He represented three clubs during his EuroLeague career
Billy Baron announces retirement: ‘Thank you, basketball’
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Billy Baron, a sharpshooting guard who played a total of 121 games in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, announced his retirement as a player on Saturday.
The 33-year-old started his professional career in the 2014-15 season, but it wasn’t until 2019-20 that he made his EuroLeague debut, suiting up for Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade. Baron then spent two years at Zenit St. Petersburg between 2020 and 2022 before signing for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, where he had been for the last two campaigns.
It didn’t take long for Baron to become an idol at Zvezda, averaging 11.6 points in his rookie EuroLeague season and lighting it up from three-point territory. Baron was a key piece for an upwardly mobile Zenit side, too, posting 9.6 ppg. in his first campaign there and increasing his scoring average to 11.2 ppg. in his second year. After arriving in Milan, he picked up where he left off and averaged 11.0 ppg., but his second season in Italy was heavily impacted by an elbow injury.
For his career, Baron averaged 10.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 121 EuroLeague appearances (26 games for Crvena Zvezda, 62 for Zenit, and 33 for Milan).
“It’s never easy to stop chasing something, especially when you have been doing it your whole life,” starts Baron’s announcement letter. “I grew up in a locker room, fell in love with the game by being around my dad’s teams. Experienced the emotional highs and lows of the sport that gave me this crazy obsession for it at a young age.
“My mom drove me to all my games and practices. She made herself available 24/7 so we could be where we needed to be. My brother was my idol, he was also my target. He set out a map for me to help me become the player I became and pushed me to be better through his own success.
“My wife decided to join me on this crazy journey around the world and supported me every step of the way. When I needed someone to lean on, she was always there and dealt with my frustrations, stresses, and anxiety that professional sports bring on. Together, they made a team that brought me to 37 countries and a 10-year professional career.”
The problems Baron has faced following elbow surgery in June 2023 meant he played just three EuroLeague games for Milan in the 2023-24 season. He left Milan this past summer and signed for the Shanghai Sharks in China, but he feels like now is the right time to hang up his sneakers.
“Unfortunately, this past year I dealt with the ugly side of the game," he continues. "It’s been an experience that I don’t wish upon anyone. After HHS 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. But 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.
“Thank you to all the coached I have had. Thank you, Bishop Hendricken and Worcester Academy. Thank you, Canisius College. Thank you, Lietuvos Rytas, Charleroi, Murcia, and Eskisehir. Thank you, Crvena Zvezda, for giving me a basketball experience that I could only have dreamed of and for giving me the opportunity to play in front of the best fans in the world. Thank you, Zenit, and especially Xavi Pascual, for changing my approach. Thank you, Mr. Armani, for giving me the opportunity to come to Italy. And thank you, Shanghai Sharks, for giving me one last shot.
“Thank you, Misko [Raznatovic], for representing me and giving me the best opportunities to play this game at a high level.
“Thank you, Val. Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Dad. Thank you, Jimmy.
“Thank you, Basketball.”