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Parsons retires after sustaining career-ending injuries in 2020 car crash

Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Nine-year NBA veteran Chandler Parsons announced his retirement from basketball in an Instagram post on Tuesday.

The forward's playing career came to an abrupt halt after being involved in a car crash caused by a drunk driver on Jan. 15, 2020, while playing for the Atlanta Hawks.

According to a statement from law firm Morgan & Morgan, Parsons "suffered multiple severe and permanent injuries including a traumatic brain injury, disc herniation, and a torn labrum."

Parsons filed a lawsuit after the crash, which has since been settled for a "substantial amount," according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Parsons was perhaps best known for securing a hefty four-year, $94-million deal from the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2016 offseason. He also played with the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks after being drafted in the second round in 2011 out of Florida.

In his 440-game career, the sharpshooter averaged 12.7 points on 37.3% shooting from beyond the arc. However, after signing his big contract, Parsons was hampered by injuries, scoring 7.0 points per game in only 100 contests in his final four seasons in the league.

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