Billy Baron

Billy Baron
Baron playing for Crvena zvezda in 2019
Personal information
Born (1990-12-11) December 11, 1990 (age 33)
Altoona, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school
College
NBA draft2014: undrafted
Playing career2014–2024
PositionShooting guard
Career history
2014–2015Lietuvos rytas
2015–2016Charleroi
2016–2017Murcia
2017–2018Eskişehir
2018–2020Crvena zvezda
2020–2022Zenit Saint Petersburg
2022–2024Olimpia Milano
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
FIBA AmeriCup
Gold medal – first place 2017 Argentina

William James Baron (born December 11, 1990) is an American former professional basketball player. He is a 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) tall shooting guard.

High school

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Baron born in Altoona, Pennsylvania,[1] attended and played high school basketball at Bishop Hendricken High School, in Warwick, Rhode Island, and at Worcester Academy, in Worcester, Massachusetts.

College career

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University of Virginia

[edit]

In November 2010, it was announced that Baron was going to be joining University of Virginia for his freshman season.[2]

On February 3, 2011, it was announced that Baron was leaving the Virginia men's basketball program and was planning on transferring to University of Rhode Island that semester where his father was the men's head basketball coach. He had played in 17 games and averaged 3 points.[3]

University of Rhode Island

[edit]

On June 2012, Baron decided to leave the program after his father was fired as coach.[4] He had two years eligibility remaining at whichever school he chose. In 20 games with Rhode Island, Baron averaged 13 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.[5]

Canisius College

[edit]

In July 2012, Baron followed his father to Canisius College to finish out his collegiate career.[6]

In August 2012, Canisius announced that Baron had submitted the necessary paperwork to enroll at Canisius. Additionally, Canisius waiver to allow Baron's immediate eligibility for the fall of 2012 was granted by the NCAA.[7]

During the 2012-2013 season, he played in 34 games, making 33 starts. He was named to the All-MAAC First Team and became the first Griff to earn that distinction since Darren Fenn in 1999-2000. Baron scored a total of 584 points, the most for a Canisius player in 28 seasons. He led the team and ranked third in the MAAC with his 17.2 points per game. He also led the MAAC with 5 assists per game, which ranked 62nd nationally. Baron was named the Canisius Male Student Athlete of the Year.

During the 2013-2014 season, Baron was an AP All-America Honorable Mention, just the fourth player in program history to earn All-America honors. He was named the Pepsi MAAC Player of the year and earned All-MAAC First Team honors for the second straight season. Baron played in 34 games and started in 34 games. He led the team and ranked second in the MAAC with 24.1 points per game. He is the third Canisius player to average better than 24 points per game for a season. Baron was the first male athlete at Canisius to win the Male Athlete of the Year award in back-to-back academic years.[8]

Professional career

[edit]

Chicago Bulls (2014 July)

[edit]

In June 2014, it was announced that Baron would be joining the Chicago Bulls for NBA Summer League after going undrafted.[9] He played in 5 games and averaged 5.6 points, 2.4 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game.

Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius (2014-2015)

[edit]

On July 22nd, 2014, Baron announced that he had signed a contract with BC Rytas of Lietuvos krepšinio lyga.[10]

Detroit Pistons (2015 July)

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In June 2015, Baron became a member of the Detroit Pistons NBA Summer League team.[11] He played in 2 games and averaged 4 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist.

Proximus Spirou Charleroi (2015-2016)

[edit]

In August 2015, Baron signed with Spirou Charleroi where he joined his brother who was signed to the same team.[12]

Universidad Catolica de Murcia CB (2016-2017)

[edit]

In July 2016, Baron signed with UCAM Murcia CB.[13]

Eskisehir Basket (2017-2018)

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In July 2017, Baron signed with Eskişehir Basket.[14]

KK Crvena zvezda MTS Beograd (2018-2020)

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On July 14, 2018, Baron signed with KK Crvena zvezda. He became the first signing of the club for the season.[15]

On June 10, 2019, Baron extending his contract with the team to stay for a second season. In his previous season, he helped the team win the ABA League and clinch a spot in the 2019-2020 EuroLeague by averaging 11.6 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game.[16]

Zenit Sankt Petersburg (2020-2022)

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On July 15, 2020, Baron signed a two year deal with BC Zenit Saint Petersburg of the VTB United League after finishing the 2019-2020 season with an average of 11.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.[17]

