Former Lakers Starting Guard Confirms Retirement From NBA

Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Jodie Meek has just announced his retirement after ten seasons in the NBA. Meek got just one ring during his NBA career after winning a championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. Lakers fans hyped him for two seasons. Meek even had a starting role with the team and averaged career-high 15.7 points per game in the 2013-2014 season.

Meek, 35, bounced in the NBA and signed contracts with seven different teams. It was an expected move, per many NBA analysts. He didn’t receive many offers and made the final move.

"This will be the icing on the cake.”

As Jodie Meeks approaches his new basketball career – coaching – he's hopeful he can accomplish one last dream, and that is winning a gold medal with his country in the @AmeriCup.

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) September 1, 2022

“You always want to have a chance to compete in the Olympics, but obviously it’s so hard to make it in America because the talent level is so high,” Meeks told Drumwright. “So this would be special for me to compete and win a gold medal.”

The former Lakers guard saw this retirement coming

Meek is past his prime and had to retire at some point. LeBron James is 37, but Meek’s story was written differently.

“I’m young, but in basketball, I’m a little older,” Meeks said. “I’m no spring chicken anymore. But that’s OK. I can still move, I still feel like I can still play. And obviously I’m out here doing well. So for my career, it’s definitely been a good one and this will be the icing on the cake.”

Lakers fans thought that Meek would reunite with the team. He was pretty sure about his potential deal with the Lakers.

“Most definitely,” Meek told Wenzell Ortiz of Sideline Sources when asked if he’d sign a contract with the Lakers. “I really enjoyed my two years with the Lakers, so reuniting would be something that I’d be more than happy to do. Aside from being a great locker room presence, I can clearly add shooting, and I’m also a hard-nosed defender. I can come in and give that extra effort off the bench that everybody saw they needed last season. Every team can use a shooter that can make shots for their superstars.”