Nemanja Bjelica called it a career.
The Warriors champion and former Kings forward announced his retirement from basketball in an Instagram post on Saturday.
“Recently, I have read several public announcements by professional athletes talking about the end of their careers,” Bjelica, 35, said in a statement. “When the time comes, I personally try to avoid moments like that. I've always been a private person, and I try to keep my media appearances short and basketball-related. Because it has come.”
“I read somewhere a while ago that no one has ever won in a race against time. Over the last few years, I have realized that. Even now, after 20 years of dedication to the game, We feel the need to officially announce that the end has come. ”
Bjelica, a second-round pick in 2010, came to the NBA from overseas in 2015. He spent his first three seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves and signed with Sacramento in 2018.
The 6-10 Serbian forward started 138 of 175 games over two seasons with the Kings, averaging 10.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 24.2 minutes per game.
“When I arrived in the NBA, I had to adjust and completely change my playing style, but I have no regrets,” Bjelica said. “First of all, Zarko Djuricic while in Minnesota, and Vlade Divac and Peja Stojaković while in Sacramento gave me new motivation and challenge and pushed me to new victories.”
Bjelica signed with the Warriors in the 2021 offseason after being traded from Sacramento to the Miami Heat midway through the season. He appeared in 71 regular season games with Golden State, averaging 6.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 16.1 minutes per game.
Bjelica then appeared in 15 games in the postseason, averaging 2.9 points in 10 minutes per game as the Dubs won the 2022 NBA title.
“Finally, and the peak of my professional career, was getting a championship ring with the Golden State Warriors and Coach Steve Kerr. Coach Kerr taught me that basketball is not just about winning. ,” Bjelica said.
Bjelica also gave a shoutout to the late Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic and thanked those who “supported me and contributed to the development of my career.”
The Warriors' title-winning campaign was Villalica's final NBA season. In the 2022-23 season, he played for Turkish club Fenerbahce Beko.
Bjelica retired his sneakers after starting 162 games and appearing in 449 total games in seven NBA seasons, averaging 7.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He was a career 38.4 percent 3-point shooter and 46.6 percent overall.
A former EuroLeague MVP, Bjelica played for Serbia in the FIBA EuroBasket and FIBA World Cup, where he also won a silver medal.
It's unclear what Bjelica will do next now that his playing days are over, but it seems like he plans to remain in the basketball world in some capacity.
“While I am officially retiring as a basketball player, I am looking forward to new challenges in the sport that I love and that has given me everything,” Bjelica said.
