A Month After Traumatic Experience with Family, 2022 NBA Champion Retires from Basketball
Nemanja Bjelica recently made headlines after experiencing a traumatic situation 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 caught the attention of fans, who remembered his contributions to the 2022 champion Golden State Warriors.
Bjelica initially made the decision public through a post on Instagram. She uploaded a video containing snapshots and clips of her career as she explains her journey through a voiceover. The 35-year-old later expressed his gratitude towards the game with the caption: “20 years…Thank you basketball.”
The Serbian spent 7 years in the NBA after a difficult start to his journey in the United States. Despite entering the league as the 35th pick in the 2010 draft, he had to wait until 2015 to appear on the court when the Minnesota Timberwolves finally gave the forward a chance. After spending three seasons there, Bjelica represented the Sacramento Kings, Miami Heat and Warriors over the next 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, according to StatMuse. However, his time in the Bay Area was noteworthy as the 6ft 10″ player helped the franchise clinch the title with his efforts. Appearing in 15 games during that postseason, his defensive performance along with 52.
9% field goal percentage often turned the tide of matchups.
His retirement thrilled NBA viewers as they collectively reflected on his contributions on Reddit’s r/nba subreddit. One fan, GuestBadge, recalled his decisive efforts during the 2022 championship and stated: “The guy was locking up Tatum defensively in the finals. Happy retirement.”
Another enthusiast, the soft cookie, applauded the performance of the 2015 Serbian Player of the Year and mentioned: “I loved Belly’s game, a great shooter and passer.”
A Dubs fan, DirkNorizzki, joined the conversation shortly after while paying tribute to Bjelica. “We believe in warriors” he wrote.
This showed his legacy in the NBA, as the Serbian had solidified his status as a reliable player. His fans have apparently always respected his efforts, as the end of his two-decade career only spurred good times in his minds.
Why did Nemanja Bjelica decide to retire from basketball?
At the beginning of February of this year, Sporting reported an unforeseen event regarding the former NBA player. Former Serbian footballer Nikola Petkovic had reportedly threatened Bjelica verbally and physically. The incident occurred at a children’s playground in Belgrade when the intricate details later came to light.
“I will take your family, your children, your wife and you. I’ll take your money.” Petkovic had supposedly told Bjelica. He reportedly even used scissors in the process to threaten the former Warriors star before demanding he visit the parking lot. Fortunately, the police arrived on the scene shortly after, restoring peace.
However, it is not clear if this whole situation greatly influenced his decision. After all, Bjelica had not resumed his career since he controversially left Fenerbahce in October last year. Therefore, his decision to withdraw from it could have remained in the back of his head for quite some time, and the recent traumatic experience could have been a catalyst for it.
