Former Bulldog playing in Italy talks about experience

The Coronavirus isn't only affecting professional sports in the States.

Athletes abroad have also dealt with the pandemic and some are a long ways from home.

Graduated from mississippi state in 2004.

After his time in starkville, he spent one year in the d-league, the nba's minor league at the time.

After that, he left the states to play basketball in europe and that's where he's been for the last 16 years.

He's gotten to travel all over the continent during his playing days, but most recently, he's been playing in italy.

Two months ago, everything was normal, then everything changed.

(timmy) people that have been to prison, this is like being in prison) (track) it's been four weeks since the italian prime minister put the country in lockdown.

With the exception of the occasional grocery store trip.

Bowers has been stuck in his apartment.

Originally from gulfport, bowers splits his time between italy and houston.

When the virus hit italy, he had a difficult choice to make.

(timmy) the thing that i didn't want to do was go through the airport pick up something and bring it back to my family.

I've got two kids so i was trying to think moreso for others than myself.

So i can make that sacrifice of being by myself and doing what i have to do.

(track) so bowers has had to witness the country that he's called his second home for nearly a decade fall into chaos.

He's in bologna, right in the middle of the county.

He has former teammates, and friends who were playing in northern italy, where the virus hit the worst.

(timmy) one of my american teammates, was in a part of italy that was probably one of the first red zones that they had and he was telling me like they literally couldn't do anything, they had military all around, people couldn't leave the city, people couldn't go into the city.

But he said it was also a lot of people that were dying there, a lot of people have contracted the virus there and so they were just sitting tight.

(track) to make matters a big more difficult.

To make matters a big more difficult.

This season was supposed to be his last.

(timmy) for it to end the way it's going to end, is just like, it's wild, you know what i mean, just like wow, of all things that could happen, the last season is going to end like this, probably have an epic story to tell about it, you know what i mean, but its been a great, great journey, man, great experience, i've met a lot of people.

A lot of great people, coaches, fans, things like that so i just try to take it all in.

Bowers told me that during his time in isolation, in addition to trying to keep in shape, he's working on a couple of books.

He said his first one will be an instructional for kids, the second one will be about his journey playing close to two decades of professional basketball abroad.

These last few months should make for an interesting chapter in what has been a great run for the