NBA 2019-20: Ex-Wizard Marcin Gortat retires from NBA

Veteran center Marcin Gortat has hung up his boots, retiring from the NBA this past Sunday.

Gortat played 12 seasons in the NBA, being drafted in in the second round, by the Phoenix Suns. His rights were traded to the Orlando Magic that same night. However, Gortat did not join the Magic until 2007. Once he joined them, he played 3 seasons with them before being traded to the Phoenix Suns, the same team that drafted him back in 2005 before trading his rights. His nickname, "The Polish Hammer," grew more popular with the 3 seasons he spent with the Phoenix Suns.

But the time came when he was traded to the Washington Wizards in 2013. The Wizards traded Emeka Okafor and a first-round pick for Gortat and 3 other players. He was certainly a fan favorite as the years went by. But closing in on his 4th and 5th season as a Wizard, fans knew it was time for him to go.

That day came when the Wizards traded Gortat to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for guard Austin Rivers in June of 2018. Gortat was later waived in February of 2019 by the Clippers, marking his last game in the NBA.

As a Washington Wizard, Gortat was one of the healthiest players during the 5 seasons he played between 2013-2018. He averaged 11.6 ppg, 1.5 apg, and 9.2 rpg as a Wizard. He helped the Wizards to the Semifinals in the 2017 NBA Playoffs, which was a memorable moment for the Wizards at that time.

The Polish Hammer will certainly go down in history as one of the most underrated centers, especially for Wizards fans. Hopefully, Gortat can possibly stay in touch with basketball, possibly joining the NBC Sports Washington broadcast to be with the team he spent the most time with.