Jamil Wilson: "You Have Not Seen Anything Yet" Israel today

What did not work at Hapoel Jerusalem • The difficulty of being away from family • The fondness for shoes • And the lawsuit that prevented him from playing with LeBron • The new foreigner of Maccabi Rishon Lezion in a special interview

• Jamil Wilson.

  Promises a lot

  Photo: 

  Danny Maron

"My ability is not at all close to what the fans in Israel have seen so far. They may have seen the athleticism, but really not all the ability. I had ups and downs, and I believe I can now show everything for the final months of the season," said Jamil Wilson The new player of Maccabi Rishon LeZion in a special interview with "Israel Today".

In December, the forward signed with Hapoel Jerusalem, but did not adapt and was released about two weeks ago and immediately afterwards joined the team in orange, much thanks to Achilles Mitchell who knows him from previous leagues in which they played together.

"It may be that the timing I got to Jerusalem was not the best," he says in the first interview since the release and signing and ahead of Saturday's game against the ex, "I got there when they were a very good team, we started well, but then we lost a few games and the coach left. "Different training, and I had a hard time getting used to the new coach's training. I was a bit in between. My contract could be changed because we built it that way, so it was easy to replace me."

Do you know how to explain what exactly is not working there?

"Changing a coach is a change of philosophy. It's not that there's anything wrong now, but there are players who were used to something for a few years and now it's different. It's like taking a child from his parents and telling him everything changes. As a child you think in the early years what you know is what That's right, but over time we learn more things, and adjustments need to be made and it takes time, especially with a group that has wanted so much time together. "

"Playing with LeBron could have been an amazing experience"

Wilson, 30, was born in Wisconsin to a sports family.

His father won the Division 3 College Championship and was inducted into the Wisconsin Whitewater College Hall of Fame.

In 2009 he was admitted to Oregon College, but after the coach who brought him was fired, he asked to leave and even sat outside for a whole year in accordance with the strict college rules so he could join Market College.

"It's not that I did not play, I just did not participate in official games," he adds, "I found other ways to contribute and was part of the team. I took the time to train and do scouting. Think I trained every day with players like Jimmy Butler and others who came to NBC later. "And it helped me get better."

There's a lot of talk about Butler's leadership and work ethic.

Tell us something from the inside.

"I have something for you, it's one of my funny memories. It was pre - season, we got to practice and it's frozen outside. Jimmy is from Texas and suddenly he comes into the hall with a coat and cowboy boots. His headphones are on and he hears country music. He took off his coat and all of us "We saw that he was shirtless and in shorts. That's how he went all the way from the dorm to training, shirtless, when it was insanely cold outside. His drive and his desire to compete is something amazing, I'm really glad I got to play with him."

LeBron.

One complaint ruined Wilson playing alongside King James // Photo: USA TODAY Sports

In 2017, Wilson also reached the best league in the world.

He is the first player in the history of the Los Angeles Clippers to sign a two-way contract.

Later he played mainly in the G-League and participated in 15 games in the Clippers uniform in which he scored 7 points on average.

Despite showing positive ability, the team decided to release him, and then the city rival, the Los Angeles Lakers, jumped on the bargain and signed him to a ten-day contract.

Shortly before the contract went into effect, a report was published in one of the media that a woman had filed a lawsuit against the actor in which she claimed that he had a contraceptive relationship with her while he knew he was ill and even infected her with a particular disease.

The plaintiff did not present evidence and the case was closed.

But for the Lakers it was enough and they canceled the deal between the parties.

"To this day I have no idea why she did it to me," he says painfully, "it's something I do not deal with anymore because I am in a new chapter in my life."

"I was very disappointed," he says of the Lakers' decision to cancel his contract with him. "Today, after all I've been through, I understand that basketball is a business, and that sometimes someone can tell you something completely far from the truth. As a teenager I watched a lot of LeBron James play and it could "It was an amazing experience to play with him, but unfortunately what happened happened and it didn't work out."

"I feel good in Israel"

Wilson is now married and the father of two-and-a-half-year-old Isaiah who was born on September 9 ("so the number on my shirt is 99, even though it's not common in basketball").

In the first, it is said that at every available opportunity the two talk, and Israel Wilson eats breakfast with him, accompanies him to the garden and helps with everything he needs.

"It's hard to be away from family, probably with all the hustle and bustle around the Corona. You miss some of the regular holidays and traditions with the child and it's tough, but this is not my first year overseas. I thank you for playing basketball, and here in Israel I feel good."

Wilson.

Dad on remote control // Photo: Danny Maron

Wilson's favorite hobby is shoes.

Almost every game he comes up with new shoes.

"Shoes are a good way to express yourself. There is no problem with regular black shoes, but I like colors and colors, and the fact that I have a lot of pairs helps me express myself in a variety of ways. I do not count how many I have and I never throw away. I keep everything in the closet. "Mine, in a closet in a living room, in my dad's basement. I have a lot of shoes, and I have no idea how many, but I can tell you I have a lot."

Coaches seem to have a hard time finding the right position for you, so tell us you - in which position do you prefer to play, 3 or 4?

"It really does not matter to me. These are just numbers, 3-4-2-5 it does not matter, I just enjoy basketball. Put me on the court and let me play as I know and love."

You probably already know that in recent years, Maccabi Rishon LeZion has been to all the important games in Israeli basketball, and usually also defeats Hapoel Jerusalem along the way.

"Of course I know and I felt it in the semi-finals. Every athlete's goal is to succeed, because when you succeed it opens doors for you. Since I was a kid I play to win and win things, I came to help the team meet the task."