Longtime Milwaukee Buck John Henson Confirms Retirement

John Henson, the Milwaukee Bucks' 14th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, confirmed his retirement from the NBA Wednesday, per Spencer Davies of RG.org.

Milwaukee Bucks forward John Henson (31) high fives guard Tony Snell (21) after scoring a three point basket against the Indiana Pacers during a 2018 regular season game at Fiserv Forum. / Matt Marton-Imagn Images

MILWAUKEE — Four years removed from his last NBA game with the Detroit Pistons, former Milwaukee Bucks lottery pick John Henson has officially retired from professional basketball.

Henson, who played with the Bucks from 2012 to 2019, confirmed his retirement Wednesday, according to pro basketball writer Spencer Davies' X account.

Former Milwaukee Buck John Henson has announced his retirement from the NBA 💚😢 pic.twitter.com/InjVFFh3Yn

— TheBucksZone (@TheBucksZone) September 11, 2024

Henson now is pursuing a career in sports media.

“It’s been fun. It's like a journey, man. Every year, there's new opportunities,” Henson told RG.org in a phone interview. “Just like basketball, you've got to work hard, stay down, be prepared and meet the right people, know the right people, treat people the right way, and it'll progress forward for you."

Henson spent eight seasons playing in the NBA — seven with the Bucks, plus 40 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons. With Milwaukee, Henson posted career averages of 7.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.5 blocks per game over 405 appearances. His best season was arguably the 2013-14 season when he averaged 11.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks.

The Bucks traded Henson to Cleveland in December 2018. Milwaukee would finish first in the Eastern Conference that season and win the NBA title two seasons later.

“It was like a closing chapter for me,” Henson said of Milwaukee’s title win in an article by RG.org. “When they were trying to win it, I almost had anxiety like, 'Oh man, are they gonna win? What's gonna happen? Hopefully they win.' And then, part of you's like, 'Ah, they traded me. I don't want them to win.' But when they did win, I was just happy for 'em. I love it for them. We’re still close to this day.”

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