The first foreigner to sign for Hapoel Jerusalem last season was Retin Obasohan.
This season the first foreigner to join the Reds is Ova's friend, guard / forward Levi Randolph.
The two know each other well, and the Belgian guard warmly recommended to the people of Jerusalem to bring the player.
"We brought him in in the middle of the year after two years in the G-League," says Dan Shamir, who coached Randolph of the New Zealand Breakers in 2020.
"I loved him when he played in Europe. He has good physical abilities, variety, technical. He keeps well and does all the little things. We were together for a short time, but I enjoyed him very much. He is a good player and a good person, and I think that is a great signing for Jerusalem."
"His main ticket is diversity," continues the coach who will work this year alongside Ettore Messina in Milan, "he does a lot of things - good shooting, good ball handling, good decision making, a lot of our attack has gone around him. I am very positive about him."
Randolph.
Diverse attacking player, Photo: Twitter
Remains on the border
Randolph (29, 1.98m) is a graduate of Alabama College where he first met Obasuhan, is considered a diverse scorer who can do a lot of things on the field and plays in 2-3 positions.
For years his dream was to get to the NBA, and for several consecutive summers he tried his luck in the summer league in Las Vegas and also in the pre-season camps of the various teams, but never got a single minute in the best league in the world.
As part of the attempt to reach the NBA, he played for several seasons in the G-League, the first of which was on the Boston Development Team in the media scoring 14.8 points at 40% across the arc.
Between 2018-2021 he wore the Cleveland Charge uniform and also in the media showed diverse offensive abilities and averaged almost 15 points, more than 40% to 3, almost 5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and more than a steal per game.
"Levi is a great guy, a great teammate and a leader in the locker room," said Liron Fanan, vice president of the Cubs' development team. Not enough.As mentioned, Randolph has never been able to fulfill his dream and play in the best league in the world, and even in Europe Hapoel Jerusalem is probably the biggest team he has reached in his career so far.
In 2016, the swingman landed for the first time in Europe and in the rookie season overseas played in Abelino, where he met our acquaintance Obasohan again, and started his successful episode in the Champions League (which will continue this season as well?) With 12.6 points and 1.5 steals per game at the European factory.
In the Italian league sniper almost 44% off the arc.
In the summer of 2017, he made a leap forward and moved to Dynamo Sassari, which was considered a rising force, but in the middle of the season, he moved to Strasbourg, where former Maccabi Tel Aviv member David Logan, who collaborated with Abelino.
Randolph in Alabama.
Played with Obasohan, Photo: Twitter
As mentioned, after three years in the Cleveland development team, Randolph returned in 2020 overseas, to the New Zealand Breakers and under the guidance of Dan Shamir and Modi Maor continued to be a safe share in the offense with 14.8 points per game in the Australian League.
"From getting to know him the reason he didn't get to higher places in Europe is mainly because over time he was very focused on getting to the NBA, that was his whole goal," Shamir analyzes the career of our former player.
"There are a lot of players who sacrifice a lot to get to the best league in the world, and when he came to us it seemed to understand the situation and move on."
Fanan, who also warmly recommended the player to the team members from the capital who inquired about her, agrees: "In my opinion, Levi should be in the Euroleague - he has shooting, defense, a lot of experience, and he is a smart player who knows how to do things right."
Levi Randolph gets a christening from this Spark Arena crowd! #UNBREAKABLE pic.twitter.com/yr32JiJtKG
- Sky Sport New Zealand Breakers (@NZBreakers) May 30, 2021
Jerusalem won the race
Last season Randolph showed excellent ability in the Belgian Ostend uniform, won the title of outstanding player of the Belgian-Dutch league with 15.1 points at 43% for 3, and finished the Champions League as the king of baskets with 18.1 points per game and 41% for 3, but His team did not qualify for the quarterfinals.
"Levi is an amazing actor," says Belgian journalist Pat Colmans.
"He plays with Klass and can score a lot of points in a short time, and he is also a good defensive player. As a person he is sociable and very approachable."
His ability last season, as well as in previous rounds at the factory, made him in demand among other Champions League teams, but Jerusalem has pressed in recent weeks and completed the deal.
Coach Alexander Djikic also pushed for the completion of the deal thanks to the high and competitive energies he brings with him.
"This is a very significant signing for us," the club said.
"This is a player who had a lot of demand after the excellent season he gave, and we are happy that we were able to act quickly and bring him in."
Levi Randolph @ LeviRandolph20 game too smooth.
Dropped 21 points 5 rebounds in the @basketballcl win for @FILOU_Oostende pic.twitter.com/aI3bgEvG2o
- Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) January 19, 2022
Focused on the important things
Randolph is considered a positive and special personality.
He likes to delve deeper into things and check on the places he comes to.
When the offer to come to Jerusalem came up, Randolph checked and consulted with quite a few people before signing the contract.
"Levi is a guy at a high level and very focused on the things that need to be done," Shamir continues to compliment.
After playing in recent years in teams without a warm and encouraging crowd and in clubs without high pretensions, it was important for Randolph to reach a team with ambitions and a large crowd.
Be that as it may, the ability to present the new acquisition will play an important part in the Reds' chances of success and in the amount of crowd that will arrive at the arena this year.
Randolph.
Will take Jerusalem forward ?, Photo: Twitter
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