Nemanja Bjelica, a seven-year NBA veteran and one-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, has announced his retirement from professional basketball. This news came only a few weeks after Warriors teammate Otto Porter Jr. announced his retirement.
Bjelica most recently joined Crvena zvezda in the Serbian league. While on the team, sources stated Bjelica was pondering retirement due to “recurring injuries.”
Nemanja Bjelica, Golden State Warriors champion, has announced his retirement from basketball.
From 2007 to 2015, the Serbian native played for a number of international teams. Bjelica was a one-time EuroLeague MVP, the 2015 Serbian Player of the Year, a Turkish League champion, a Turkish Presidential Club winner, and a two-time Zadar Basketball Tournament winner at the time. Furthermore, Bjelica helped Serbia earn a silver medal at the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
The Washington Wizards selected Bjelica with the 35th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft. However, the Wizards quickly traded Bjelica’s draft rights to the Minnesota Timberwolves. In 2015, the 27-year-old forward made his NBA debut for the Timberwolves. Bjelica spent three seasons with the team before joining the Sacramento Kings in free agency in 2018. The Kings traded Bjelica to the Miami Heat in 2021, but the forward only appeared in 11 games before signing with the Warriors the next offseason. Bjelica appeared in 71 games for Golden State as a bench player on his way to his first and only NBA title.
After Bjelica revealed he was leaving the NBA and returning to Turkey following the title run, teammate Draymond Green commented about being “a little hurt by” his decision.
Throughout his career, Bjelica averaged 7.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.
Bjelica’s overseas resume will always be considerably more remarkable than his NBA one. Nonetheless, the Serbian native was a key component of the Warriors’ championship run in 2022. His perimeter scoring ability and offensive versatility were excellent. Bjelica will never enter the Basketball Hall of Fame. However, he was a solid basketball player who achieved great success.
