Former Lottery Pick Jan Vesely Announces Retirement After Current ACB Campaign
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BARCELONA, Spain — Veteran forward/center Jan Vesely said he will end his playing career when FC Barcelona’s 2023-24 Liga ACB season concludes.
“After many unforgettable years, the time has come to close the chapter of my basketball journey,” the 36-year-old Czech native wrote on Instagram, adding that his “full focus” remains on Barcelona’s final push before he moves to the stands in September.
Selected sixth overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2011 NBA Draft, the 6-11 big man appeared in 162 NBA games with the Wizards and Denver Nuggets from 2011-14, averaging 3.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 15.2 minutes.
Vesely returned to Europe in 2014, spending eight seasons with Fenerbahçe in Turkey and joining Barcelona in 2022. His European résumé includes EuroLeague MVP honors in 2019, three All-EuroLeague First Team selections (2016, 2018, 2019), a 2017 EuroLeague championship, four Turkish Super League titles, and one Liga ACB crown.
He ranks among the EuroLeague’s career leaders in games, minutes, points, rebounds, steals, and blocks, and represented the Czech Republic at multiple international events, including the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
Barcelona enters the final four regular-season games at 21-9, locked in a tight race with UCAM Murcia (22-8), Valencia (21-9), and Baskonia (21-9) for the ACB’s No. 2 playoff seed behind Real Madrid. Postseason play begins in June.
Source: Hoops Rumors
