Washington Wizards vs. Utah Jazz Final Score: Wizards Sneak Out With Win In Utah, 88-84 by Ben Mehic

Former Washington Wizards forward, Al Harrington, has decided to hang up the sneakers.

After the Orlando Magic waived Harrington, he was quickly scooped up by Ernie Grunfeld, who was searching for a stretch four. Unfortunately for Al Harrington, injuries went on to derail most of his single season with the Wizards. He was able to finish the season healthy and opted to join the Chinese Basketball Association after the Wizards went their separate ways.

Today, though, Harrington announced that his playing days are over:

“I’m comfortable being done,” he said. “I wanted to go out on my own terms, and I guess I kind of did that with Washington last year. I finished the season healthy, playing in the playoffs and stuff like that. I would have hoped for one more year. But China was my one more year.”

Al Harrington was hoping to join the Washington Wizards for their playoff run this season, but that ship has sailed.

He helped coach Washington’s summer league team and it’s clear that he’d like to continue being in the league. Harrington was selected right out of high school, so it’s not surprising that he’d like to remain in the sport, but in a different capacity.

As Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post mentioned, Al Harrington helped the Denver Nuggets with their practice recently. It’s not rare for players to become assistant coaches right after their career is over. For instance, Sam Cassell and Juwan Howard almost immediately joined the coaching ranks after their playing days were over.

Here’s highlights from one of Al Harrington’s best games as a Wizard:

I recently spoke to a source close to the Washington Wizards during their slump, and the source made sure to note how important Al Harrington was to the locker room this past season. Even though he didn’t leave much of an impression on the court, ‘Cheddah’ was a veteran leader and helped lead the team behind-the-scenes.

Al Harrington went through hell to finish out the 2013-2014 season on a positive note. He dealt with knee issues during the end of his career, yet he continued to make an impact.

Perhaps we’ll see Al Harrington donning a suit and a clipboard on the Washington Wizards’ bench. Wherever he lands, Harrington will find a way to succeed.

Harrington played 16 seasons in the NBA. Enjoy your freedom, Al!