At 29, Phil Booth announces retirement to join NBA staff
After quietly ending his stint with JDA Dijon this summer, American guard Phil Booth (1.92m, 29 years old) announced on social media that he is ending his professional playing career.
The two-time NCAA champion with Villanova was coming off a season that started poorly in Italy with Cremona (7.3 points on 36.7%, 1.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 19 minutes per game over 8 games), which he joined after an up-and-down season with Strasbourg. Booth then signed with JDA in late November, where he found his shooting touch again in the championship (7.6 points on 51% shooting, 2.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists) as well as in FIBA Europe Cup (8.2 points on 64% shooting, 2 rebounds and 1.3 assists).
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« Basketball changed my life »
While the announcement seems surprising given his age (29), Booth has already found a prestigious landing spot in the NBA. « I’m looking forward to my basketball career off the court as I begin my new position with the Minnesota Timberwolves, » he commented on his post. Looking back, Booth « can only be grateful for the journey basketball has given me. I wouldn’t change anything about my entire career, » which he finishes with two NCAA titles, a Belgian championship with Ostend in 2022, and a French Cup final with Strasbourg in 2024.
Previously, Booth also played in the G-League, Buducnost Podgorica, and Aliaga Petkim Spor in Turkey where he averaged 14.4 points on 45.5% shooting, 4.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 27 minutes per game during the 2022-2023 season. « Basketball changed my life, I also thank all the wonderful people I’ve met along the way, » acknowledges the Baltimore native.
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