Billy Baron announced his retirement from professional basketball at the age of 33, following a 5-year EuroLeague career.
The rumor had been in the air for a few days, now the confirmation has arrived from the person directly involved.
Billy Baron
| Position: | SG |
| Age: | 33 |
| Height: | 188 cm |
| Weight: | 88 kg |
| Birth place: | Pennsylvania, United States of America |
Billy Baron announced his farewell to basketball with a post on his social media profiles. The 33-year-old shooting guard came from a season marred by injuries and physical problems.
Baron left EA7 Emporio Armani Milan during the off-season to join the Shanghai Sharks on a one-yer deal.
"Unfortunately, this past year I dealt with the ugly side of the game," he explained.
"It's been an experience that I don't wish upon anyone. After HSS in NYC was able to clean up the mess I was left in, I battled to come back better than before.
Inside I felt like I had several good years left in me, but I quickly found out that wouldn't be the case. It's not the way I imagined things ending. As I sit here writing this, I'm frustrated with the scars I've been left with, but I'm extremely grateful to have made it this far.
From my driveway in Olean, NY, to Shanghai and all 35 countries in between, it's been a hell of a ride."
Baron started his European journey with Lietuvos Rytas in 2014 and also played for Charleroi, Murcia, Eskisehir, Crvena Zvezda, Zenit Saint Petersburg and Olimpia Milan. He averaged 10.5 points and 2.0 rebounds over 22 minutes per EuroLeague game, while appearing in 121 contests and shooting 40.2% from distance.
In his farewell note, Baron went on to thank Crvena Zvezda for giving him "a basketball experience that I could have only dreamed of" and also "the opportunity to play in front of the best fans in the world."
He also credited Xavi Pascual for changing his approach and Giorgio Armani for giving him the chance to come to Italy.
Like what we are doing? Support us by becoming BN+ member.
