Lithuanian center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who overcame a series of career-threatening foot injuries to become an All-Star, announced his retirement from the NBA on Friday.
Ilgauskas, 36, missed the entire 1996-97 season and all but 29 games over a three-year span from 1998-2001 due to fractures in both feet. With his career in the balance, he underwent a procedure that re-aligned his foot to reduce the stress on the bones.
The 7-3 Ilgauskas averaged 13.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 843 games with Cleveland and Miami. He was a 1996 first-round pick of the Cavaliers and played 13 seasons in Cleveland before signing with the Heat last season.
Ilgauskas was an All-Star in 2003 and 2005. He played in the NBA Finals in 2007 with Cleveland and last season with Miami.
Earlier this summer, the Cavaliers announced that Ilgauskas' No. 11 would be retired by the club.
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