Two years after a nasty car accident sidelined him, Chandler Parsons has officially retired from the NBA.
His last game was on December 27, 2019, with the Atlanta Hawks and many people rightly assumed he had played his last professional game.
Still, some were hoping that Parsons would return to the league, where he averaged 12.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game in 440 career games.
Parsons took to Instagram to announce the retirement.
His full statement follows:
“Man, I don’t even know where to begin… It’s been a crazy last couple years and has put a lot of things in perspective. I’ve had so many ups and downs and thankful for every single one of them. My entire life all I wanted to be was an NBA player. I didn’t even realize, or think what came with that, I just wanted to compete and play basketball at the highest level. I can proudly say, I did THAT! It wasn’t perfect, but it was a blast and I want to take a moment to thank every single person who helped me reach my dreams. My family, my friends, my aau and high school program, University of Florida, thank you for preparing me and getting me ready for the journey. To the Rockets, Mavericks, Grizzlies and Hawks, thank you for believing in me and giving me an opportunity to live my dreams. To all the staff, trainers, doctors, coaches, teammates, agents, and most important the fans who supported me, THANK YOU. I sure will miss it, the flights, the film sessions, the games, but am so excited for the next chapter of my life. Thank you all, love. CP25.”
Parsons’ career never reached the heights some expected from the former University of Florida player but he had many exciting moments of greatness.
Chandler’s Career
Parsons was a second-round draft pick for the 2011-12 NBA season, where he was picked up by the Houston Rockets.
He earned All-Rookie honors during his first season and was an important part of the team’s lineup.
Additionally, he averaged 19.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists for the Rockets during the 2014 playoffs, playing alongside James Harden and Dwight Howard.
Due to his work in Houston, Parsons landed a sizable contract with the Dallas Mavericks, but injuries started to make themselves very well known.
In fact, Parsons would never play more than 40 games in the final four years of his career.
His injuries never ceased, which eventually lead to a torn meniscus in the 2015-16 season, his first season with the Memphis Grizzlies.
An Accident That Ended It All
Parsons’ final season in the league had him playing for the Hawks.
However, he played just five games for the team due to lingering injuries.
Before he could perform a comeback, it was all derailed when a serious car accident caused multiple severe injuries.
Parsons was exiting practice when a drunk driver caused a three-car pile-up and inflicted what his lawyers called career-ending injuries.
Included in the injuries were a brain injury, disc herniation, and torn labrum.
The driver was arrested and charged with a DUI and, according to reports, Parsons has settled a lawsuit against him for a considerable amount.
Despite the hopes of many Parsons fans, it seemed very unlikely that he would ever play again after the crash.
Therefore, the announcement of his retirement isn’t shocking but still disappointing because it feels like Parsons never really got time to reach his potential.
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