"Thank you to those who always believed"- Marco Belinelli announces retirement from basketball, ending a 23-year career

The former NBA champion Marco Belinelli recently declared his retirement from basketball at the age of 39 in a heartfelt social media post. After an incredible 23-year professional career, the Italian basketball player has formally retired.

He was a really decorated player. He has won four Italian Supercups, one Italian Cup, and has been selected to multiple All-Lega Serie A teams during his career. He was also renowned for his senior leadership and accurate shooting during his NBA career. Now, he is ready to walk off.

From Bologna to the NBA and back, Marco Belinelli retires after two decades as Italy’s basketball icon

On Monday, the 39-year-old uploaded a touching Instagram post with pictures, uniforms, and newspaper snippets that chronicle his remarkable career. He wrote in the caption: "There is nothing more beautiful."Shortly after that, formally announcing his retirement, he shared another message on social media which contained a video. The caption read: “I gave it my heart. / Every piece of me. / 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…”

Belinelli had previously hinted at his retirement after winning the Scudetto with Virtus Bologna in June.

"My future? [The title] could be the icing on the cake," he admitted after the Italian league finals. "Now I need to disconnect and think carefully about what I want to do.""Finishing like this is what I dreamed of—winning the Scudetto after a tiring year from many points of view," Belinelli said. "It was important to be useful to the team, to be a good captain, and bring the Scudetto back to Bologna. Then we'll see later.

Marco Belinelli was a vital member of the Philadelphia 76ers, but he didn't play for them for very long—he only appeared in 28 games throughout the 2017–18 season. In the 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons, Belinelli concluded his 13-year NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs following his tenure with the Sixers. After that, he returned abroad, although he is currently ending his profession. On Instagram, he declared his retirement from basketball.Also read: "I might retire" – DeMarcus Cousins says Nikola Jokic nearly quit before signing $300 million contract