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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Justin Quinn

Blacklisted in his own country, former Boston Celtics forward Jonas Jerebko regrets Russian stint

Bereft of NBA offers to play the sport in which he rose to prominence as a forward, Swedish basketball player and former Boston Celtics forward Jonas Jerebko accepted an offer to play for CSKA Moscow as the war between Russia and Ukraine kicked into high gear.

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Now, the former Boston forward finds himself blacklisted by Sweden’s basketball association, forbidden to play for the Swedish national team.

“I hadn’t played basketball for almost a year and a half and I felt like I had no other offers,” explained the so-called Swedish Larry Bird via Reuters. “I got an offer from them (CSKA Moscow) and I took it. At that time, I was only thinking about basketball – it went completely wrong. I regret it now, and if I could go back in time, I would not have done it”

“I had tunnel vision in terms of trying to get back to the NBA, I had no other offers, so I took this one. At the same time, I don’t want to blame that – I’m to blame,” he clarified.

“Nobody else is to blame – it was my fault, you make your bed, you lie in it, as the saying goes. But we all make mistakes, we’re all human.”

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