LaMarcus Aldridge, less than a year removed from announcing his retirement from the game of basketball due to an irregular heartbeat, is now part of an exclusive club that seemed like a lost dream after he had to call it quits earlier this year.
But after getting clearance from doctors prior to this season and deciding to step back onto the court, Aldridge put himself in position for history on Friday night, and reached it with a mid-range jumper to give the 36-year-old 20,000 points for his career.
“It’s a true blessing,” Aldridge said after Brooklyn’s 105-98 win over the Pacers on Friday night. “Definitely didn’t think it was gonna happen after what happened last year. I stuck with it, fought back and it definitely felt good to get it done and be back out there. I just feel blessed.”
Late in the third quarter of Friday night’s game, with Brooklyn up 12, Aldridge took a pass from Jevon Carter and buried it to become the 48th player in NBA history to reach 20,000 career points. Heading back down the floor, he laughed and pointed over at Kevin Durant, who had wanted to be the one who assisted on the historic bucket.
“I knew. That’s why I was laughing after I did it,” Aldridge said. “The team, the guys told me every day how close I was…I think Kev hit me on two back-to-back jump shots, or I think Patty and then Kev hit me. Then they called timeout, I was sitting there with Kev, and I was like ‘man, I need one more bucket for 20k.’ He said ‘I wanna pass it to you.’”
Listen to New York sports talk now on Audacy and shop the latest Nets team gear
Aldridge’s first stint with the Nets lasted just five games due to his heart condition, which he initially thought spelled the end of a 15-year career. But now, healthy enough to return for Year 16, Aldridge is able to celebrate a milestone that few have ever enjoyed.
“He has scoring instincts, man,” Durant said. “It’s something you condition your mind for as a kid. You just know how to score the basketball no matter what in any situation…20,000 points for a career, only 48 players did that. There's thousands of players who played this game, that's a huge accomplishment to be looked at as a 20-point scorer your whole career.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch