Indiana Pacers point guard Darren Collison has decided to retire after 10 NBA seasons, he announced Friday in a submission to The Undefeated.
"While I still love basketball, I know there is something more important, which is my family and my faith," Collison wrote. "I am one of the Jehovah's Witnesses and my faith means everything to me. I receive so much joy from volunteering to help others and participate in a worldwide ministry. The joy I feel is unmatched.
"With that being said, I have decided to retire from the NBA."
Collison was a consistently underrated point guard during his NBA career and was one of the better 3-point marksmen for the position; he led the league in 2017-18 when he shot 46.8 percent from downtown.
Set to become a free agent, the 31-year-old likely would have garnered plenty of interest thanks to his steady and well-rounded play. He was expected to secure a new deal worth approximately $10 million to $12 million annually, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Collison started 518 of his 708 regular-season appearances and played a key role in Indiana's quick turnaround over the last two seasons.
He retires with career averages of 12.5 points and five assists.
