On Thursday night, P.J. Tucker used Instagram to announce his NBA retirement. Tucker, 41, didn’t play for an NBA team this past season, but he did play three games for the Knicks in the 2024–25 campaign.
He helped the Milwaukee Bucks win an NBA title in 2020–21, which may have been his most memorable season. He averaged 4.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in 23 games for the Bucks during that postseason as they won their first-ever championship.
In the midst of this year’s NBA playoffs, Tucker sent an emotional message on social media announcing his retirement.
In the Instagram post’s description, Tucker wrote:
“20 years being my job but 40 plus years of not being able to fathom doing anything other than it. So here’s to retiring from the NBA… because I will NEVER stop ballin,”
Since then, a number of NBA players, including Karl-Anthony Towns and Russell Westbrook, have wished him well in the comments area.
Over the course of 14 NBA seasons, Tucker played for eight different clubs, including the Suns, Rockets, and 76ers. Despite being selected by Toronto in the 2006 draft, he had trouble settling into the professional ranks at first. He took his skills abroad and hooped throughout the world for the next five years after his one-year rookie stint in Toronto.
In 2012, Tucker made a comeback to the NBA and established himself as a fierce defender and astute role-player with a wealth of postseason experience. According to Spotrac, he has since earned about $90 million over his NBA career.
