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2020-09-24T07:20:48.745Z


| Israeli basketballIn 2013, Nikola Vujicic tried to land the talented duo Ante Žižić and Dragan Bender at Maccabi Tel Aviv. Elijah Dragon Bender in a Golden State uniform. Second term at Maccabi Tel Aviv Photo:  Getty Images 1 In 2013, Nikola Vujicic landed Ante Žižić and Dragan Bender in Israel for a few weeks of tests and impressions. The Croatian professional director of Maccabi Tel Aviv really wanted to add


In 2013, Nikola Vujicic tried to land the talented duo Ante Žižić and Dragan Bender at Maccabi Tel Aviv. Elijah

  • Dragon Bender in a Golden State uniform.

    Second term at Maccabi Tel Aviv

    Photo: 

    Getty Images

1 In 2013, Nikola Vujicic landed Ante Žižić and Dragan Bender in Israel for a few weeks of tests and impressions.

The Croatian professional director of Maccabi Tel Aviv really wanted to add the two European talents, but in the end only Bender signed with the yellow lines while Zizic selected Cibona Zagreb.

On the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, the Croatian circle closed.

A few weeks after Zizic's signing, the Israeli champion in Vujicic's push also closed Bender's terms, and if nothing unexpected happens, the talented player will sign in the coming days and return for a second term in Israel.

According to reports in some media outlets the contract will be for one season with a short exit option ahead of the opening of the NBA season, most likely in January.

After leaving Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2016, Bender (22, 2.13 m) was selected fourth in the draft by the Phoenix Suns, in whose ranks he played for three seasons. In the Suns uniform, the Croatian talent did not justify the high expectations, but in the last year his condition has stabilized. In 2019/20 he opened for the Milwaukee Bucks and in February moved to the Golden State Warriors in the media averaging 9 points and 5.4 rebounds in 21.7 minutes in nine games before the league stoppage due to the spread of the corona virus.

He will now try to show good ability in the yellow uniform and return (this coming winter or next summer) in a better position to the best league in the world.

Bender with Vujicic.

Selected in fourth place in the draft // Photo: Alan Schieber

2 According to sources, the Yellows were close at the beginning of the week to attach the forward Kevin Harvey that Yannis Sapropoulos wanted as a replacement for Quincy Acey, but the deal fell through at the last minute and the player chose Locomotive Cuban.

After stopping contacts with Harvey, the Greek coach who asked the management to complete the squad before the start of next week's Euroleague season, gave the green light to Vujicic to speed up Bender's arrival with the understanding that in the current market situation this is the best option.

With the progress in contacts with Amara Studmeier who is estimated to sign for another season but will arrive later in the season, the Yellows are actually completing the squad building and can prepare for the Winner's Cup quarterfinals on Saturday and especially for the first round of the Euroleague against Alba Berlin (1.10).

Assuming that the deals with Bender and Studmeier are completed and there are no last minute incidents, Maccabi Tel Aviv will enjoy a deep, high-quality and varied front line next season, but will lack a physical and athletic defensive player like Quincy Acey. The 27-year-old.

"All the players in the locker room want Quincy with us. He's a great player and friend, someone you like to play with because you know he's competitive 24/7," Scotty Wilbkin told Israel Today recently.

Maccabi Tel Aviv Model 2020/21.

"This season is different from everything we knew" // Photo: Maccabi Tel Aviv 

3 Meanwhile, the team yesterday held the traditional press conference ahead of the season opener, of course by online means, with the participation of the club management, professional staff and players.

Coach Yannis Sapropoulos said: "This season is different from anything we have known so far. The Corona has affected not only our lives but also sports and basketball. We had a short preparation period, we tried to do our best, it is a difficult economic period for all of us everywhere, no only in Israel".

Chairman Shimon Mizrahi referred to debates in the administration regarding the compensation money from the state: “The outline proposed by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Culture and Sports came to compensate the groups for actual damages caused to them by not selling tickets and subscriptions and not for other purposes.

Therefore, we should try to make the compensation as accurate as possible for each group according to the damage caused to it, and no other exception. "

Source: israelhayom

All sports articles on 2020-09-24

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