For a while there, it looked like the decision made by Boston Celtics team president Danny Ainge in what was a remarkably poor 2012 NBA draft was a shrewd one. With the 21st pick that year, Ainge gambled on former No. 2 recruit Jared Sullinger, the stocky forward who had starred at Ohio State for two seasons, earning first-team All-America honors as a freshman and sophomore, when he averaged 17.3 points and 9.7 rebounds on 53.0% shooting. Sullinger was a sure-bet lottery pick in that year’s draft, at least until medical concerns about Sullinger’s back problem began to circulate.
Sullinger’s stock tumbled, but considering the slim pickings elsewhere (older fans will remember that the Celtics drafted doomed big man Fab Melo with the No. 22 pick that year), Ainge took a chance. After showing some promise early in his rookie year, Sullinger had back surgery to fix the disc problem teams had worried about, and came back in Year 2 with 74 games played and averages of 13.3 points and 8.1 rebounds–including a stellar 25-point, 20-rebound showing in January 2014.
The 2012 pick appeared to be vindicated, and Sullinger was billed as part of a long, bright Celtics future ahead.
Ex-Celtics F Jared Sullinger Calling It Quits
Indeed, he might have been. Alas, he was never much for conditioning, and the undersize, burly frame that won over so many Celtics fans might have contributing to his NBA undoing. Sullinger suffered a foot injury in his third season, and the Celtics let him go in free agency in 2016. He played briefly with the Raptors, for 11 games int total, in 2016-17, but his NBA career ended there.
Sullinger went overseas and became something of a cult hero in China, while also playing in South Korea and Puerto Rico. But this week, at age 34, Sullinger announced he is retiring from basketball.
Recalls Representing the Celtics
Sullinger thanked the Celtics, and announced he is joining the player development staff at Ohio State. From his statement:
“From a kid with a dream in Columbus, Ohio, to wearing an Ohio State jersey, hearing my name called on NBA Draft night, representing the Boston Celtics, and having the honor of putting on jerseys for teams across the world – every city, province, country, community, teammate, coach, fan, and organization became a part of my story. I want to thank my family and friends who stood beside me through every high and low.“
Jared Sullinger Hoped for NBA Comeback
While it is a new beginning for the former Celtics pick, it is still sad to see him hang up the high tops without having ever gotten back to the NBA, which was his clear and stated goal during all his time playing for four different teams in seven seasons in China, where he averaged 21.2 points and 12.4 rebounds.
Speaking to the Boston Globe in 2017, Sullinger said, “I want to play and, of course, the NBA is the ultimate goal. The last two years I just felt like I had to find myself. I had to find something that drives me and makes me want to play. In the NBA, you kind of get lost in the shuffle because you have so many games, and when I got out there in [the Chinese Basketball Association] it was kind of a retreat for Jared Sullinger to learn himself and fall in love with the game again.”
Ex-Celtics Fan Favorite Announces Retirement Amid Career News