Former NBA champion Marco Belinelli announced his retirement from basketball at 39 with a message on social media. To this day, he’s the only Italian player with an NBA ring.

A 14-year NBA veteran and champion in 2014 with the San Antonio Spurs, Belinelli spent the last five seasons of his career with hometown club Virtus Bologna. In 2022, he helped the team win the EuroCup title to gain a much expected return to the EuroLeague.

Throughout his NBA career, Belinelli registered 925 appearances, averaging 9.7 points in regular season games and 8.5 points in the playoffs. In 2014, he won the NBA All-Star Game 3-point contest, a few months before he was crowned NBA champion.

Belinelli has been a member of the senior Italian team since the 2006 World Championship, appearing in multiple summer tournaments.

https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1858008/marco-belinelli-retires-from-basketball/

36 comments

  3. Have to imagine Patty Mills will follow him soon from that 2014 Spurs championship team

  4. The only Italian to ever win the NBA title. I hope we can see another Italian at that level soon (Maybe Dame Sarr?)

  5. Every season he’d have 3-4 games where he’d be Spaghetti Curry and go off for 28 on 92% TS

  9. He won another championship in italy with Virtus Bologna before retiring.

    Dude is a winner.

    He had a respectable NBA career, and a very good basketball career overall.

  14. This was a player that I felt every team’s fanbase at least had a discussion about signing or trading for. Like, “Man we need a 3 point shooter. Maybe the Spurs would take a couple 2nds and (insert role player here) for Belli.” A super memorable player.

  16. This dude had a strap on him in 2k a while ago lmao always picked him up for my loser life MyLeague career I made for myself cuz I couldn’t spend vc on a regular MyCareer

  17. By my calculations this means that a 69 year old Lebron James could still play in the Euroleague in 2054

  19. Thanks for that 2018 end of season run, i’ll forever cherish the OG process team + Marco and Ersan

  22. Belinelli was at times magical, other times frustrating, and occassionally forgetable.

    Either way, cheers to another member of that glorious 2014 squad.

  23. Same age as him, I started following the Nba when he and Bargnani got drafted. I remember watching 240p youtube highlights of Belinelli slam dunking in a Warriors shirt, and I thought he was going to have a good career in the States. He almost never played with that Warriors team and got traded to Toronto where he played even less. His career changed completely when he met Chris Paul in New Orleans, and started gaining more confidence, playing meaningful minutes and becoming a reliable 3 point shooter. With the Bulls he got the chance to start in the playoffs and had an excellent series against the Nets. He will be forever remembered for that ring with the Spurs, where he didn’t have a huge role (especially in the playoffs), but fit perfectly into the spirit of the beautiful game in a team full of international players. He got to play his last years in his home town and winning national titles, playing in the Euroleague and becoming the inspiration for many young players. All in all, he had a way better career than players with more talent like Bargnani and Gallinari, who for different reasons never got to play important games and winning prestigious titles. It’s the end of era for me.

  26. That one time Bellinelli hit a fadeaway from behind the backboard was probably our top highlight of the year for that season lol

  30. Made a cool 48 mil in the NBA, probably about 10 more overseas? Actually a lot less than I’d expected, but I’m sure he’ll find a way to feed his family.

  32. Wanted the bobcats to draft him so bad back in the day. Got him for 1 season though, eventually!

Leave a Reply