BILLINGS — Former Billings West and Rocky Mountain College standout Jesse Owens isn’t finished with his hoops career just yet.
“There was a time from about August until October, November when I'm normally in camp and practicing with teammates that it really hit me, like, dang, I might be past playing," Owens said. "My agent called me and it was like a weight lifted off my shoulders."
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The 25-year-old Owens will begin his professional career in Portugal in the coming days, but it’s not quite as lucrative as you might think. Owens will be essentially playing for free but money wasn’t really a factor, so long as he just got a chance.
“It's my first gig and I'm not making a lot of money — about 200 euros (per month) — but it's a good stepping stone for my career while my body is feeling good, my mind is feeling good. It's a way to go and get some more tape and look for future opportunities next season," Owens said.
Owens will be thrown into the fire culturally, so to speak, as he’ll have to figure life out on the fly in Portugal. But he’s looking forward to one aspect of European life.
“I think the most exciting thing about going to Portugual outside of basketball is just being able to see a new culture," Owens said. "I'm a health geek when it comes to food and eating right. I've done some research and they have good seafood over there right on the water. I'm excited to get some nice, whole, natural, unprocessed foods. That's the thing I'm most looking forward to."
The former Golden Bear and Battlin’ Bear is representing the state of Montana and the town of Billings quite well.
