(Sports Network) - Former Sacramento Kings guard Bobby Jackson announced his retirement from the NBA as a player prior to the Kings' preseason finale against the Utah Jazz on Friday.

Jackson, who spent half of his 12-year NBA career with Sacramento, will serve as the first-ever Kings ambassador, as well as assisting in the club's scouting department.

"It's a tough day for me because I'm retiring from professionally playing the game I love," said Jackson. "But it's also a happy day because I'm retiring on my own terms and I get to work in a city and for an organization and franchise that I've grown fond of. I'm eager to help get the community involved in supporting the Kings as well as assist the team in putting a good product on the court."

Jackson averaged 10.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 365 games with the Kings over his career.

"Bobby has been one of our most beloved players with the Kings," Sacramento's president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie said. "And it's very gratifying to see him retire as a King along with the fact that he's going to go forward and join the organization is really exciting for all of us. I'm really looking forward to working with him in a different type of environment. I know he'll bring the same attributes as he did on the court."

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound University of Minnesota product was originally drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 23rd overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft before a draft night trade sent him to Denver.

Jackson averaged 9.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 755 career games with Denver, (1997-98), Minnesota (1998-00), Sacramento (2000-05, 2008-09), Memphis (2005-06), New Orleans (2006-08), and Houston (2007-08).

In 58 playoff games, he averaged 9.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists.

Jackson earned the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award for the 2002-03 season. He averaged a career-high 15.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 59 games that year.





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