Rodney Hood Teases New Career Plans After Announcing NBA Retirement

After eight years in the NBA, Rodney Hood is retiring from professional basketball, the guard/forward told ESPN's Dave McMenamin on Thursday.

And as for what he'd like to do next, well, Hood already has eyes on a new role.

"I want to coach," he told McMenamin. "It reminds me of the famous Roosevelt speech, 'The man in the arena.' I was in the arena. I wasn't the best player, but I got the chance to be around and play against some of the best players that ever played. I think that gives me an insight."

Rodney Hood told ESPN he is retiring after 8 seasons in the NBA with UTA, CLE, POR, TOR, MIL and LAC. The 6-8 guard/forward made a comeback attempt with the Memphis Hustle in the G League last season before another injury told him it was time. pic.twitter.com/N7Ty7KR1fv
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 21, 2024

"And I've also been through the mud," he continued. "I dealt with injuries. I went through trades. Sometimes I was the No. 2 option, sometimes I was the last guy off the bench. I've been through it all. I plan to use my experiences to pour into others and help a lot of guys coming up in the game in this next phase of my life."

Hood was drafted No. 23 by the Utah Jazz in the 2014 NBA draft and would go on to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Clippers, and Milwaukee Bucks. He later joined the G League as part of the Memphis Hustle in February 2024 but struggled following yet another injury.

“It was tough to retire,” Hood said. “But I’m at peace with it. I tried really hard to hold on. I had an Achilles tear and I was kind of a shell of myself. When I got a chance to get healthy again, I tried to play in the G League this past spring and got hurt again. It was just my body telling me that I needed to move on.”

And that's a wrap.