Former Spurs champion has retired from basketball
Dec 13, 2018; San Antonio, TX, USA; A general view of the San Antonio Spurs logo on the court prior to a game between the Spurs and the LA Clippers at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Exactly a decade after winning it all with the San Antonio Spurs, one veteran big man is ready to go golfing.
Former Spurs center Aron Baynes has retired from basketball. Baynes’ agent Daniel Molodovan made the announcement in a post to X on Wednesday.
The boy from Mareeba! Representing you for your entire career has been the honor of a lifetime. You embody everything we teach young athletes about professionalism, dedication and playing for the name on the front of the jersey, not on the back.
Love you Azza! All the very best… pic.twitter.com/bejepCQA2t
— Daniel Moldovan (@AgentMoldovan) October 16, 2024
The 37-year-old Baynes, who is of Australian descent, began his pro career in Europe in 2009 and then made the leap to the NBA in 2013. Baynes was a member of the San Antonio Spurs team that won the championship in 2014 and also later went on to play for Detroit, Boston, Phoenix, and Toronto.
While Baynes never made it back to the NBA after his 2020-21 Raptors stint (following a freak fall he suffered while representing Australia at the Tokyo Olympics), he managed to resume his playing career in Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) with the Brisbane Bullets from 2022-24. With his NBA championship ring, roughly $38 million in NBA career earnings, and the ability to have gone out on his own terms, Baynes is ready to call it a day.
