Veteran NBA star Jason Richardson announces his retirement

Jason Richardson, who was one of the greatest dunk specialists in league history, announced his retirement Wednesday after 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association.

"Today is a bitter sweet moment for me. I`m officially announcing my retirement from pro basketball," Richardson wrote on Instagram.

"I like to thank the organizations and fans in Charlotte, Phoenix, Orlando, Philly and especially The Bay Area for their loyal support the past 14 years.

"Walking away was the hardest decision I had to make but choosing my health and spending time with my family is more important to me! God bless!" he wrote.

Richardson spent his most productive years with the Golden State Warriors, where he blossomed into a 20-point scorer. Richardson played a half dozen seasons with Golden State, then joined the Phoenix Suns after two years in Charlotte.

Richardson also made stops in Orlando and Philadelphia, where he finished his career after coming back from knee surgery. He was known for winning the annual dunk contest at the NBA all-star games.

He averaged 17.1 points, 2.7 assists and five rebounds per game in his career.