Zach Randolph on NBA Retirement After 17-Year Career: 'I Gave This Game My All'

On the heels of telling TMZ his NBA career was over, Zach Randolph issued a formal statement about his decision to walk away from the sport after 17 seasons. 

In a note posted to Twitter, Randolph opened his announcement by saying, "I gave this game my all, and it gave everything back and more."

Randolph played with five different teams over 17 seasons from 2001-18. He was originally drafted No. 19 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers and spent six years with the organization. 

Primarily a role player off the bench in his first two seasons, Randolph emerged as a top-tier power forward in 2003-04 when he averaged 20.1 points and 10.5 rebounds per game and was named the NBA's Most Improved Player. 

After bouncing around to the New York Knicks (2007-08) and Los Angeles Clippers (2008-09), Randolph really came into his own as a key figure for the grit-and-grind Memphis Grizzlies from 2009-17. 

Z-Bo averaged a double-double in five of his eight seasons with the Grizzlies. His crowning achievement was a 28-point, 14-rebound output in Memphis' 88-84 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the 2013 Western Conference Semifinals, which helped send the franchise to its only appearance in the Western Conference Finals.

When Randolph signed with the Sacramento Kings in July 2017, the Grizzlies announced his No. 50 jersey would be retired. He didn't appear in a game last season for either the Kings or Dallas Mavericks, who waived him two days after acquiring him in a Feb. 6 trade. 

A two-time All-Star, Randolph averaged 16.6 points and 9.1 rebounds in 1,116 regular-season games.