slashing ability. On August 13, 2004, Jefferson signed a six-year, $78,000,000 contract extension with the Nets.
Jefferson missed the majority of the 2004–05 regular season after rupturing a ligament in his left wrist. Jefferson ended up missing 49 games, but returned to action for the first round of the playoffs against the Miami Heat. Prior to suffering the injury, he had missed only five games in his three NBA seasons. Jefferson had been enjoying his best professional season, averaging 22.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. Through the 2005–06 season, Jefferson continued to perform at a high level and established himself as one of the NBA’s most versatile players.
He started the 2007–08 season in the best form of his NBA career. In the first 7 games, he averaged 26.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists, while also notching up 1.3 steals, 97.1% in free-throws and 49.1% in field-goals. On December 4 he passed Kerry Kittles to become the Nets’ second all-time leading scorer.
In 2008, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks and played another great season, averaging 19.6 points per game while starting all 82 games. After this 2008-2009 season he was traded to the Spurs and had three more great years before adapting to a role player for Utah, Golden State, Dallas and Cleveland, who he became an NBA champion with, last night. (via wikipedia.org)
Richard Jefferson ends his career with averages of 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
Sports Illustrated
Before Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thurdsay night, The Player’s Tribune published Jefferson’s emotional essay “who we are”.
LeBron James may always hold the crown for to the most popular piece ever published by a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, but Jefferson’s essay could soon hold the first spot below it.
Jefferson laughed at the thought that he created something so powerful, but couldn’t deny the response he received.
“I’m just really happy that the people liked it,” Jefferson said. “You should see my SnapChat. The messages are just nonstop.”
Jefferson’s SnapChat was a big reason that he took the opportunity to put this piece together.
After its initial creation, however, Jefferson heard the things that were being said about the Cavaliers— about the disfunction, the dislike and the distrust. He heard things and read things that he knew weren’t true, so he couldn’t help but to open up the account for all to see.
He wanted all to know the real story of the Cavaliers, not the narrative created by those pretending to know the team.
“This is a family. We live in, essentially, a biosphere with only ourselves for most of the year,” Jefferson said. “Of course, guys are going to get mad at each other and fight, just like brothers and sisters do. That doesn’t mean we’re not family.”
Jefferson likened the Cavaliers to a couple of families, in fact.
Families such as those seen on “The Big Bang Theory” or “Modern Family.”
Each episode of the aforementioned shows ends happily, with most if not all of the characters on good terms or in good spirits. As the camera is turned off, however, not all is always well.
The Cavaliers, at least according to Jefferson, are almost the opposite of what you see on scripted TV.
“It’s always disappointing when you watch “The Big Bang Theory” and everything is going well and then you kind of find out that they may not like each other,” Jefferson said. “I just wanted to let people know that this wasn’t like that.”
(originally published on: http://www.scout.com/nba/cavaliers/story/1679607-behind-richard-jefferson-s-emotional-essay)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LZNX2hKBRQ
Fifteen seasons, two lost finals, seven teams, 32,516 minutes played, 14426 points and finally on the eve of his 36th birthday Richard Jefferson is an NBA champion.
“I am retiring. I am retiring,”
Retire old man, you deserve it. Congratulations on a great career champ!