On July 2, 2021, Baron and the club decided to commit for one extra year ahead of time. During the 2020-2021 season, he was recognized as MVP of September-October in the league. He played 25 matches in the tournament and averaged 10.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists.[18]

On December 31, 2021, Baron was named the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 18 MVP after leading his team by scoring 25 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds.[19]

AX Armani Exchange Milano (2022-2024)

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On June 28, 2022, Baron signed with Olimpia Milano of Lega Basket.[20]

In November 2022, Baron suffered a hamstring injury in his left thigh after a game against Real Madrid which had him sidelined for two weeks.[21]

In May 2023, Baron was named Eurobasket.com All-Euroleague Honorable Mention.[22]

In June 2023, Baron underwent surgery in his right elbow one day after helping his team in the best of seven finals of the league.[23] In October 2023, Baron had to undergo another surgery on his right elbow followed by a six-week rehabilitation period.[24] In February 2024, Baron was sidelined indefinitely after undergoing treatment and more evaluations for his injury. In January 2024, he had been ruled out for two to three weeks following more medical tests on his elblow.[25] In March 2024, Baron had been ruled out for the remainder of the 2023-2024 season as he was expected to undergo a further surgery procedure to his right elbow. In his second year with the club, he averaged 1.8 points, 2.3 assists and 1.8 rebounds.[26]

Shanghai Sharks (2024)

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On September 26, 2024, Baron signed with Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association. [27]

Retirement

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On October 12, 2024, Baron announced his retirement from basketball on social media stating that he had been struggling with injury issues over the last couple of seasons.[28]

National team career

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Baron has been a member of the senior United States national team. He was a member of Team USA at the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup, where he won a gold medal.

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  PIR  Performance Index Rating
 Bold  Career high

EuroLeague

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2019–20 Crvena zvezda 26 25 24.6 .419 .403 .855 2.7 2.2 .8 .0 11.6 11.0
2020–21 Zenit 39 1 18.6 .449 .448 .865 1.4 1.7 .4 .0 9.6 7.8
2021–22 23 1 20.4 .404 .357 .836 1.7 2.2 .2 — 11.2 9.9
2022–23 Olimpia Milano 30 16 25.1 .459 .403 .875 2.4 2.1 .6 .0 11.0 11.1
2023–24 3 0 15.7 .273 .000 1.000 2.3 3.0 1.3 — 2.3 3.7
Career 121 43 21.8 .433 .402 .859 2.0 2.0 .5 .0 10.5 9.6

EuroCup

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2014–15 Lietuvos rytas 17 0 11.5 .534 .475 .700 1.0 .8 .3 — 6.1 5.3
2015–16 Spirou Charleroi 10 10 32.7 .446 .459 .846 3.6 4.2 .7 — 20.7 17.8
2016–17 UCAM Murcia 14 12 25.4 .400 .341 .909 2.2 2.3 .7 — 13.0 9.9
2018–19 Crvena zvezda 16 16 26.9 .500 .494 .816 2.6 2.8 .5 — 12.9 13.2
Career 57 38 23.0 .459 .437 .842 2.2 2.3 .5 — 12.3 10.8

Domestic leagues

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Year Team League GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2014–15 Lithuania Lietuvos rytas LKL 45 14.6 .416 .373 .607 1.5 1.4 .5 .0 5.7
2015–16 Belgium Spirou Charleroi PBL 30 28.8 .453 .419 .840 2.5 3.9 1.6 .2 16.8
2016–17 Spain UCAM Murcia ACB 32 22.2 .406 .359 .932 1.9 1.4 .5 .0 10.6
2017–18 Turkey Eskişehir TBSL 31 32.1 .453 .439 .895 2.7 3.4 .7 .1 15.8
2018–19 Serbia Crvena zvezda KLS 14 20.3 .485 .452 .900 2.1 2.9 .4 .1 10.9
2018–19 Serbia Crvena zvezda ABA 29 22.0 .487 .418 .847 2.3 2.7 1.0 — 11.5
2019–20 Serbia Crvena zvezda ABA 18 23.8 .478 .430 .800 2.4 2.4 .8 — 12.4
2020–21 Russia Zenit VTBUL 25 20.2 .445 .435 .846 1.6 2.5 .5 — 10.4
2021–22 Russia Zenit VTBUL 21 21.8 .446 .426 .931 1.8 2.3 .5 — 13.5
2022–23 Italy Olimpia Milano LBA 36 22.1 .488 .429 .934 2.2 2.5 .8 .0 11.5
2023–24 Italy Olimpia Milano LBA 2 9.5 .200 1.000 1.000 — — 1.0 — 2.5

