Bojan Bogdanović has officially announced his retirement from basketball after a decade-long NBA career, sharing the news via [social media](https://www.instagram.com/44bojan/).
The 36-year-old forward began the 2023–24 season with the Brooklyn Nets but was sidelined due to injuries, having undergone surgeries on both his left foot and wrist. In February, Brooklyn waived him following season-ending foot surgery.
“Sometimes in life, you don’t choose the moment. The moment chooses you,” Bogdanovic wrote. “After 14 months of battling a foot injury, two surgeries, and countless efforts to get back on the court, the time has come to close a chapter. After more than two decades in the game, the moment has arrived to say goodbye to basketball. Not just as a sport, but as a part of who I am.”
Before entering the NBA in 2014 with the Nets, Bogdanovic spent nearly a decade as a standout in European basketball. Over the course of his NBA career, he also played for the Wizards, Pacers, Jazz, Pistons, and Knicks. Known for his consistent shooting, he remained one of the league’s most reliable three-point threats and even earned Sixth Man of the Year consideration in the 2023–24 season.
In total, Bogdanovic played 719 NBA games, averaging 15.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, with shooting splits of 46% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc.
“Every stop left a mark. Every jersey carried its own weight. Above all, I had the honor of wearing the Croatian crest on my chest. Playing for the national team was never just a responsibility. Representing my country from youth levels all the way to the senior team was the greatest honor of my career.”
**A standout career**
Bojan Bogdanović’s basketball journey began in 2004 with his hometown club Zrinjski Mostar, where he took his first steps in the game at just 15 years old. After only a year, he caught the attention of Real Madrid, who signed him in 2005 for €800,000, but immediately loaned him back to Mostar for another season of development.
He spent a total of four years with Real Madrid, mostly playing for their B team in Spain’s EBA League, with a brief stint on the first team. During that period, he was also loaned to the Spanish side Murcia for the 2008/09 season, gaining valuable experience in senior-level basketball.
His career truly took off in 2009 when he signed a four-year contract with Cibona. During his two seasons in Zagreb, Bogdanović blossomed into one of the best players in Europe. His standout season came in 2010/11, when he became the top scorer in the Adriatic League and led Cibona in the EuroLeague despite the club’s financial struggles.
Next came a move to Turkey and Fenerbahçe, where Bogdanović matured into a world-class player. Over three seasons in Istanbul, he won the Turkish League, the Turkish Cup, and the Supercup.
Although he was drafted in 2011 as the 31st overall pick by the Miami Heat (following trades involving the Minnesota Timberwolves and the New Jersey Nets), his NBA debut came in 2014 with the Brooklyn Nets. In his rookie 2014/15 season, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
He spent two and a half seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, with one of his most memorable performances coming in March 2016, when he scored 44 points against the Indiana Pacers, tying Dražen Petrović’s franchise record.
After a brief stint with the Washington Wizards, Bogdanović found a home with the Indiana Pacers. In the 2018/19 season, he averaged 18.0 points per game and shot an outstanding 42.5% from three-point range, making him one of the league’s top shooters. The Pacers made the playoffs with him as a key contributor.
His 2019 move to the Utah Jazz marked the peak of his NBA career. Signing a four-year, $73 million contract, he became the first Croatian basketball player to surpass $100 million in career earnings.
Bogdanović closed out his NBA career with the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks. He had his best statistical season in Detroit, averaging 21.6 points per game, and during the 2022/23 season, he became the highest-scoring Croatian player in NBA history, surpassing Toni Kukoč.
For the Croatian national team, Bogdanović was a symbol and a beacon of hope for an entire generation. From the youth levels, where he regularly scored 25–30 points per game, to the senior ranks, he was always the undisputed leader and top scorer.
His greatest national team achievement came at EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia, where Croatia finished in fourth place. Bogdanović was named to the tournament’s All-Star Five, averaging 17.4 points per game.
At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Bogdanović was the tournament’s leading scorer, averaging 24.8 points per game. In a dramatic quarterfinal against Serbia, he poured in 28 points, but Croatia narrowly lost 86–83, ending their hopes of an Olympic medal.
In total, he represented the senior national team at two FIBA World Cups (2010 and 2014) and three EuroBaskets (2011, 2013, and 2015), always as the team’s top scorer and unquestioned leader.
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