8-Year NBA Player Announces Retirement From Basketball

John Henson, who played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons, has retired from basketball.

June 28, 2012; Newark, NJ, USA; John Henson (North Carolina) puts on a cap after being introduced as the number fourteen overall pick to the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2012 NBA Draft at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-Imagn Images / Jerry Lai-Imagn Images

John Henson most recently played in the NBA during the 2019-20 season when he was a member of the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers.

He finished that year with averages of 5.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per contest while shooting 55.6% from the field and 22.2% from the three-point range in 40 games (eight starts).

Recently, Henson announced his retirement from basketball (via
Spencer Davies of RG.org).

Via Rg.org: "Former NBA center @Johnhenson31, exclusively for @RGSafePlay, confirms his retirement and looks forward to the next phase of his life in sports media."

Former NBA center @Johnhenson31, exclusively for @RGSafePlay, confirms his retirement and looks forward to the next phase of his life in sports media.

via @SpinDavies https://t.co/Lnd7laGFeC

— RG.org (@RGSafePlay) September 11, 2024

Henson was the 14th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft out of UNC.

He won the ACC Defensive Player of The Year in two of his three seasons in college.

Mar 23, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward John Henson (31) shoots the ball as Ohio Bobcats forward T.J. Hall (13) defends during the second half of the semifinals in the midwest region of the 2012 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-Imagn Images / Scott Rovak-Imagn Images

The 33-year-old spent eight seasons in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers.

His longest tenure came with the Bucks (seven seasons).

Oct 19, 2018; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward John Henson (31) high fives guard Tony Snell (21) after scoring a three point basket against the Indiana Pacers during the second half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images / Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Henson had career averages of 7.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest while shooting 54.0% from the field and 25.0% from the three-point range in 445 regular season games

He also appeared in 14 NBA playoff games (two starts).

Oct 29, 2018; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward John Henson (31) reacts after the Bucks beat the Toronto Raptors at the Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Davies also reported what Henson plans to do next.

Via Davies' article on Rg.org: "In January, during college basketball season, he’ll provide color commentary for ACC games under Raycom, appear on SiriusXM’s ACC Today program, and break down matchups for Field of 68: AFTER DARK on YouTube. On top of that, he just signed a deal with Odds Shark to contribute remotely to The Huddle, a weekly football podcast on Wednesdays."