Hardly any other basketball player looked as bored during the game and was as dangerous at the end as Milos Teodosic. The exceptional Serbian guard was a defining figure in European basketball – and now, after 20 years, he is calling it quits.
“After 30 years of fighting, joy and suffering, the time has come for me to say goodbye to this magical sport under the baskets,” Milos Teodosic wrote on social media, announcing the end of his career – not without a touch of sadness.
“We have many battles, many wishes, many sacrifices, many trophies and lost finals behind us. That’s basketball, that’s life,” the 38-year-old continued, thanking his fellow citizens from his hometown of Valjevo, ‘his’ Serbia and all his “coaches who gave me the chance to learn basketball.”
Loyal to basketball until the end
He has mastered the sport he loves so much, but “not (yet),” as he himself admits, but he still has time. The popular Teo has no intention of giving up basketball; rather, he wants to “remain loyal to the sport until the end of his life,” as he emphasizes. “Thank you, basketball, see you in the future – just without the sneakers, jersey, and shorts.”
Teodosic did not want to dwell on individual moments in his long career because “every detail was important in the end” – victories, defeats, coaches, teammates, and fans. “I don’t want to get technical at the end, so I’ll send a message to everyone: a huge thank you to every single teammate. You have all made me a better basketball player.”
Teodosic started his career in his hometown of Valjevo, then turned professional with FMP, from where he launched a world-class career: Olympiacos Piraeus, CSKA Moscow, the Los Angeles Clippers, Virtus Bologna, and most recently Red Star Belgrade were his notable stops. His greatest success was winning the Euroleague in 2016 with CSKA, six years after being named Euroleague MVP as a player for Olympiacos.
Unlucky in the NBA
In Europe, Teodosic, who repeatedly amazed spectators, opponents, and teammates with his brilliant passes and incredible ball control, is undoubtedly one of the best players in recent history—he was also voted into the Team of the Decade for 2010 to 2020. In 2017, at the age of 30, he took the plunge into the NBA and joined the LA Clippers.
However, Teodosic was unable to shine in California: after averaging 9.5 points and 4.6 assists in 25 minutes in his debut season with the Clippers, his career went downhill, partly due to a knee injury. In 2021, he finally returned to Europe and immediately led Bologna to the championship and the Eurocup the following year, scoring 21 points in the final and being named Finals MVP.
Silver again and again with Serbia
Teodosic was always a man for the big games. When it mattered, he usually delivered – making it all the more bitter for the brilliant playmaker that he had to suffer three final defeats with the national team. At the 2009 European Championships, the 2014 World Championships, and the 2016 Olympic Games, he “only” managed to win silver. After winning numerous titles with Serbia at junior level, his dream of winning a title with the senior national team remained unfulfilled.
In 2022, Teodosic was dropped from the national team by national coach Svetislav Pesic as reigning captain and has not been nominated since. This did not diminish his popularity, nor did his move to Red Star Belgrade, where he has played more or less regularly for the last two seasons. Songs have been written in his honor – and they will live on.
