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Wickside: A weekly column by Ahrela Weisberg
Jacoben Brown: "I'm heartbroken I did not get the recognition we deserve"
"Basketball will end one day, and my kids will still stay. So, when they needed me, the decision to leave was an easy one."
The recent injury, the racism in the United States, the longing for James Paladin and the message to Adam Ariel. A personal interview with the captain of Hapoel Jerusalem, who will encourage his teammates from the bench in Athens
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Jacoben Brown
Hapoel Jerusalem
Ahrela Weisberg
Wednesday, September 30, 2020, 12:30 p.m.
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Interview with Jacoben Brown, captain of Hapoel Jerusalem (video editing: Nir Chen, after: Avichai Baruch)
About six months ago, on March 11, Jacoben Brown had signed on for the last points scored at any European factory before heading out for the Corona coma.
Since then he has managed to grab so many headlines, without appearing in even one official game: he flew to the US during the first closure, returned to Israel for the renewal of the Premier League, was released to be with his family, re-signed with Hapoel Jerusalem, was appointed captain - and was injured tonight. (Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.), when the state cup holder goes up to the parquet in Auka and restarts the fight for the Champions League, Brown will be there with her, dressed in civilian clothes.
"I do not even remember the moment I was injured, and so far I can not understand how it happened ", I describe the Jerusalem coordinator, who managed to appear in only one training game against Hapoel Tel Aviv before being sidelined due to a serious shoulder injury." I decided to stay in Israel and not return home, to continue treatments and training, and in a month and a half we will re-evaluate and see when I can play.
But on the trip to Athens I was not willing to give up.
I want to be there with my friends.
"It's very frustrating. We worked so hard to get to that point, and you want to finish the job properly. I'll push them like I'm playing myself, and at least Oded Katash has earned an assistant coach. I hope the players listen to me too," he smiles in an interview with Walla!
Sports ahead of the Champions League quarter-final against San Pablo Burgos.
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Danny Maron undefined
- It's weird to decide last season's title with next season's squad.
"It's hard. The team from last season brought so much heart and passion to the games, and all the pieces came together for us in the puzzle, in every position. We just had to get on the pitch, keep strong on defense, and from there everything would work out. We felt it was our moment, so it's hard to start again."
- This feeling you describe is reminiscent of the State of Mind in Jerusalem during the Corona League.
The team seems to have struggled to break free from the shadow of the “what if” feeling of what would have happened had it not been for the forced halt and staff changes.
"You want to win something at the end of the season, to get the recognition. The hardest part for me is the thought that we did not get a chance to earn that recognition. We will not be reminded that we played well and beautifully, or that there was special chemistry between us. What we remember at the end is the titles. "Great things, and we wanted to complete them. When you retire, you want the memory of the championships and the trophies. And that's what broke my heart, I wanted it for my brothers, it deserved them."
When Brown (30) talks about "brothers", he means first and foremost his backline partner of the past two years, James Paladin, who moved to the Spanish Betis and called him during the conversation between us.
"It's weird to be here without James. He was my travel companion, and we made a connection that I didn't feel with anyone else. We had a lot of conversations about life, about the big and small things, about the plans for the day after retirement. He became a brother-in-law."
- How different would Hapoel Jerusalem be without the two of you?
"This team is different, and there are a lot of new and significant guys. Last season's team was stronger physically, we really had 'bodies' on the squad. We started the preparation relatively late, and some of the teams in the tournament have an advantage over us, because they started before us, but "You can't think about it now. When you play, you leave everything behind. If we get to the last quarter, three or four minutes to go, and the game is close, I know we can win, and I do not care if we play against the Lakers, Maccabi, Panathinaikos or Milan."
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"A connection I did not have with anyone else."
Brown with James Paladin (Photo: Bernie Ardov)
Brown, as mentioned, was supposed to play with the Reds in the decisive stages in Israel during the summer, but left surprisingly after he had already arrived in Israel and completed the isolation period.
He now speaks openly about the difficult period he went through.
