Tom Chambers is retiring from the Philadelphia 76ers with hopes of landing a job with the team that traded him three weeks ago - the Phoenix Suns.
Chambers, who scored more than 20,000 points in his 16-year career, was bothered by a bad back that relegated him to Philadelphia's injured list. He appeared in just one game for the 76ers after being acquired from Phoenix on Nov. 21 for Mark Milic.The 38-year-old center-forward, who finished as the NBA's 24th-best career scorer, plans to return to Phoenix and hopes to join the Suns "in some cap-a-city."
In Phoenix several weeks ago, Chambers punched Suns strength and conditioning coach Robin Pound. The NBA players union, in the aftermath of Latrell Sprewell's attack on Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo, complained that Chambers was punished by neither the league nor the Suns.
"The issue is over as far as we're concerned," Suns general manager Bryan Colangelo said Thursday. "We dealt with it internally."
Chambers said moving to Phoenix will allow him to be closer to his two sons.
Chambers came to the NBA in 1981 out of the University of Utah as the top draft pick of the San Diego Clippers - the eighth overall selection. For his career, he averaged more than 18 points, six rebounds and two assists in 1,107 games.
He played for two seasons with the Clippers, four in Seattle, five in Phoenix, two in Utah, one in Israel and last season in Charlotte.
The 6-foot-10 Chambers was signed by the Suns in August as a free agent, but spent the first eight games this season on the injured list.