Armani Exchange Milan have announced that they are parting ways with an American guard Malcolm Delaney.

Last week, AX Armani Exchange Milan officially announced that Malcolm Delaney would be out for the remainder of the season after suffering an abdominal strain in Game 2 of the EuroLeague playoffs against Anadolu Efes.

As it became known, the president of Hereda San Pablo Burgos, Felix Sancho, asked the players of the team to kneel after being relegated to the second division of Spain, something that provoked a few reactions.

One of them came from Mike James, who took a position through social media and criticized the decision of the president of Burgos.

"Yea, I'm not kneeling for none of that s**t," James tweeted. "I woulda walked to the back on bro and took my shower."

Following the EuroLeague playoff elimination at the hands of reigning champs Anadolu Efes, AX Armani Exchange Milan announced they will not be counting on Malcolm Delaney 's services for the rest of the season. 

The 33-year-old American guard suffered an abdominal muscle injury during Game 2 and his re-evaluation after two weeks wasn't encouraging whatsoever.

Following the abdominal wall injury that Delaney reported, he will be required to go under another period of treatments, the Italian club announced today.

Therefore, he is to be considered not available for the duration of the playoffs. This development draws the curtain on Delaney's two-year stint with Milan. In an interview he conceded to BasketNews two months ago, the former member of the All-EuroLeague First Team said:  

"It's not 100% guaranteed, but Milan will probably be my final stop in Europe. A lot of people are asking me, "Are you retiring?". My plan is not to retire completely."

"I just want to thank all the staff and teammates for doing everything possible to help me through two difficult years, mentally and physically because of the injuries," Malcolm Delaney said in a statement, according to Armani Exchange. 

"Unfortunately, the timing and situation this season took things out of our hands. These were a special two years with two of the best teams I’ve played on, with some of the worst luck, but I loved and appreciated my time here in Milan on and off the court.

Thanks to the fans who supported us, even though I’m upset I can’t fight anymore with my brothers, when we still have a job to finish."

Over the last decade, Malcolm Delaney has become one of European basketball’s most familiar figures.

With the exception of a two-year tenure with the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA and another season in China, the American guard has spent the biggest part of his professional career in the Old Continent.

Delaney will be celebrating his 33rd birthday (on March 11) in Europe's fashion capital. His team, AX Armani Exchange Milan, is in third place in the EuroLeague standings, despite their overtime loss to Real Madrid on Thursday night.

The occasion - and Delaney's performance- could have been better, but - as he wrote on Twitter- there's nothing that can "kill his mood of making it to see 33 and being able to do what he loves."