Former San Antonio Spurs power forward Matt Bonner has announced he is officially retiring from the NBA in the most Matt Bonner way possible: a funny video.
I made a video. pic.twitter.com/NQSvvCnhD5
— Matt Bonner (@MattBonner_SAS) January 6, 2017
Bonner was a member of the Spurs for ten years (2006 to 2016) where he was a part of two championship squads. He averaged 5.5 points and 2.9 rebounds for the Silver and Black while shooting 41.3 percent shooting from three in 632 games (8th most in Spurs history).
Nicknamed “The Red Rocket” (and later in his career, “The Red Mamba), the 6’-10” New Hampshire native and Florida Gator was drafted 45th overall in 2003 by the Chicago Bulls before being immediately traded to the Toronto Raptors. After playing a season in Italy, Bonner joined the Raptors in 2004 and instantly became a fan favorite in no small part for his refusal to be bullied by a trashing-talking Kevin Garnett.
Bonner was traded to the Spurs in 2006 as part of the deal that sent Rasho Nesterović to the Raptors. Perhaps his best season with the Spurs was 2008-09 when he averaged career highs in points (8.2), rebounds (4.8), assists (1.0) and steals (0.6) while a starting 67 of 81 games.
As a stretch-four, Bonner played a large role in the Spurs’ transition from a deliberate “pound the ball the inside to Tim Duncan” style to a more free-flowing offense that included more three-point shots. Bonner ranks fourth all-time in three-point makes in Spurs history at 656, behind only Manu Ginobili, Danny Green and Bruce Bowen. He is currently fifth in three-point percentage among players who played for the Spurs for more than one season.
Off the court, Bonner was the vice president and Spurs representative of the Players Union, a sandwich enthusiast, and creator of the comical Coach B videos. Bonner has stated in the past that he wishes to remain a part of the NBA after retirement, be it as a coach, front office executive, or on the broadcasting / entertainment side of the business.
—Update—
The Spurs have announced Bonner will be an in-studio analyst for Spurs Live on Fox Sports Southwest. That was quick! He will make his debut on Tuesday, January 10 when the Spurs take on the Milwaukee Bucks, so be sure to check it out!
—End of Update—
Bonner will always be loved in San Antonio. While he will mostly be remembered as a three-point specialist with the awkward shooting stroke and personality of a geeky fourth-grader, he still left us with gems like this that will forever be cherished in the hearts of Spurs fans (and if his video is any indication, this is exactly how he wants us to remember him):
* All stats are from basketball-reference.com.