Kidd Announces Retirement From N.B.A.

Jason Kidd, one of the greatest point guards to play in the N.B.A., announced his retirement Monday, two weeks after a disappointing end to his first season with the Knicks.

“My time in professional basketball has been an incredible journey, but one that must come to an end after 19 years,” Kidd said in a statement. “As I reflect on my time with the four teams I represented in the N.B.A., I look back fondly at every season and thank each and every one of my teammates and coaches that joined me on the court.”

The decision was not surprising. Although Kidd, who turned 40 in March, signed a three-year contract last summer, he had said all along that he would reassess during the off-season. His poor performance in the Knicks’ second-round loss to the Indiana Pacers only underlined that his Hall of Fame career was likely at an end. Coach Mike Woodson hardly played Kidd in the final two games.

“Veteran leadership on and off the court was a huge factor for our team that recorded 54 victories and an Atlantic Division crown,” Woodson said in a statement. “Jason provided an incredible voice inside our locker room and I considered it an honor to say I coached him.”

Kidd’s retirement will free a roster spot and allow the Knicks to get younger, but it will not provide much salary-cap relief. Kidd was to make $3.1 million next season.

“Jason’s value to the Knicks and the National Basketball Association cannot be quantified by statistics alone,” General Manager Glen Grunwald said in a statement. “Everyone here in New York saw firsthand what a tremendous competitor he is and why Jason is considered to be one of the best point guards, and leaders, the game has ever seen.”