Eight-year NBA veteran John Henson has officially retired, sharing the news with RG.com’s Spencer Davies in an exclusive interview. Last seen on an NBA court in Mar. 2020, the 33-year-old reveals that he initially made the decision after attempting to revive his career with Puerto Rico’s Balencesto Superior Nacional.
Former UNC Basketball Standout John Henson Announces Retirement
“I knew a couple of guys that went over there,” Henson says. “Brandon Knight, my guy Ed Davis. I saw DeMarcus Cousins go over there. I said, ‘I commend you guys for making it ’cause I couldn’t do it.’
“I said, ‘Alright, well, that’s gonna be it.”
The stranger thing is that had the COVID pandemic not thoroughly infiltrated the U.S., his world might not have been turned upside down.
“I played 11 games with the Pistons; I ended up starting. So I’m like, ‘Okay, well I can get my feet up under me. People are gonna be able to see that I’m healthy.’ Boom, season ends, we don’t go to the Bubble. So it was an unfortunate string of bad luck.”
After that experience, many players would’ve put forth every effort to get back in the league. However, the big man insists that basketball was “never life or death,” so he took a different approach. Henson decided his best option was to finish getting his college degree.
“I could’ve fought. I could’ve went the G League route and tried to work my way back, but I’ve always just been a guy that basketball’s never life or death for me or my life.
I’m not gonna sit here and bang my head against the wall. My first initial thought was let me finish my education and let me see what happens, and then we’ll go from there.”
And, if there’s any question about whether he would be open to a return if presented the chance, he reiterates: “I’m done bro…”
“I was so blessed to play this long,” Henson reflects. “It’s a lot of opportunities, man. It’s just a matter of one step at a time. I’m only 33, so I have time to explore and figure out what I want to do next. This is just the next phase, and we’ll see where it takes me. But so far, so good.”
Another ‘What-If’ Story
One of the players whose injury history leads to ‘what-if’ hypotheticals, Henson is now invested in the sports media world.
He’s hardly alone in this venture, as several NBA veterans look to make that career change after retirement. Though he was unable to reach the heights he wanted as a professional athlete, he still performed at a higher level than most people who pursue that path. As a result, he has a valuable and relatively unique perspective that networks salivate over.
However, it’s disappointing that his playing days ended so unceremoniously. As a lottery pick out of blue blood UNC, where he was twice named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, he entered the NBA with high expectations. Him playing just 445 career games, and starting in just 160 of them, was a letdown.
