Overview

• The Virtus Bologna captain announced his retirement on August 18 with an Instagram farewell video, writing, “Non è facile dire addio. Ma è il momento.”
• He cited persistent hip and knee pain and a desire to spend more time with his wife and young daughters as key reasons for stepping away.
• Belinelli spent 13 seasons in the NBA across nine teams, winning the 2014 title under Gregg Popovich with the Spurs and that season’s All-Star three-point contest.
• After returning to Virtus in 2020, he won two more league titles including the 2024–25 scudetto and was named Serie A MVP the previous season.
• He said no immediate post-playing role has been decided, as tributes arrived from Virtus, the Spurs, Jaylen Brown and teammate Achille Polonara.