Tom Izzo and the Michigan State University basketball program have passed on more than a few players to the pros, and now, one of those guys is stepping away from basketball for good.
Former Michigan State University forward Branden Dawson has announced that he’s leaving professional basketball. He dropped the news on Saturday via Instagram.
Dawson was a four-year Spartan and played on the team from 2011 to 2015. When he left in 2015, he was actually the all-time leader in blocks (142) in program history. Right now, he’s fifth.
Michigan State Spartans Forward Branden Dawson Talks Retirement
“Man!! Can’t believe I’m writing this. My first love, my sanctuary, my peace, etc.,” Dawson wrote. “This game will always be embedded in me. I went from being told I would be in jail, a thug, etc. This motivated me even more to go harder!”
He added, “I say that to say, I’m officially hanging it up. Forever grateful & thankful for everything this game blessed me with. Thanks to all my coaches, teammates, & family for always believing in me. 22 out! FINAO”
The “FINAO” abbreviation stands for “Failure Is Not An Option.”
Plenty of former Spartan basketball players congratulated Dawson on his career in the comments of his post, including Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn Jr., Denzel Valentine, Gary Harris, Mateen Cleaves and Chris Paul.
Following his time at Michigan State, Dawson was drafted in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans. He was then traded the Los Angeles Clippers just a few hours after the initial draft and was eventually inked to a two-way contract. He debuted with the NBA on December 28, 2015.
Tom Izzo Talks MSU Basketball Legacy
Back in September of 2024, Izzo opened up the season by talking about the legacy of his MSU basketball program.
“It’s just about getting back in championship caliber. That’s the biggest thing I want to see this team rise up to,” Izzo said. “Last year, I told you we lost five games where we were leading in the last two, three minutes. That’s inexcusable. Coach has to take responsibility for that, which I do and hopefully we’re fixing that.”
He added that the time, “We’ve done a lot more with the last second shots and working on shot clock stuff at the end and maybe the education of it. As far as college basketball, college sports is a better way to put it. Interesting time. I don’t have the answers. You’ve seen it in recruiting, you’ve seen it everywhere. It’s just a changing phenomenon right now that I think we’re all trying to adjust to. I think the coaches are, fans are, administrators are, even the student athletes are. I just hope and pray that we get enough guardrail around it that, in any profession, there’s got to be some rules, and if there’s not, then I think things do get out of control.”
Izzo also talked about it being his 30th year as the head coach at MSU and said that, believe it or not, getting his hip replaced made a big different to him going into this new season.
“I had my hip replaced this summer,” he said. “I’ll advise anybody, I don’t care if you’re 30, 40, 50 or 60, don’t wait too long, because I feel so much better, I feel healthier, I feel happier.”
So, maybe Spartan fans have his new hip to thank for the stellar MSU record this season. Either way, the Spartans are 17-2 and ranked No. 7 in college basketball rankings this season, which is the highest they’ve been in a long time.