39-year-old sharpshooter Belinelli announces retirement! Former Spurs champion and Three-Point Contest winner

On August 19th, Beijing time, 39-year-old Belinelli officially announced he is retiring, revealing his decision through social media.

“I gave everything I had,” Belinelli wrote. “Every piece of me, every day. Basketball gave me so much... and I gave back everything I could. It’s hard to say farewell, but the moment has arrived. I carry with me all the feelings, all the sacrifices, and all the applause. I am grateful to those who believed in me. For the next generation—I leave behind a dream. Make it matter.”

Belinelli was selected 18th overall in the first round of the 2007 draft, and went on to play 13 seasons in the NBA, appearing in 860 regular season games for nine different teams.

This Italian player averaged 22.7 minutes, 9.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game in his NBA career, shooting 42.4% from the field, 37.6% from three, and 84.6% from the free-throw line. Renowned for his outside shooting, he made a total of 1,216 three-pointers in his career.

Belinelli’s best season came in 2013-14 with the San Antonio Spurs, where he averaged 11.4 points per game and shot a career-high 43.0% from beyond the arc. That year, he won the NBA Three-Point Contest and was part of the Spurs’ championship team.

Belinelli also played for the Warriors, Raptors, Pelicans, Bulls, Kings, Hornets, Hawks, and 76ers.

After leaving the NBA in 2020, Belinelli joined Virtus Bologna in Italy, the same club where he began his professional career as a teenager. In recent years, he further enriched his resume by winning the Italian league championship twice in 2021 and 2025, earning Sixth Man of the Year in 2022 and 2023, and capturing the MVP award in 2024.