Ex-San Antonio Spurs player who was Jaylen Brown’s toughest NBA opponent retires from professional basketball

NBA veteran Marco Belinelli retires from professional basketball

Marco Belinelli played four seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and even won a championship in his first.

An excellent three-point shooter, Belinelli was the ninth man in the Spurs’ rotation during their 2014 Finals victory over the Miami Heat.

After a 13-year NBA career, he returned to his local Italian team, Virtus Bologna, in 2020, and spent almost five years there before hanging up his sneakers this week.

“I gave it my heart. Every piece of me. Every single day. Basketball gave me everything… and I gave it everything I had,” he posted on social media.

“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.”

For those who did not recognise Belinelli’s quality during his NBA career, Jaylen Brown’s comments will raise your eyebrows.

Jaylen Brown said Marco Belinelli used to ‘light him up’

Boston Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown recently named Marco Belinelli as the toughest opponent of his NBA career so far.

“Marco Belinelli, he used to light me up, bro. He just used to never stop moving, and I used to have to chase him around,” he said. “The system we had was to chase Marco Belinelli around all these different screens.

“He’s not even getting the ball, and he’s still moving back and forth, so you never know when he’s about to take off full speed and start running and catch the ball.” 

While Belinelli was not an All-Star-caliber player, he was a nightmare to play against because of his constant movement and three-point shooting ability.

He averaged around 10 points per game and shot almost 38 percent from deep in his career, so it’s no wonder he was highly sought-after.