Jonas Jerebko later regretted staying in Russia. The decision has had big consequences for the career of Sweden’s biggest basketball star.
Jonas Jerebko, who played more than 600 games in the NBA, has been without a club for almost two years. EPA / AOP
Sweden’s biggest basketball star Jonas Jerebko is making a return to the gaming floors after a break of almost two years.
Jerebko, 37, who made a name for himself in Russia, signed a contract with Santeros de Aguada from Puerto Rico.
Jerebko moved to play in Russia in the spring of 2022, just when the country had started a war of aggression against Ukraine. When almost all western athletes left our eastern neighbor, however, Jerebko assured his loyalty to the big Russian club CSKA Moscow.
The decision to stay in Russia dropped Jerebko from the Swedish national team ring. When the Russian club terminated Jerebko’s contract in the summer of 2022 after only three months, it seemed that there were no more takers for the player at the club team level. The doors have remained open to the Swedish national team as well.
Jerebko, who played in the NBA for years, later told the Swedish media that he regretted his move to Russia.
– It was wrong, but I can only blame myself. I want to say to the Swedes that I apologize. I made a completely wrong decision. All I thought about was basketball and that was wrong. I have borne the consequences, Jerebko told SVT in July 2023.