Antic: Decision to leave Hawks ‘extremely difficult’

It was not an easy decision for Pero Antic to leave the NBA and the Hawks.

In the end, his family was most important.

Following two years in Atlanta, Antic will return to Europe after agreeing to a contract with Fenerbahce of the Euroleague.

“Playing in the NBA was always a life-long goal and I’m proud that I was able to represent Macedonia and be the first, of hopefully many, from my great country to play in the NBA,” Antic said. “It was an extremely difficult decision to leave the Atlanta Hawks for many reasons. My teammates and I were able to accomplish some great things on the court during the past two seasons and we formed a close brotherhood off the court. They will forever be my friends.

“Anyone who knows me knows how important family is to me and being closer to my family was the deciding factor. I would like to thank Coach Bud, the entire coaching staff, the trainers, equipment managers and the entire Atlanta Hawks organization for how they welcomed me to the franchise. Most importantly, I want to thank the city of Atlanta and all of the fans for their support.”

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