By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After helping Casademont Zaragoza avoid relegation in the last round of the Liga Endesa Regular Season, Omar Cook discussed retiring from professional basketball. He was unable to hold back tears.
“This might be my last game. I think I am going to retire now,” he told Movistar Plus+ immediately after the win on the road against UCAM Murcia Saturday, “I have been playing for 21 years. A long career. This might be my last game playing basketball.”
Omar Cook, the No. 4 all-time in assists average in EuroLeague, bids an emotional farewell to basketballpic.twitter.com/mlFHQrwKIm
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Cook, 40, logged 3.1 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 rebounds per contest over 22 appearances in the Spanish league this season.
“Man, it has been a tough season, you know,” he commented on the 2021-22 campaign, “I got hurt right before the first game of the season. I was out three months. It was my first time being out so long.”
The Basketball Champions League champion as a member of Hereda San Pablo Burgos completed his tenth ACB season. Stints in Spain included Valencia, Unicaja, Baskonia, and Gran Canaria.
Coming out of St. John’s in 2001, he was picked up by the Orlando Magic with the 32nd overall pick of the NBA draft. He played in 22 games between the Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors prior to moving his talents to Europe.
Elsewhere in Round 34 of the ACB Regular Season, Albert Oliver retired at 43. His last game saw Monbus Obradoiro fall to Valencia at home. Among his former teams are Real Betis, Gran Canaria, Joventut, Movistar Estudiantes, Valencia, and Manresa.