11:54am: Ford announced his decision via Twitter: "It's official " I Retire from the NBA " as of today."
10:49am: Following a neck injury that forced him out of action last Wednesday, T.J. Ford has decided to take an indefinite leave of absence while he contemplates retirement, according to a statement from the Spurs. According to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter links), Ford himself says his career is over.
"After last Wednesday, I felt being on the floor and being in that position one too many times," Ford said. "I feel like that was enough for me…. That was the last basketball game you’ll see me play.
"It’s tough because I know I can still play," Ford added. "If I had to play today, I could play. The tests came back negative. I just felt mentally and physically, my body has taken enough."
Ford, 28, has been limited to 102 games in the last three seasons, including just 14 this year, due to various injuries. Although Ford's most recent injury was diagnosed as just a neck stinger, the incident was particularly scary given the point guard's history of neck and spine issues.
Ford has played for the Bucks, Raptors, Pacers, and Spurs over the course of his nine-year NBA career, with averages of 11.2 points and 5.8 assists in 429 career games. If 2011/12 ends up being his final season, he'll have earned about $43MM in the NBA, according to Basketball-Reference.