Bernard King Retires After 14 Seasons in the NBA

Bernard King, unable to perform up to his expectations, is leaving the NBA after 14 seasons.

“I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that I cannot be one of the better players in the league,” the 36-year-old King said before playing in Wednesday night’s the New York All-Star Basketball Classic at Madison Square Garden.

“It’s not so much age as it is not being able to play on a level that I had been accustomed to.”

King was limited in what he could do because of arthroscopic knee surgery in 1991. He played in 32 games last season with the New Jersey Nets, in which he averaged only seven points and 13 minutes per game.

It was only one of three seasons in which King did not average at least 20 points per game. His high was 32.9 points in 1984-85, when he led the league in scoring.

In addition, he was a four-time All-Star, was named to the All-NBA first team in 1984 and 1985, to the second team in 1982 and to the third team in 1991.

Knee injuries, however, curtailed his play. He missed three full seasons because of two serious knee injuries, including a torn cruciate ligament in 1985.

He retires with 19,655 points, leaving despite several offers to return next season. King began his NBA career in 1977 with New Jersey, then played for Utah, Golden State, New York and Washington before finishing his career with the Nets.