After 12 NBA seasons and 774 combined regular-season and playoff games, Raja Bell has decided to officially retire from the league. Bell told Talkin Hoopz of his retirement in an exclusive interview.
At 37, Bell hasn’t played a game since the 2011/12 season with the Jazz. He had a falling out with coach Tyrone Corbin after that season, and the team eventually waived him after a lengthy standoff in the 2012/13 season. Bell had talked and worked out for NBA teams up through last offseason, but never landed another contract. While he was still looking for late season work last year, he says he’s past the point, physically, of answering the call.
“Earlier this year I shut it down. I’m 37, I have three boys, I do miss it, but physically it wasn’t realistic for me to keep training and keep putting my body through what I’ve been putting it through for the last 20 years,” Bell told Talkin Hoopz. “I’m enjoying retirement, and trying to find out what the next chapter is going to hold for me.”
Bell built a reputation as a great defender over a career that started as an undrafted free agent with the Sixers in 2000/01. Bell scored just shy of 7,000 points in his career for an average of 9.9 PPG, and was a career .406 shooter from three point range. His best years came with the Suns from 2005-2008, where he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First and Second Teams in consecutive years, while playing a major part in perennial playoff runs in Phoenix. Bell also spent time with the Mavericks, Bobcats, and Warriors.
According to Basketball-Reference, Bell earned approximately $36.6MM over the course of his NBA career.
I’ll always remember the 2001 NBA finals, every time he’d check in to the game or do something of note, Marv Albert saying “There’s Raja Bell, ORIGINALLY signed to a 10 day contract!”