With the NBA Finals wrapping up this week, the 2024-25 season in most professional basketball leagues is coming to an end. This means that plenty of veterans will be hanging up their sneakers, including former Atlanta Hawks players.
On Wednesday, it was a former Hawks sharpshooter whose retirement was confirmed. Marco Belinelli, who spent half of the 2017-18 season in Atlanta, announced his retirement at the age of 39. The Italian shooting guard who has had a productive NBA career, winning a title with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, has been playing for Virtus Bologna in his home country for the last five seasons.
NBA Veteran SG Marco Belinelli Announces Retirement
Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net reported the news of Belinelli's retirement, basing it on the words of the team owner. Virtus Bologna had a disappointing Euroleague campaign, but just won the Italian championship for the 17th time, with Belinelli playing a large role as a leader.
A former first-round pick in 2007 by the Golden State Warriors, Belinelli had a journeyman's career in the NBA, playing for nine different franchises in 13 years. His most impactful stint came when he was with the Spurs between 2013 and 2015. He eventually returned to San Antonio in 2018 for the last two seasons of his NBA career.
Belinelli's path crossed with the Hawks in the 2017 offseason when he was traded from the Hornets as part of the Dwight Howard deal. The veteran marksman played 52 games in Atlanta during Mike Budenholzer's final season. As the team completely collapsed before finishing 24-58, the Hawks waived Belinelli mid-season so that he could chase a title with a contender. He eventually signed with the Philadelphia 76ers for the final stretch of the season.
Even though Belinelli's tenure in Atlanta didn't go according to plan, he will be remembered fondly by NBA fans and overseas basketball aficionados alike.