Marco Belinelli, the only Italian to win an NBA trophy with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, said Monday he had decided to call it quits at the age of 39.
Belinelli ended his career with Virtus Bologna, winning a European Cup and two Italian league titles, and winning the league’s MVP last year.
“I put my heart into it. Every bit of myself,” he said in an Instagram post.
“Every single day. Basketball gave me everything… and I gave it everything.
“It’s not easy to say goodbye. But it’s time. I carry with me every emotion, every sacrifice, every applause.
“Thank you to those who have always been there. To the younger ones, I leave a dream. Make it worth it.”
The outgoing president of the Legabasket Serie A, Umberto Gandini, said Belinelli’s return to the Italian championship in 2020 “contributed to increasing the value of our championship, of which he was MVP last year by winning the Dino Meneghin Trophy, which was later awarded by Meneghin himself”.
The Italian Basketball Federation took to Facebook to pay tribute to the outgoing Belinelli.
“The only Italian to have won an NBA Title,” it wrote.
“The only Italian to have won the NBA Three Point Contest.
“3 Scudetti, 1 Eurocup, 4 Supercups, 1 Italian Cup. In the Azzurri, 2258 points and 154 appearances. Numbers alone cannot tell the story of a career as remarkable as yours.
“Thank you for everything, Marco.”
ANSA