Jefferson retires from NBA, pays tribute to father

Planning to pursue a career in broadcast journalism, the small forward
announced Saturday on Instagram that he has made the decision to "move on from
basketball." He also offered a tribute to his late father.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Richard Jefferson
Sr., 65, was killed in a drive-by shooting on Sept. 19 in Compton, Calif. He
was known as "Big Rich."

The 38-year-old Jefferson, a member of the world champion Cleveland Cavaliers
in 2016, played 20 games with the Denver Nuggets last season, averaging just
1.5 points in 8.2 points per game. He previously played for the then-New
Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, Utah
Jazz and Dallas Mavericks. He averaged 12.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0
assists in 1,181 career games, 809 of them as a starter.

On the Instagram post, he wrote: "In the last month I've dealt with two life
changing events back to back. My decision to move on from basketball and the
tragic passing of Big Rich. The support of my family and friends have been
huge."

The post included a video clip showing Big Rich at a barbecue he hosted for
about 20 people, and Jefferson added, "He really was a true OG. I'm going to
miss all his one-liners, his cooking and his ability to make a whole room
laugh."

Jefferson played at the University of Arizona from 1998-2001, and was the 13th
overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets.

--Field Level Media