Milos Teodosic, one of Serbia’s greatest players of the 21st century, has officially retired from professional basketball after a remarkable 21-year career.
The veteran playmaker, who spent the past two seasons with Crvena Zvezda, made the announcement on Thursday.
Before joining the Serbian club, Teodosic played for several top teams including Virtus, the Los Angeles Clippers, CSKA Moscow, Olympiacos, FMP, and Borac Cacak. His career is filled with prestigious honors and trophies – highlighted by a EuroLeague title in 2016, a EuroCup crown in 2022, the Italian Serie A championship in 2021, six VTB League titles, and an ABA League title in 2024.
With the Serbian national team, Teodosic also achieved tremendous success, earning silver medals at EuroBasket 2009, the 2014 FIBA World Cup, and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
Individually, he was named EuroLeague MVP in 2010 and was selected to the competition’s All-Decade Team for 2010–2020.
Claim Now In an emotional farewell message, Teodosic reflected on his journey:
“Dear friends, respected basketball fans and enthusiasts,
First of all, thank you for 30 years of shared battles, joy, and heartache. The time has come to say goodbye to one chapter of my love for the magical game of basketball.
Behind me—behind us—are years of desire, sacrifice, and effort. Trophies won, finals lost. That’s basketball, and that’s life. And I wouldn’t change a thing. I’d do it all over again, exactly the same.
Thanks to my hometown of Valjevo, to Serbia, and to all the coaches who helped shape me. I haven’t fully learned this game yet. Basketball and I will continue exchanging knowledge and experiences for the rest of my life.
I won’t single out specific moments or individuals, because every coach and teammate played an important role in my career. The greatest gratitude goes to my family—their pride means everything to me. Lately, I’ve realized that the most valuable thing I’ve gained from this career is that I’ll have stories to share with my kids. I just need them to grow a little more.
I won’t make a personal mistake at the end, so here’s a message to everyone: Thank you—truly—to every single teammate. You all made me a better player. I’ll always remember that.
We all play for the fans, and because of them. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the cheers and support. The criticism motivated me, and the boos made me tougher. No matter the team, fans always deserve our respect—they’re the reason we step onto the court. I didn’t pay much attention to comments or social media, but I could always feel every gasp in the arena. That’s where the inspiration comes from.
One last emotion I want to share—because I rarely did publicly: I’m proud to say I ended my career in the club that holds the biggest place in my heart.
As for my love for Serbia and playing under its flag—I’ve said everything I needed to say on the court. Words can’t fully describe the feeling. My homeland will always be the most important and dearest part of my life.
Thank you once again, basketball. We’ll see each other again—just without the sneakers, jersey, and shorts.”
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