Lakers News: Retired PG Darren Collison Says Rumored Contract Was 'Overhyped'

Darren Collison's oft-rumored NBA comeback? It was never happening.

“To keep it 100, they overhyped the whole thing. Like, I wasn’t even thinking about coming back," Collison said on the Minute Til 6 podcast.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers were among the teams heavily pursuing Collison, who retired for religious reasons in June 2019 despite several multimillion-dollar offers.

"While I still love basketball, I know there is something more important, which is my family and my faith," Collison wrote for The Undefeated at the time. "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."

The Lakers and Clippers both viewed Collison as a potentially integral addition to their bench depth. Both teams eventually moved on, with the Lakers adding Dion Waiters and the Clippers bringing in Reggie Jackson. 

Collison averaged 12.5 points and 5.0 assists over his 10-year NBA career, playing for the then-New Orleans Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Clippers and Sacramento Kings.