By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Speaking live on his Instagram Panathinaikos forward Dwayne Bacon admitted that living in Europe is not easy for him, because he is divorced and away from his children.
“I miss my children so much. Sometimes I think of retiring just to be near them,” said Bacon. “I’m only 27 and I love basketball but it’s hard to be here outside the US. When you have children, you also have responsibility. Sure, the money is good, I make more in Europe than some players do in the NBA but family is above all.”
This is not the first time that Bacon admits that what he has to get through being a pro athlete has been an emotional burden for him. Last May when he was playing for Monaco, talking to the “Role Player Podcast” he admitted that he was unhappy and depressed during his NBA days in Charlotte.
Now the situation is different and he trying to explain that it’s not easy for anyone to have such an arrangement, being away from his children. On the other hand, he said that he like the environment in Greece and hopes to stay in the country for years to come.
As he explained: “I’m not saying I’m retiring, I really like it here, it’s just that it’s hard to be so far away from them. It’s not easy for them to get on a plane and come from the other side of the world because I’m not with their mother anymore. I’m not crying but I’m emotionally charged. My mother’s arrival here made me think of some things. I see myself in Greece for many years if I keep playing. For me, my children are above money.”
Bacon was recently out of the team for one game after being punished for reportedly missing a practice. He remains one of the best players of Panathinaikos and has a contract for next year with the club, which also includes an opt-out clause in the summer.
He will also not play due to injury in the upcoming EuroLeague game against Barcelona.