Chris Jones tells how he ended up in Mongolia, comments on shot vs PAO / News - Basketnews.com

Chris Jones told that going to play in Mongolia was seen as a good chance to showcase himself in the international market. The guard tell he had no doubt about making the three-pointer against Panathinaikos and welcomes such opportunities.

Credit: Miguel Angel Polo/Valencia Basket Credit Miguel Angel Polo/Valencia Basket

Before becoming a better-known name in the EuroLeague, Chris Jones had a colorful career path that led him to Europe.

3-pointers this season

36%10,4Points made:10,4Accuracy:36,4%Place in standings:3Record max:16Record min:6Most made 3FGs:Bojan DubljevicTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

After graduating from Angelo State University, the guard ended up playing in a country that only a tiny amount of basketball players choose - Mongolia.

"When I left university, I had no offers to play abroad, so I ended up looking for a job because I had just had a child. I had to bring money home for my family. So a friend of my coach from college helped me find a team in Mongolia. He explained to me that by showing my basketball, it would be easier to start a career abroad there," Jones explained in an interview with Javi Teruel and Luis Sancho de Rosa from Diario AS.

Having never played outside of the US before, Jones admits that his time in Mongolia was challenging.

"When I came to Mongolia, it was very hard. The weather, the language, the basketball... everything was different. Being outside of the United States, away from my family, it was complicated," he explained.

"My wife and son stayed in the United States. I was there alone. In his first months, I couldn't see him grow, I only had video calls. It was hard for me because it was the first time I was away from home and from my family. That helped me value things even more," Jones said. "Now that things are going better for me, they come with me and that makes life easier for me."

Jones is now considered one of the better players in his position in the EuroLeague. He averages 14.8 points (12th place in the EuroLeague), 2.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists (12th) for 16.9 PIR (8th).

Last week, Valencia Basket's star made a buzzer-beating game-winner against Panathinaikos Athens. It was his plan all along, Jones says.

"When we were down two against Panathinaikos and we had the last shot, I thought: 'I'm going for the game. It is all or nothing'. It seems easy to say but it's all thanks to the trust that the team and the coaches put in me. When I had the ball in my hands in the final seconds, I had no doubt that I was going to shoot that shot," the guard said.

"Sometimes it goes in and sometimes it doesn't, but I knew I was going to make it. The joy of your teammates and the fans is incredible. I have made a couple of baskets in the final moments this season, so when the decisive moment of the games arrives, I want the ball in my hands," he concluded.

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