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After the 17th league championship in team history on Tuesday, Virtus Segafredo Bologna president and owner, Massimo Zanetti, talked about the next season, confirming the retirement of former NBA champion and team captain Marco Belinelli. The 39-year-old Italian winger spent the last five years of his career with Vu Nere, after 13 years and 925 appearances in the NBA. “Next year, we will have a younger team. We know Tornike Shengelia is leaving and Marco Belinelli will retire, so the goal will be to rejuvenate this group,” mentioned 77-year-old Zanetti, also confirming the departure of 33-year-old Tornike Shengelia.
At age 38, Belinelli acknowledged that this Scudetto could mark the end of his playing career, although he hasn't made a final decision. "My future? [The title] could be the icing on the cake," he admitted. "Now I need to disconnect and think carefully about what I want to do." The former NBA champion and longtime Italian national team stalwart said the season was emotionally and physically draining, but ending it with a title was a dream scenario. "Finishing like this is what I dreamed of—winning the Scudetto after a tiring year from many points of view," Belinelli said. "It was important to be useful to the team, to be a good captain, and bring the Scudetto back to Bologna. Then we'll see later."
Marco Belinelli: "In San Antonio, I found the perfect situation with Gregg Popovich, with a European-style team. They had just lost the NBA Finals to Miami — the famous Ray Allen corner shot. On the first day of training camp, they made us sit and watch the last two quarters where they lost the title. Pop said: 'This is where we start from. We have to build from here and never make those mistakes again.' That was my moment to fully commit."
Marco Belinelli: "Making it to the NBA, with my role and my physical tools, wasn’t easy. My first year there was really tough. I had just come from being an important player at Fortitudo, playing tons of minutes. So not playing in the NBA really drove me crazy. Especially at 20-21 years old, playing very little and not getting a real chance to show what I could do."
Marco Belinelli will continue to play for Virtus Bologna in the 2024/25 season. The captain has reached an agreement in principle with CEO Luca Baraldi, which includes an increase in his salary and an even more central role in the team.
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Cesare Milanti: Marco Belinelli has been declared the LBA MVP for the first time in his career at 38 years old. Nicola Brienza, named Coach of the Year, is just six years older than Virtus Bologna's captain.
Ben Simmons: “The talent that we have, the type of players that we have we’re going to be able to run the floor. You know we got Nic Claxton who can run, who moves incredibly well. I mean, Kevin Durant, Patty Mills, Kyrie Irving, Joe Harris. We just got Royce O'Neale, another great 3-and-D guy. I’m missing people. This team right now is just a great fit for what I do and what I bring to the game….I feel like it’s Philadelphia on steroids in terms of what we had when you (JJ Redick), Marco Belinelli, Ersan Ilyasova were there.
Dave Early: Ben Simmons said he talked to Kevin Durant a couple hours after the trade. Said KD was very welcoming. Says if you want to be a winner you need to maximize everyone on the floor, envisions a role like he had with Marco Belinelli and JJ Redick in Philly.
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Orazio Cauchi: Virtus Bologna have officially announced that they've signed Nico Mannion. The player will remain a restricted free agent in the NBA market. Virtus Bologna will now have a backcourt with Teodosic, Belinelli, Pajola and Mannion. This team is loaded.
Paul Garcia: To open cap space, the Spurs renounced the cap holds to the following players: Trey Lyles Patty Mills Quincy Pondexter Donatas Motiejunas David Lee Joffrey Lauvergne Ben Moore Darrun Hilliard Rudy Gay Gorgui Dieng Dante Cunningham Matt Costello Marco Belinelli
Marco Belinelli is ready to leave the NBA after 13 seasons to return to Virtus Bologna, the move was reported by La Gazzetta Dello Sport and confirmed by the team Thursday. Per the report, no NBA proposals were convincing enough for the 34-year-old veteran so he opted to return home, as the deal has been finalized in the past few hours. The deal will be valid through June 30, 2023, per Paolo Di Domizio.
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