Alexis Ajinça ​​puts an end to his career | NBA

It’s not really a surprise but, as he announces in Le Progrès, Alexis Ajinça ​​has indeed decided to hang up the sneakers permanently. No longer appeared on a basketball court since his flash freelance at Asvel between December 2018 and March 2019, the 2m18 pivot has not found a new contract in the past two years.

Appeared on the scene in 2005/06 at the Federal Center, after being spotted in the selection of Loire, his native department, then thanks to the title of European Blueberry Champion in 2006 in Greece (Batum, Moerman generation), Alexis Ajinça ​​quickly rose through the ranks with his physique built for the high level. Passed by Pau Orthez then Hyères Toulon, Alexis Ajinça ​​is selected in the 20th choice of the 2008 Draft by the Charlotte Bobcats.

But it will be during his second stint in the NBA, in New Orleans (between 2013 and 2017), that Alexis Ajinça ​​will finally be able to have a real role in the Great League. Crowned European champion with the Blues in 2013, and following a good Euroleague season with Strasbourg, he had indeed managed to cross the Atlantic again, to finish his NBA career with 5 points and 4 rebounds in 293 games. .

Now enjoying a happy retirement in North Carolina with his wife Courtney and his two children, Carter and Caysen, Alexis Ajinça ​​recently released a book, “The View From Here”, which looks back on his difficulty coping with his height during his teenage years.