Latvius Williams gets into an ugly confrontation with a Hapoel Holon fan, beats him - and is thrown out of the club • About three weeks have passed and Hapoel Tel Aviv, who jumped on the bargain, realizes that she has made one of her biggest moves in recent years.
Williams. Great move by Hapoel Tel Aviv
Photography:
Encourage Carney
"Flowers for Holon, Latvius Williams solved our problems," Hapoel Tel Aviv chairman Rami Cohen said in an interview in one of the media this week, and did not hide the popular opinion from Israeli basketball fans.
The Saturday on Saturday (20:00) against Maccabi Tel Aviv will be the chin's fifth red game overall, but it can already be said that it may have changed during the team's season. His new team averages 14.7 points and 10.8 rebounds on 26.7 Minutes on the hardwood. Hapoel Tel Aviv's balance in those games: three wins and one loss, which was his first game in the team, when he still did not know the drills and his new friends.
To what extent Williams is a breakout in our league equals statistics. Although he no longer plays in the FIFA Champions League, Williams is still high on the numbers tables: two rebounds and two in the efficiency index. In fact, in 11 of his 16 games this season, the chin finished with a double-double.
It is not easy to bring a 30-year player to Israel with a record of three seasons in Euroleague and two more in Eurocap, and certainly not to a team that is not a Maccabi or Hapoel Jerusalem. Also helped by the fact that Williams, who suffered an injury last season and wants to return to higher levels, heard about the jumps made last summer by Suleiman Reimu, Eliza Bryant and J.P. Tokoto after a successful season under coach.
Rappaport. Signature that changes season // Photo: Oded Karni
Despite high expectations, the opening of the term in Holon was not smooth. The player arrived in Israel when he is not fit and neither is the weight expected of a basketball player. Fitness coach Amit Goldian took it as a project, and the player promised to be ready for the season opener. The club's leaders had already considered bringing him back on a flight back to the US, but at the last minute, Williams met with owner Shlomo Isaacs and told him, "I'm an experienced player, I'll be ready just in time." Isaac made excuses - and the rest is history.
Williams excelled in Holon uniform, but had to leave after a short period. This happened after the loss of purple to Nahariya's cities in the National Cup. Exiting the hall, a confrontation took place between Williams and one of the fans who cursed him, the actor momentarily lost his temper - and hit the fan. Following the incident, he was also questioned by police.
The club's management was debating how to follow suit. Drucker and other members of the board supported leaving the actor, who even offered to apologize to the fans and was the one who raised the possibility of organizing a forgiven forgiveness, but eventually a decision was made to release him from the club. As far as we know, the cursing fan has not yet been punished. "If I could, I would send the fan to Hapoel Tel Aviv and leave Latvius with us," he said at the time.
Drucker. Wanted to leave Williams in Holon // Photo: Bernie Ardov
And back to the red side. Hapoel Tel Aviv's management was looking for high candles to replace Dmitrius Tardwell, who ended the season because of an injury. As soon as Williams was released, they donned the bargain, canceled the agreement with Lowry - and signed Williams, who according to officials was on the radar of several other groups, including AK Athens.
"He's an amazing guy," Hapoel Tel Aviv says, "just the personality we needed. Quiet, out of demand, and mostly very efficient. With the players we have, it's really the missing piece of the puzzle. "
On Saturday, the terrifying front line of the urban rivalry awaits him, and if this test is also successful - one can say with confidence that this is one of Hapoel Tel Aviv's best moves in recent years.