15-Year NBA Veteran LaMarcus Aldridge Retires

"Today, I write this letter with a heavy heart,"

That's how LaMarcus Aldridge began his announcement on Twitter.

After 15 years of playing for three National Basketball Association (NBA) teams, LaMarcus Aldridge announced his retirement from the game due to a heart ailment.

As it turned out, Aldridge, who signed with the Brooklyn Nets last month, played against the Los Angeles Lakers with an irregular heartbeat. That experience, in Aldridge's words, was one of the scariest things he has experienced.

And this wasn't the first time heart-related issues hampered Aldridge.

In his rookie season with the Portland Trail Blazers, Aldridge was diagnosed with Wolff Parkinson White syndrome. He also missed games in 2017 with the San Antonio Spurs due to heart arrhythmia.

Aldridge, now 35, played five games with the Nets before sitting out the team's past two games. He averaged 12 points, four rebounds, and two blocks in those games.

For his career that span 1,029 regular-season games, he averaged 19 points and eight rebounds. In 72 playoff games, he normed 20 points and nine rebounds. He was picked as the second pick in the 2006 NBA Draft and was a seven-time All-Star.

While it was a hard decision, Aldridge said, "For 15 years, I've put basketball first, and now, it is time to put my health and family first,"

In his final NBA game against the Lakers, Aldridge finished with 12 points, three rebounds, and three blocks in 23 minutes.

Photo is from CBS Sports