NBA Champion Marco Belinelli Drops Shocking Retirement Bombshell—What’s Next for the Basketball Star?

Belinelli last played in the NBA in the 2019-20 season, he then spent the last five seasons in Italy for the club he started his career with, Virtus Bologna. He was named the Lega Basket Serie A MVP in 2024, the Sixth Man of the Year for the two seasons before that, and helped lead Bologna to two Serie A titles.

Belinelli was the No. 18 pick of the Golden State Warriors in 2007 and went on to play a couple of seasons in the Bay Area before stops in Toronto, New Orleans (with the Hornets), Chicago, San Antonio, Sacramento, Charlotte, Atlanta and Philadelphia. He may be best remembered for the four seasons with the Spurs, which included him being a key sixth man for the 2014 championship Spurs, averaging 11.4 points a game off the bench that season. For his NBA career he averaged 9.7 points a game shooting 37.6% from beyond the arc.“I gave it my heart. Every piece of me,” he wrote. “Every single day. Basketball gave me everything… and I gave it everything I had. Saying goodbye isn’t easy. But it’s time. I carry with me every emotion, every sacrifice, every cheer. Thank you to those who always believed. To the next generation — I leave a dream. Make it count.”Few farewells in the basketball world resonate quite like Marco Belinelli’s recent announcement. The Italian sharpshooter, whose NBA journey spanned 13 seasons and culminated in a championship ring with the San Antonio Spurs, has decided it’s time to hang up his sneakers at 39. Watching Belinelli’s evolution—from a promising No. 18 draft pick by the Golden State Warriors in 2007 to a pivotal role off the Spurs’ bench during their 2014 title run—has been nothing short of remarkable. His journey didn’t just stop stateside; returning home to Virtus Bologna, he didn’t just play—he thrived, snagging the Lega Basket Serie A MVP in 2024 and steering his team to multiple titles. It’s rare to witness a career that’s enriched two continents so profoundly, and his heartfelt goodbye reminds us all of the sacrifices and joys wrapped into the game. If you want to dive deeper into Belinelli’s memorable career and emotional farewell, just LEARN MORE.Marco Belinelli, the Italian wing who spent 13 seasons in the NBA and won a ring with the San Antonio Spurs, officially announced his retirement from basketball at age 39, something he announced on his Instagram page.