Former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert hasn’t played in the NBA since 2020-21 with the Brooklyn Nets, appearing in two games. Shumpert technically never retired and recently revealed that he’s still thought about playing again. The Cavs NBA champion sat down with RG.org and said he’s leaving the door open to a return, whether it’s in the Association or even Ice Cube’s Big 3 league:
“100%,” Shumpert says in a one-on-one interview with RG.org when asked if he would play again. “People ask me, ‘Are you retired?’ I don’t think I’ll ever say I’m done playing. I think if somebody said, ‘Hey man, I just need you to come sit here and work out with the guys.’ If everything made sense and I liked what I had to do, I wouldn’t mind doing it. I don’t think I’ll ever go on a podium and say, ‘I’m retiring from basketball.'”
“I don’t think I can do the whole 10-day, two-way contract,” said Shumpert. “I have two kids – I don’t need to do all that. If somebody needs me to come do what they know I can do. And it’s something where I’m going to go there, I’m going to be in weight training, I’m going to be on the team and we’re trying to win something, that’s totally cool. If not, I’ll stay out of everybody’s way and do my podcast and play basketball when I feel like it.”
Shumpert played four seasons with the Cavs and was on the 2016 championship roster. He also suited up for the New York Knicks and the Sacramento Kings. He is only 34 years old, so it’s not completely unrealistic to think he could play in the league again.
The former first-round pick owns career averages of 7.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists.
