Veteran forward Nemanja Bjelica announced his retirement from professional basketball via his Instagram on Saturday (hat tip to Sportando).
Bjelica played seven seasons in the NBA with the Timberwolves, Kings, Heat and Warriors, winning a title with Golden State in what would be his final NBA season in 2021/22.
“20 years… thank you basketball…,” Bjelica’s Instagram post reads.
Bjelica began his career in 2007 while playing with the Traiskirchen Lions in the Austrian League. He went on to be selected with the 35th overall pick in the 2010 draft but didn’t make his way to the NBA until 2015, when he signed with the Wolves.
Over the course of his career, Bjelica became well-regarded as a stretch four and reliable rotation piece. He had his two best statistical seasons of his career in 2018-20 while playing with the Kings, where he averaged 10.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 41.1% from three and starting in 137 of his 149 appearances.
Bjelica was traded from the Kings to Miami at the 2020 deadline and then signed with the Warriors in 2021. He averaged 6.1 points in the regular season (71 games, 16.1 minutes) to help the Warriors to the playoffs and eventually the title.
After leaving the NBA in 2022, Bjelica returned to Fenerbahce, where he had earned a EuroLeague MVP award in 2015. He was released after the season and then made the move to Crvena Zvezda in Serbia but didn’t play a game. Reports surfaced in October 2023 that Bjelica might retire, due in part to injury issues. Today’s news confirms that’s his plan.
In 449 career games (162 starts) in the NBA, Bjelica averaged 7.6 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 46.6% from the floor and 38.4% from beyond the arc.
Good player. It’s crazy how many euro players would shine brighter if they started now versus back then.
Yeah kinda like when I should have ripped that beefy toot at the rehearsal dinner instead of the ceremony. Still get looks from my mother in law lol but she don’t know basketball so forget her
As a Warrior fan, I’d like to thank you Nemanja for 2022 and wish you the best in your future endeavors!
Crazy to think barnani would have been a star in this league in todays nba. Joined the nba at the wrong time where the raptors wanted him to play in the paint and build muscle instead what he was used to which was playing as a stretch four.
Miami Heat legend