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"If Perkins hadn't been injured we could have won the Euroleague." Israel today

2020-05-06T05:21:02.240Z


9 years after his best game in Maccabi Tel Aviv, during which he dismantled Real in the Euroleague semifinals, Chuck Aidson in a special interview with Israeli basketball


Exactly nine years after his best match in Maccabi Tel Aviv, during which he dismantled Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Euroleague Final, Chuck Edson in a special interview for "Israel Today"

  • Edson during the finals game where Maccabi lost to Panathinaikos

    Photo: 

    Alan Shaver

Nearly a decade ago, when Chuck Edson played at the Maccabi Tel Aviv, some said he wasn't coming to Man-Time. In the crossover series against Belgrade's partisan in the 2009/10 season, he was arrested on average 10 points in a particularly bad percentage, and in other important games He seemed to step aside and set the stage for others.

But then came the Euro Four League Final of the 2010/11 season on May 6 - 2011, exactly nine years ago today - the Yellows faced a match against Real Madrid, missing Doron Perkins, who was injured in the quarterfinals against Kacha Laval. Edson took command and exploded with 19 points by a staggering percentage, dropping 8 rebounds, adding 6 steals and scoring 2 assists in the 63:82 Giant on the Blancos. Along the way, he became the third player in the Yellows' history to finish with more than 30 benchmark points in the Euroleague Final Four. He was preceded by Anthony Parker and Maceio Baston.

"In that game I just enjoyed every minute on the field," he says in an interview with Israel Today. "From the time I came to Europe I always heard how good Real Madrid is and how big a club with a rich history, so it was good to play against them and win them. Sure, with all the Maccabi fans in the stands. This Final Four was a special experience for me.

Israel expected to see such dominance from you most games.

"When I was in college, I was the same player I was in Maccabi. I did a lot of things on the field and didn't just focus on scoring and points. I remember that in my first game in Europe (German 46th leagues; JM) the coach came into the locker room and told me 'You're here to score Points' - So that's what I did. Each coach gave me a different role, and I tried to fulfill it as best I could. Maccabi people expected me to score 20 points in every game, but that was not possible given the roles we were assigned and the other players in the team. "

After the win over Real, the Yellows lost in the final to Panathinaikos. At that time, many wondered what would have happened if Perkins had not been injured. "That's a question I ask myself a lot," Idson says, "at that time Doron played great basketball, and he was one that changed games defensively. If he wasn't injured, I think we would have been able to beat Panathinaikos in the final and win the European Championship."

secretly. "People forget what a tremendous coach he is" // Photo: Gettyimages 

Finnish or Blatt?

Edson wore the yellow uniform for two seasons. , 2009/10 under Pini Gershon, was disappointing and ended with a loss in the Final Four in Israel and was eliminated in the Euro League quarterfinals. , 2010/11 under the guidance of David Blatt, was far more successful. The yellows have run over Europe, until the loss to Pau. In the league, too, they dismantled the rivalry and finished with a lightweight local double. "The interesting thing is that in my first season in Maccabi we had a good team, but we just didn't have the 'together'," says Edson. "That's why the second season was better, because that's the way to play basketball - together."

Edson also points out the differences between the two coaches. "They were both amazing in terms of basketball and I really enjoyed playing for them. The difference was the style," he explains. "He had a great relationship with the players and he loved the pitch and the game. He had a great personality. Sometimes people forget what a tremendous coach he is."

Despite the success and enjoyment of his second season, in the summer of 2011, Edson left Israel and signed a huge contract in Barcelona. He now explains that money was not the main reason for the move. "Moving to Barcelona was a tough decision for me. The main reason for leaving was that Maccabi joined the Adriatic League, so a lot of travel was planned, and I didn't want to be too far away from the family. Good for my family, so it was mainly because of that. "

The versatile forward failed to impress in his season in Spain and spent two years at Russian Onyx Kazan, who retired at just 33 years of age. He again points to his family as the main factor in his decision making. "I retired relatively early because I wanted to be with my kids as they grow up."

He follows European basketball a bit, especially his former teams. "I heard Maccabi has a talented young player, is that right? I will try to keep an eye on him, because if he is picked high in the draft, it would be very nice."

Source: israelhayom

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