He passed the childhood in the Bronx • Three years in Europe it was enough for him to return to the US • One successful shot in the development league earned him a place in the NBA playoffs alongside LeBron: "He's a regular guy" • John Holland joined Hapoel YM , And with high school friends, he wants to pull degrees from the hat

• John Holland. Played only one minute with the Celtics

  Photo:

  Danny Maron

John Holland, Hapoel Jerusalem's new acquisition, has a special character. A character that thanks to him brought him the trophy holder, and a character who also helped him out of the Bronx Square in New York without unusual entanglements and as a better person.

"I was born and raised in the Bronx, not an easy place at all," he tells "Israel Today" in his first interview since landing in Israel. "My mother is a Puerto Rican and my father is an African-American. Both of my parents are high school teachers in the city, and despite the place I grew up, the education I received was excellent and made a positive impact on my life. "

In Jerusalem the Netherlands meets some familiar faces from his region. The first is James Paladin, who he said was a bitter opponent during his time in high school. "I know James from the age of 15-14, we would play at least twice each year every year. Even then he was a killer, he had a good team that usually won." The other is Chris Smith, who played with him in high school, and the third is Isaiah Cousins, who he trained with last summer. "This familiarity made the choice of us all easier."

John Holland. Hapoel Jerusalem's first acquisition // Photo: Danny Maron

In retrospect, it turns out that the one who still helped the Netherlands choose to come to Israel is ex Maccabi Carlos Arroyo. The two cooperated with the Puerto Rico team, and "Carlos had only good things to say about Israel. He told a lot about what he had during his time here, and I knew then that it was a good place to go. "

What fans of Hapoel Jerusalem are going to get from you?

"I'm just playing hard and trying to do what's right and right. Devotion, throws, defense and energy. That's the kind of player I am. I know this is a very good team with a lot of history and the guys here have been successful so far. That the atmosphere in Arena is amazing, and I can no longer wait for the first game in front of our fans. "

The fulfillment of the dream

After not being selected in the 2011 draft, the Netherlands left for Europe. The first stop was the French Rouen and then joined a talented and promising team built in Kahassol Seville, under esteemed coach Aito Rances. There was a future NBC player like Tomasz Storanski and the diamond in the crown, Latvian Crisps Porzingis, now one of the world's top players and star of the Dallas Mavericks.

"He was a talented young man at the age of 17," Holland recalls, "a great guy. You could already see that he would be very good. He has everything. Height, control of the ball and shooting. I loved him very much. I remember how even though everyone around They kept telling him how talented he was, he always tried to learn more and get better. Today I enjoy watching him play. "

After three seasons in Europe, the actor decided to join Canton Charge, the Cleveland Cavaliers development team, in an attempt to get her way to the NBA. That moment came in a playoff game against Maine, the Boston Celtics development team. Over the last minute, Holland scored with the end of the shot clock and gave his team an important victory. "I looked at the clock and the time went down," he recalls. "It was a playoff game and I just had to throw. Luckily the ball came in. There was madness in the court and everyone was around me."

John Holland in Cleveland uniform. Obtained a contract in the 2017/18 season // Photo: Getty Images

What the Netherlands didn't know was that the madness was just beginning. Barely three days went by and the Celtics, impressed by the crazy scoring, gave him a temporary contract to join the roster in the playoffs. "It was the happiest moment of my life. A dream come true. I was filled with emotions, I was so happy, all the hard work and travel of the last few years I had in my head, I almost cried,"

Holland played just one minute for the Celtics, but thanks to that move, he obtained a Cleveland contract for the 2017/18 season. Twenty-four times he wore the Cubs' uniform in the season that ended with a final. "It was a great time for me. I shared a locker room with players I had only heard about until then, such as Derrick Rose, Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Isaiah Thomas, JR Smith, Kevin Love, I'm happy about this experience. A season I will never forget. "

What’s it like to be in the same locker room with a legend as LeBron?

"He's just a regular guy, all the time with two feet on the ground. Well, everyone in the team knows there is a lot of pressure around, everyone follows and sees everything. He really works hard to live up to expectations, and it's an experience to see it up close."

John Holland. I love magic // Photo: Getty Images

What do you like to do besides playing basketball?

"I love magic and even know how to do some. I'm also not a bad chess player at all. Now that I'm here, I also want to learn to cook."

Towards the end of the interview, Holland says that everyone in the team, players and managers, has already made it clear to him the importance of success in the FIBA ​​Champions League and reached the Final Four. "We have a good team, this is a goal I know we can fulfill." To get a first chance at an outside game that runs in SH.

In another game (21:00), Hapoel Holon will host Hapoel Eilat and try to achieve a first victory in the Stefanos Dadas era.