The 2019/20 season will be forgotten by basketball fans and professionals in Israel.
The abbreviated season, which was nicknamed the "coronavirus season" and was renewed in a reduced and closed format due to the spread of the corona epidemic in Israel, left scars among the audience, who saw the empty pitches from their homes and heard the squeaking of shoes on the parquet through the speakers.
However, for quite a few players, the "corona season" was an opportunity to show their ability and talent in sterile laboratory conditions, free of interference and external factors.
Caleb Agade and other players "owe" to that period the high contracts they have obtained since then.
For Zack Hankins (2.13 m), that season in which he spent in the Holy Land and put up numbers of 13 points and 6.3 rebounds when he carried Maccabi Rashel to the playoff finals, left a positive impression on the registers of the various teams in Israel.
After that short and successful period in Israel, which even made Maccabi Tel Aviv interested in his services, the American center moved to the big money of the Turkish Galatasaray, but unfortunately he was injured in preparation and missed an entire season due to a serious knee injury.
The experts will say that if it weren't for that injury, he would already be playing in the Euroleague today.
After the injury, the center underwent a lengthy rehabilitation procedure, and returned to play a year later in the NBA's Development League, from where he migrated to Puerto Rico, when he teamed up with our informant Brad Greenberg. In total, Hankins played in almost 50 games in six months, including four in the Summer League in Las Vegas in the New Orleans uniform .
Hapoel Jerusalem said after the signing that they carefully checked the player's medical condition before signing him.
Against Maccabi Tel Aviv. A difficult season is upon us, photo: Alan Shiver
Hapoel Holon gave him up
Hankins' name came up in the summer and appeared in the registers of teams in the Premier League, with sources privy to the details saying that the player was offered to several teams, and even sparked interest from Hapoel Holon and Hapoel Tel Aviv.
"Guy Goodes appreciates the player very much, and the parties even held talks throughout the summer. The amounts demanded by Hankins were not an obstacle for both parties," a senior agent tells Israel Hayom.
The reason why the player did not land in Holon was his medical condition, which disturbed the rest of the champion's men.
Various authorities in Israel even contacted professionals in Puerto Rico, and received mixed opinions regarding his situation.
On the one hand, his performance on the field was not bad, but on the other hand, doubts were revealed about his ability to withstand the load and intensity of teams that play in the European establishments.
Hankins celebrates against Maccabi Tel Aviv. Photos that will be happy to see in the capital this season as well, photo: Alan Shiver
An international agent who is intimately familiar with the league in Puerto Rico says: "Zach was unable to finish the season due to medical reasons, so Brad Greenberg had to bring him a replacement."
An Israeli coach who saw Hankins play in the summer league in Vegas adds: "I saw Zach and I was surprised. This is not the same player I remembered from his time in Israel.
He is not as mobile and athletic as he was, and you can see that the knee still hinders him when he moves.
It can be seen that he gained significant weight."
Will withstand the load of two frames?
Even those around Hankins knew that the injury was not behind him yet and thought that playing in two frames would not be the right step for him. "He consulted with us and expressed concern. He thought that it could endanger him medically, because his knees would not withstand the load for a long time."
Hapoel Jerusalem are well aware of the player's physical condition, due to the comprehensive tests they did, but still decided to choose him, mainly due to the wishes of coach Alexander Dzikic, who highly appreciates Hankins professionally.
The medical team is making a lot of efforts to prepare the player for the start of the season so that he will be at the disposal of the professional team for the many challenges facing the team, and they have even prepared a detailed plan for him that will bring him to an optimal physical condition by the month of October.
The club is sure that the player will be fit in time for the start of the season, and will show the good ability known to all of us.
Along the way, the American will be able to close a circle and compensate in the capital for the loss he inflicted on them in the semi-finals of the playoffs at that time - with 20 points on the heads of Suleiman Breimo and Idan Zalmanson.
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