Image Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

2014 NBA Champion Marco Belinelli Officially Announces Retirement from Professional Basketball

Marco Belinelli won 2014 NBA Championship with the San Antonio Spurs.

Image Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Italian star Marco Belinelli announced his retirement from basketball at the age of 39 on August 18, 2025, by sharing an emotional note on social media. With his announcement, the Italian drew curtain on his 13-year-long career in the NBA, filled with several achievements and landmarks. Belinelli had finished his career with the league in the 2019-20 season, but he went back overseas, and is now calling it a career. He took to Instagram to announce that he is retiring from the game.

The 2014 NBA Champion announced, “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.”

Grazie, unico 🇮🇹

Marco Belinelli has announced his retirement from basketball 💙
#EuroBasket pic.twitter.com/sxfzadCos7
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) August 18, 2025

Marco Belinelli’s NBA Career

Marco Belinelli debuted in the NBA in 2007 when he was selected as the No. 18 pick by the Golden State Warriors. After spending the first few seasons with the Dubs, he moved to the Toronto Raptors and later to the New Orleans Hornets before signing with the Chicago Bulls. Belinelli signed with the San Antonio Spurs in 2013, and went on to win his first NBA title with them in 2014. Not only this, but during that tenure, he also won the Three-Point Contest at the 2014 NBA All-Star Weekend.

In the next few years, from 2015 to 2018, he played with a few teams including the Sacramento Kings, the Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Persiceto-born returned to the Spurs for a two-year stint before leaving the NBA and moving to Italy to join Virtus Bologna.

Marco Belinelli’s International Career with Italy

Apart from enjoying a decade-long career with the NBA, Belinelli was a consistent performer for Italy on the international stage. In multiple EuroBasket appearances, he led his team in scoring and powered Italy against the best of the teams. After his NBA tenure, he joined Virtus Bologna and won league titles in Italy.

He averaged 9.8 points per game across 132 games in EuroLeague while shooting 39% from the deep.

Marco Belinelli

Garima Ranawat

Garima is a sports writer with around two years of experience in Indian sports and a newfound interest in the NBA. Inspired by the leadership of cricketing legend MS Dhoni, she wishes to bring in newer perspectives to the NBA fanatics with her writing.