One Of The Greats, Lauren Jackson, Has Retired From Basketball Ahead Of Opals' Rio Campaign

Aussie basketball champ Lauren Jackson has announced her retirement from the sport, just months before the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

It would have marked her fifth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics.

She made it official at the AIS in Canberra today, ABC News reports.

"Today I'm announcing my retirement from the love of my life, basketball,” she told assembled press.

“It took me all over the world, gave me friendships forever so thank you to everyone for being here."

The 34-year-old cited additional stress on a two-year-old knee injury for her sudden departure from the game.

"[M]y knee ended up degenerating really, really fast and I got arthritis pretty quickly and since then I have had multiple surgeries trying to get back for the team's that I play with, obviously the Canberra Capitals and the Opals,” she said.

"In that time I tore my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in December and in January I got an infection in my knee joint, which put me back in hospital and set me back in rehab for about six weeks, which was pretty devastating."

Though she won’t join the Opals in their 2016 Olympics campaign, Jackson has three silver medals from the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Games (along with one bronze, from 2012) as consolation.

During her career, she also played for the WNBA, as part of the Seattle Storm. She earned the WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player award in 2011.

Coach Brendan Joyce (endearingly nicknamed ‘Choc’) noted that the Aussie team would definitely have an uphill battle at Rio without the 6”5 Jackson forward and centre.

"I'm the unlucky coach who is not going to have her at the Olympic Games after 20 years and I know the question is going to be 'how are you going to win without Lauren Jackson?',” he said.

"It's going to be tough."

Following last month’s blackface controversy (in which Opals Liz Cambage and Alice Kunek found themselves at odds over a seriously misguided social media post), Joyce seemingly has his fair share of obstacles ahead of him.

Nonetheless, one thing that undeniably unites the Opals is admiration for Jackson.

all I can say is thank you @laurenej15

— Elizabeth Cambage (@ecambage) March 31, 2016

She goes out as one of the greats. Nice one, Loz.

Photo: Instagram.