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Eric Bledsoe’s name is making noise again, and not exactly for the reasons that anyone would like. Once celebrated for late-game heroics and muscle-bound drives to the rim, the veteran guard now finds himself in deep, murky waters. Allegations of domestic violence are floating around, threatening to overshadow his fierce career. For 12 seasons, Bledsoe played with a chip on his shoulder, earning the nickname “Mini-LeBron” for his bruising style and pace. Sure, he wasn’t always the flashiest in the room, but his talent was impossible to ignore. Now, years removed from those buzzer-beater nights and fat contracts, fans can’t help but ask, How did it all unravel this fast?

Across 12 NBA seasons and 756 games, Eric quietly stacked 13.7 points, 4.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per night. It’s undeniable that on paper, those numbers might feel modest in a league obsessed with gaudy stat lines. But here’s the thing: they barely tell you the whole story. Eric wasn’t a box-score tourist padding empty numbers in garbage time. He was a certified two-way pest, hounding opposing guards and carrying offensive weight when his team needed the spark. His stat sheet won’t shout MVP, but it speaks resilience, grit, and the kind of reliability every playoff team craves. And if you’re wondering just how tough he was between those lines, you wouldn’t be alone.

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A glimpse of Eric Bledsoe’s 12-year-long career in the NBA

Eric Bledsoe’s 12-year NBA ride was anything but ordinary. A first-round pick out of Kentucky in 2010, he entered the league with sky-high potential and raw athleticism. Draft night saw Oklahoma City snag him 18th overall, only to flip him to the Clippers before the ink dried. As a rookie, Bledsoe made noise, averaging 6.7 points, 3.6 assists, and starting 25 games.

In 2013, his journey took a turn when the Phoenix Suns came calling. And Eric didn’t just ease his way in; he kicked the door down. On his Suns debut, he dropped 22 points, snagged six boards, and dished seven assists in a convincing win over Portland. But like so many explosive guards before him, injury crept in. A left shin issue late in 2013 snowballed into a meniscus tear, sidelining him for over two months. Phoenix scrambled, bringing back veteran Leandro Barbosa to plug the gap.

Eric’s return came in March 2014, and by December, he delivered a career milestone. Against his former Clippers squad, he notched his first career triple-double: 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 16 assists in a brutal overtime loss. Revenge taken. A year later, he stuffed the stat sheet again, dropping 23 points, nine assists, four steals, and four blocks in a single night. And here point to be noted, that till then, no guard had pulled off a “four-by-four” since Dwyane Wade in 2009.

Fast forward to 2017, and Bledsoe delivered his career-high, a blistering 41-point eruption against, who else, the Clippers. That same season, Milwaukee called. The Bucks traded for Bledsoe on November 7, 2017, in exchange for Greg Monroe. In Milwaukee, he played three seasons of hard-nosed, two-way basketball. He helped lead the Bucks to the 2020 Eastern Conference semifinals before falling to Miami.

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Did the NBA give up on Eric Bledsoe too soon, or did he find a better stage?

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After that, the journey turned nomadic. A brief stop in New Orleans, then a return to Los Angeles in 2021. And then, just like that, silence. No farewell tour, no send-off tribute. One of the league’s toughest, most relentless guards simply faded from NBA circles. But does that mean his basketball career ended? Let’s find out!

Is Eric Bledsoe done with basketball? Latest buzz on his playing future

Is Eric Bledsoe done with basketball? Not even close. He just swapped NBA arenas for packed CBA gyms. And he is making a name for himself over there, all over again. At the tail end of 2022, Bledsoe inked a deal with the Shanghai Sharks. Which was his first overseas run. And honestly? He’s been a phenom over there. Last season, he averaged 16.8 points and 5.6 assists in just 22 minutes a night. A masterclass in efficiency.

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Then came February 2025, and Bledsoe turned the heat up. In the CBA Club Cup final, he torched the undefeated Xinjiang Flying Tigers for 31 points. This former NBA star of the show dropped 15 in the third quarter alone, then buried another 16 in the fourth. When the moment called for a closer, Bledsoe answered like he always has. After the win, he said, “The coach placed a lot of trust in me during critical moments, and I seized the opportunity to achieve this victory alongside my teammates.”

That wasn’t a fluke. Because remember, he is the same guy who earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honors, and had a good reputation for his clutch plays. He could’ve disappeared quietly after his NBA days. But instead, he found a new stage and kept hopping like his reputation depended on it. So is Eric Bledsoe winding down? Doesn’t look like it. He’s healthy, locked in, and still wrecking scoreboards. Maybe the real question isn’t if Bledsoe’s done. It’s whether the NBA gave up too early or if Bledsoe just found the perfect stage to remind folks who he is.

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Did the NBA give up on Eric Bledsoe too soon, or did he find a better stage?

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