Nemanja Bjelica made the headlines recently after experiencing a traumatic instance with his family. A month after his encounter with the unprecedented event, the former NBA player has decided to retire from basketball. The announcement immediately captured the attention of fans as they reminisced about his contributions to the 2022 champions, the Golden State Warriors.
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Bjelica initially made the decision public via an Instagram post. He uploaded a video containing snapshots and clips of his career while explaining his journey through a voiceover. The 35-year-old subsequently expressed his gratitude toward the game with the caption, “20 years…Thank you basketball”.
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The Serbian spent 7 years in the NBA following a rough start to his journey Stateside. Despite entering the league as the 35th overall pick in the 2010 draft, he had to wait until 2015 to feature on the court when the Minnesota Timberwolves eventually provided the forward with an opportunity. After spending three seasons there, Bjelica represented the Sacramento Kings, the Miami Heat, and the Warriors in the following four years before moving to Europe.
During this period, the 2015 EuroLeague MVP played 449 regular season games, averaging 7.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, as per StatMuse. His time in the Bay Area was noteworthy though, as the 6ft 10″ player aided the franchise to clinch the title with his endeavors. Appearing in 15 games during that postseason run, his defensive output alongside the field goal percentage of 52.9% often turned the tide of clashes.
His retirement made NBA viewers emotional as they collectively reflected on his contributions on Reddit’s r/nba subreddit. One fan, GuestBadge, looked back on his defining endeavors during the 2022 championship run, stating, “Dude was locking Tatum defensively in the finals. Happy retirement”.
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Another enthusiast, soft-cookie, applauded the display of the 2015 Serbian Player of the Year, mentioning, “Loved Belly’s game, great shooter and passer”.
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One Dubs fan, DirkNorizzki, joined the conversation soon after while paying tribute to Bjelica. “We Bjelieve Warriors,” he wrote.
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This displayed his legacy in the NBA as the Serbian had solidified his status as a dependable role player. The supporters have seemingly always respected his endeavors as the end of his two-decade-long career only spurred the good times in their minds.
Why did Nemanja Bjelica decide to retire from basketball?
Early in February this year, Sportando reported an unforeseen event surrounding the former NBA player. As per the reports, Serbia’s former footballer, Nikola Petkovic, had verbally and physically threatened Bjelica. The incident occurred in a kid’s playground in Belgrade as the intricate details later came to the surface.
“I will take your family, your children, your wife, and you. I will take your money,” Petkovic had allegedly told Bjelica. Reportedly, he even used scissors in the process to threaten the former Warriors star before demanding him to visit the parking lot. Thankfully, the police arrived at the scene soon after, restoring peace.
However, it remained unclear whether this entire situation influenced his decision to a large extent. After all, Bjelica had not resumed his career since controversially leaving Fenerbahce in October last year. Hence, his retirement decision might have stayed at the back of his head for quite some time with the recent traumatic experience potentially playing catalyst to it.
