Fabricio Oberto Has Retired

A heart condition has forced the Argentinian forward to walk away from the game. The SA Express-News reports: “Portland forward/center Fabricio Oberto, who won a championship ring with the Spurs in 2007, has announced his retirement from basketball due to a recurring heart condition. Oberto left the Trail Blazers win over Milwaukee on Tuesday complaining of dizziness and light-headedness, the latest in a series of heart-related episodes dating to the April 2007 while in San Antonio. ‘I made this decision to put my health and my family in front of basketball,’ Oberto said in a release distributed by the Trail Blazers. ‘It was a tough decision to make after playing for so many years, but it was the right one.’ Oberto has a condition called atrial fibrillation, which causes his heart to flutter. When he’d experience episodes in the past, doctors would have to use an electric shock to force his heart back in rhythm. Oberto, 35, played the first five seasons of his career with the Spurs from 2005-09. His crowning career achievement came during the 2007 Western Conference Finals, when he averaged 10.2 points and 7.8 rebounds.”