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2010–11 Virginia 17 0 11.1 .313 .316 .692 .7 .8 .4 — 3.0
2011–12 Rhode Island 20 14 32.3 .404 .312 .827 4.5 2.6 1.2 — 13.0
2012–13 Canisius 34 33 34.8 .439 .382 .824 4.1 5.0 1.0 — 17.2
2013–14 Canisius 34 34 39.0 .464 .421 .884 4.9 5.3 1.6 — 24.1
Career 105 81 31.8 .439 .384 .850 3.9 4.0 1.1 — 16.3

Personal

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Baron is the son of former Canisius basketball head coach, Jim Baron, and the younger brother of the professional basketball player, Jimmy Baron.[29] Baron is married to former Canisius college softball player Valorie Nappo.[30] The two met in college when they were both student athletes at Canisius.[30]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Billy Baron - Men's Basketball". Canisius College Athletics. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  2. ^ "Cavaliers Open Season At Home Against William & Mary On Friday". Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site. November 12, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  3. ^ "Billy Baron Leaving Virginia Basketball Program". Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site. February 3, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  4. ^ "Billy Baron leaving URI a few months after dad's firing". CBSSports.com. June 20, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  5. ^ "Billy Baron leaves Rhode Island two months after his father's firing". Yahoo Sports. June 19, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  6. ^ "Report: Former URI guard Billy Baron to play for father at Canisius". NBC Sports. July 5, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  7. ^ "Billy Baron Joins Men's Basketball Program". Canisius University Athletics. August 14, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  8. ^ "Billy Baron - Men's Basketball". Canisius University Athletics. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  9. ^ Bell, Ken (June 27, 2014). "Report: Billy Baron To Join Chicago Bulls Summer League Team". ABC6. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  10. ^ "Baron Signs Contract with BC Lietuvos Rytas". Canisius University Athletics. July 22, 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  11. ^ "Baron to Play for Detroit in NBA Summer League". Canisius University Athletics. June 22, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  12. ^ McNamara, Kevin. "Baron brothers backcourt finally comes to fruition in Belgium". The Providence Journal. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  13. ^ "Billy Baron UCAM Murcia'ya Katılıyor". Eurohoops (in Turkish). July 21, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  14. ^ Özcan, Kemal Rutkay (July 19, 2017). "Nesinecom Eskişehir Basket'in en son transferi Billy Baron!". Basketbol Haberleri (in Turkish). Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  15. ^ "Billy Baron signed with Crvena Zvezda". Eurohoops. July 14, 2018. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  16. ^ "Billy Baron to extend contract with Crvena Zvezda". Eurohoops. June 10, 2019. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  17. ^ "Zenit signs Billy Baron to two-year deal". Eurohoops. July 15, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  18. ^ "Billy Baron and Zenit add another year to the contract". Eurohoops. July 2, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  19. ^ "Billy Baron earns EuroLeague MVP of the Week award". Eurohoops. December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  20. ^ "Billy Baron signs a deal with Olimpia Milano". Eurohoops. June 28, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  21. ^ "Milan's Billy Baron sidelined for at least two weeks". Eurohoops. November 4, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  22. ^ "Eurobasket.com All-Euroleague Awards 2023". www.eurobasket.com. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  23. ^ "Billy Baron undergoes elbow surgery". Eurohoops. June 25, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  24. ^ "Billy Baron requires another surgery on his right elbow". Eurohoops. October 5, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  25. ^ "Olimpia Milan labels injured Billy Baron as indefinitely out". Eurohoops. February 14, 2024. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  26. ^ "Milan rules out Billy Baron for the rest of the season". Eurohoops. March 9, 2024. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  27. ^ "Sharks sign Billy Baron, ex Milano". www.asia-basket.com. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  28. ^ "EuroLeague veteran guard Billy Baron retires at 33". Eurohoops. October 12, 2024. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  29. ^ Borzello, Jeff (February 13, 2014). "Billy Baron hopes to end up-and-down journey on a high note". CBSSports.com. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  30. ^ a b Brady, Erik (October 18, 2024). "Valorie Nappo Baron is being honored at Clarence – after a 37-nation journey with her husband, Billy Baron". The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on November 4, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
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