JC Intal has called it a career after 13 seasons in the PBA.
The 37-year-old forward made the announcement on his Instagram account on Sunday and called his decision to walk away from basketball "a bittersweet feeling."
"After 2 decades of playing the sport I love, 13 years of which in the PBA, I am officially announcing my retirement from basketball," Intal wrote.
"Words cannot express how grateful I am to every single person who helped me make this journey possible-from playing for 2 years in Letran for High School, to 5 years in Ateneo for College, and 13 years in the pro league."
Drafted fourth overall by Air21 in the 2007 PBA Draft, Intal went on to become a three-time All-Star who suited up for Barako Bull, Barangay Ginebra, B-Meg/San Mig Coffee and Phoenix.
Nicknamed "The Rocket", Intal won a title with the Coffee Mixers in the 2012 Commissioner's Cup. In 2015, he was named to the Gilas Pilipinas team that clinched silver in the FIBA Asia Cup in Changsha, China. He was also a rookie on the 2002 Ateneo Blue Eagles team that won it all that season.
In his last year with Phoenix in the 2020 Philippine Cup, Intal played 16 games and logged 4.4 points on 36.1 percent shooting, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 14.3 minutes per contest while helping the Fuel Masters reach the semifinals.
For his career, Intal averaged 7.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists over 447 games. He had career-highs of 12.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest in the 2014-15 season while playing for Barako Bull.
"It is a bittersweet feeling for me to say goodbye to the game that has been a huge part of my life, but I am moving forward feeling happy and proud knowing I made the most of the privilege to play basketball professionally," Intal said.
"It has been the honor of my life to play basketball. From the bottom of my heart, again, THANK YOU. #RocketOut," he finished.