In what probably shouldn't come as a big surprise, former Kings small forward Peja Stojakovic told ESPN.com earlier today that he is retiring.
Though only 33, the three-time All-Star has been bothered by serious back and neck issues for the past several years. The problems began during his final months with the Kings - he was traded to for Ron Artest in 2006 - and persisted throughout his subsequent tenure with the Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Hornets and Dallas Mavericks. He joined the defending champion Mavericks late last season and was a major contributor throughout most of the playoffs.
Peja's best years, of course, were with the Kings, the team that drafted him with the 14th overall pick in 1996. It took Geoff Petrie two years to finally pry him away from PAOK, where he was the Greek League MVP.
The immensely likeable 6-foot-9 small forward, who ends his career as one of the finest shooters in NBA history. In his 13 seasons, he averaged 17 points and converted 40 percent of his three-point attempts. Additionally, he was also the last active player from that transformative 1998-99 Kings squad that featured Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, fellow rookie Jason Williams and veterans Jon Barry and Vernon Maxwell. Rick Adelman, who is now with Minnesota, was the head coach.
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