"My kids needed Dad at home," the American explains, "and they are a top priority. Basketball will end one day, and my kids will still be there. That's how I live.
" It was an easy decision for me.
I do not regret it, and no one will make me feel bad about it.
When they need me, I'm there.
They accept that I am not there for ten and a half months every year, but when they cry out for help and need me, I pack up and come.
It may sound selfish to some people, but if you are not a father, you will not understand it, and I do not care. "
- In what situation did you find your family in Texas?
" It was bad.
Everything was closed, I could not move freely and normally.
It took me a while to meet my grandmother.
I immediately went into isolation, I was alone at home.
It helped me become a better family man, a better person, and look at life differently. "
- When you left Israel, did you believe that you would return for the current season?
" I did not know what would happen.
I was just thinking about having to be with my kids and function properly as a father.
I did not know when this virus would pass, if at all I would play this season.
I realized it was time to be a good father, to dedicate to my children the time I could not devote to them when I was away.
I did not think about basketball until the middle of the summer, when I realized that they were playing again. "
- Your name was mentioned as a candidate for Euroleague teams, and there was a feeling that Jerusalem would have a hard time keeping you.
" I do not know.
I do not care.
It's over, and I'm in Jerusalem.
Maybe I was not good enough to go to the Euroleague team.
It does not frustrate me.
As long as I can support my family and get on the field, that's fine with me. "
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"How did I miss such a thing ?! If I had watched, maybe he would have missed?".
Adam Ariel in the Final Four (Photo: Danny Maron)
- Did you follow the playoff games in Israel?
"I watched every game. I kept in touch with the coaches and the players, I told them what I think they should improve on. Although I left, I tried to stay with them, one of them."
- How did you feel when you saw Adam Ariel's three victory against you in the semifinals?
"The truth is I did not see this shooting live! My mother called and told me to leave, because she left me a package on the balcony ... I replied 'there is a good game, there is a good game', but she was afraid someone would take it. She left something. "To the children, and I tried again to tell her 'you could call them.'
- I guess you will not object to Ariel's reconstruction trio in the Final Eight.
"I talked to him yesterday and I told him: to be a great team, you have to throw and score at a high level. You can't throw once, two, three, four times in a game. No, you have to throw. It's your job, it's your job. You scored. Great, you have to have confidence and not let him get hurt even if you miss a few shots. "
"At least Katsch has earned an assistant coach. Hopefully the players will listen to me."
Brown in his favorite uniform (Photo: Kobi Eliyahu)
Brown is Jerusalem's first foreign captain, and he's not too impressed with the role.
"I always felt like I was the captain, but in fact it's just a word. If you come, set a personal example and work hard, it's already showing who you are. I've always been the one that teammates can come to and talk about everything. Not just basketball."
When you returned to the United States, the protest against the racist treatment of the African-American community was at its peak.
"Everything a person wants in life is an equal chance, and it does not matter if he is white, black, Mexican, Hispanic, Israeli or Turkish.
Give me a chance to show you what kind of person I am, before you judge me.
This is how it should be.
What is happening in America is childish and petty.
If black can love white and accept it with open arms, then what's the problem?
Why can you not do the same?
Are you scared just because of skin color?
"Some of the most beautiful times of my life were with white people. At the University of Texas I was with guys who accepted me as one of them. I went to sleep with them, we hung out together, I could drive their car and go shopping. They welcomed me with open arms. So how can you be so angry "About someone because of his color? It's low, it shows you have no respect for life."
- Personally, have you encountered manifestations of racism?
"When I was 15, we had an away game League designs against a team that has no black. Even the city did not live in black. Prior to the decline in bus, coach told us, not play, do not mess with the fans, and Cshmshk end go back on the bus and get out of here.
We played, we enjoyed, We won, and 40 or so seconds to go, my brother and I went down to the bench. Someone in the back yelled at us, 'It's okay, you won, but you will not leave this city.' We had to respond, and a confrontation started with the fans. "So that the police are chasing us, until we leave her district and she has to get out of us."
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