Getty Quinn Cook, Jonas Jerebko and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors react during a 2019 game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Jonas Jerebko enjoyed a nine-year career in the NBA, which spanned 685 games that included the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz, and the Golden State Warriors. The 35-year-old averaged 6.2 points, 4 rebounds and was a member of the 2018-19 Warriors, which was the last time the Dubs made it to the Finals.
Since then, he played for Khimki of the VTB United League and EuroLeague from 2019 to 2021. The Swede was released on January 23, 2021, due to personal reasons.
As Heavy.com covered last week, Jonas Jerebko signed a deal with CSKA Moscow on March 30, 2022. The moment the deal was announced, it was immediately met with harsh criticism.
Fredrik Joulamo, General Secretary of the Swedish Basketball Federation told Swedish outlet Afronbladet, that they needed to talk with Jerebko and hear him as to why he signed with CSKA Moscow.
“Our position is clear. We have run a fundraiser, condemned Russia’s invasion, and backed FIBA’s decision. But we are not involved in our players’ contracts. We will have to talk with Jonas to see what this means for him and us in the future.”
On March 1, FIBA agreed to effectively remove all Russian teams and officials from participating in FIBA and 3×3 basketball competitions.
Jerebko and other Swedish players participated in a video message for peace in a home game against Croatia recently, so it is difficult to comprehend as to why Jerebko would sign with a Russian team afterwards.
As Marc Stein stated in his March 13 column, Russian ball clubs were offering six-figure bonuses for American stars to come back and play. Even though Jerebko should not be characterized as an American star, money probably played a role in the 9-year NBA veteran to sign a deal with CSKA Moscow. There were reports that Khimki, the team he previously played for, still owes Jerebko a significant amount of money.
Obviously with the ongoing Russian invasion into Ukraine, that created a huge amount of backlash, and Jerebko may have finally paid the price.
Jonas Jerebko Officially Dismissed from Swedish National Team
It did not take long as the Swedish Basketball Federation made a decision with Jerebko’s involved with the national team. In a press release laid out on their website, the national team decided to removed Jerebko from participation with the Swedish national team for the time being.
On Wednesday, Fredrik Joulamo, Secretary General of the Swedish Basketball Association, spoke with Jonas Jerebko about his choice to play in Russia and pointed out how it directly conflicts with Swedish Basketball’s values and our clear stance on the issue of Russia.
After this dialogue, we have unfortunately been forced to state that there are no conditions for Jonas Jerebko to represent a Swedish national basketball team.
Athletes Affected by the Russian Invasion
Jerebko is not the only one affected by the Russian invasion into Ukraine. The most high-profile case that ties the conflict directly with an American athlete is Brittney Griner.
Sometime in February, Griner was arrested after vape cartridges with hash oil were discovered in her luggage while at the Sheremetyevo International Airport. Details have been scarce as Russia is well-known for not providing too much information regarding American prisoners.
Reports say she will be held in Moscow until May 19. For now, she faces up to a year, or 18 months depending on circumstances, in detention without a trial.
Earlier in March, American F1 team Haas terminated their title sponsor Uralkali, which effectively dismissed F1 driver Nikita Mazepin. Mazepin was added to a list of individuals who were sanctioned by the European Union due to his father’s ties to the Kremlin.