Leaving the NBA

Jet, Oct 18, 2004

LEAVING THE NBA: Los Angeles Lakers forward Rick Fox recently retired, ending a 13-year NBA career during which he was part of three NBA championship teams with the Lakers. Last season, Fox was bothered by foot, neck and back injuries that limited him to 38 games. The 35-year-old was traded by the Lakers to the Celtics in August, the same month he filed for divorce from his wife of five years, singer-actress Vanessa Williams (JET, Aug.

30). "He's been contemplating his future on all fronts," his spokeswoman Staci Wolfe said. "It's a new chapter for him. He's quite excited." Fox, who averaged 9.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in his career, plans to remain in Los Angeles and continue an acting career he developed during his playing days. His credits include the movies Holes, Eddie, He Got Game, and The Collectors. He had a recurring role on the former HBO series "Oz," and guest-starred last season on the Lifetime series "l-800-Missing."