Marco Belinelli's farewell to basketball
Marco Belinelli has said goodbye to basketball (photo LaPresse)
“I put my heart into it. Every bit of myself. Every single day. Basketball gave me everything… and I gave it everything,” the basketball player wrote announcing the end of his career. He is the only Italian to have won an NBA championship ring and the three-point contest in the All-Star Game.
Marco Belinelli has surpassed his dreams. But now the time has come to surrender to age. He'll be 40 in March, and after giving Bologna their last Scudetto , he realized there was no point in continuing, even though his desire was still strong. He announced it with a post featuring jerseys, trophies, and iconic photos of a life lived far beyond what was possible. At home, he has an NBA championship ring and an All-Star Game three-pointer trophy: things no other Italian has ever won. He also left a message that he intends to be his legacy and his thanks: “I put my heart into it. Every bit of myself. Every single day. Basketball has given me everything… and I've given it everything. It's not easy to say goodbye. But it's time. I carry with me every emotion, every sacrifice, every applause. Thank you to those who have always been there. To the younger ones, I leave a dream. Make it worth it.”
Marco Belinelli from San Giovanni Persiceto is a boy, now a man, who taught the basketball world to dream. Indeed, he demonstrated that with work, commitment, and dedication, those dreams can be realized . Marco doesn't have a special physique—the predestined of his generation were others— what's special is his heart and mind . With them, he overcame every obstacle , winning the NBA title with San Antonio . He became a specialist and trained obsessively to become the best. His shots, often impossible, made history. Every now and then, he pulled off things that were hard even to imagine. He was one of the kings of ignorant shots... Not everyone gets to hear the President of the United States say, "Where's Belinelli? I missed him this year with the Bulls." And the photo of Obama shaking his hand on the day of the champions' visit to the White House is there on the wall of memories, his very personal all-of-fame. Marco also posted a photo with Kobe, an opponent on the court, but a friend in conversation (in Italian) when they met.
Not everyone can close a circle like he did, returning to where he started to finish a career missing only a beautiful victory in the blue jersey. His regret is also ours because in the end, our generation of phenomena gave us nothing. Marco started at Virtus Bologna, winning an Italian Cup, and finished with Virtus with two Scudettos and three Super Cups. In between, he also added a Scudetto and a Super Cup with Fortitudo, followed by 13 seasons in the NBA, where he was drafted as the 18th overall pick by the Golden State Warriors in 2007. After San Francisco, he played with the Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Hornets, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, and Philadelphia 76ers, winning a ring in 2014. Nine franchises, leaving his mark and cashing in on million-dollar contracts without ever changing his style. Marco remained the boy from San Giovanni in Persiceto who eventually married Martina, his longtime girlfriend, returning to live in the town where his dream of wearing the Vis jersey began.
Beli wanted to leave by thanking basketball and those who have supported him over the years. But in the end, it's basketball that should thank him. He showed the kids what willpower can achieve. He showed that even an ordinary kid can become a phenomenon if he truly believes in it. And we will never stop thanking him for that.
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