Veteran point guard Aristide Mugabe has announced his retirement from professional basketball at the age of 37, bringing an end to an illustrious 18-year career.

The former Rwanda international confirmed the decision on Tuesday, February 10, through his social media platforms.

In a heartfelt farewell message, Mugabe expressed gratitude to everyone who played a role in his journey on and off the court.

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"My family and friends, all the coaches, teammates, opponents, fans, and team management—thank you,” he wrote.

"To the national team, I have no words to describe how proud I am to have represented my beautiful nation. Thank you to every leader who trusted me to captain the team; it shaped me into the person I am today.”

Reflecting on the sacrifices made along the way, Mugabe added, "All the hard work, sacrifices, injuries, scars, sweat, blood and tears paid off. I am forever thankful to God for 18 seasons in the league.”

He described his spell on the court as "such a long time to stay on your feet and play competitive basketball.”

Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished players in Rwandan basketball history, Mugabe began his career at Rusizi BBC before joining Espoir in 2009, where he won four league titles and claimed two Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards.

He later moved to Patriots in 2015, adding four more league championships to his trophy cabinet.

Mugabe retires while serving as a player-coach at top-tier side Kepler, where he will continue his journey in basketball as a full-time coach.

At international level, he represented Rwanda for 11 years before retiring from national team duty in 2022.