Sylvan Landsberg has been playing in the Chinese League for four seasons now.
The athletic forward, who played between 2010-2017 for Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv and holds Israeli citizenship, is considered a key player in the CBA, records high statistics and, as befits leading foreign players in the league, earns handsome sums of money.
These days, the teams are preparing for the playoffs in the local league, and we caught Landsberg for a special interview, who is somewhat forgotten by basketball fans in Israel, even though with his Israeli citizenship he could have been a central player in the top team in the Premier League, including in Maccabi Tel Aviv.
"I enjoyed my time in Israel," the actor recalled.
"I was young and I was constantly on and off the field. I had to learn a lot, and Israel during those years was my home. She helped me grow up on and off the field. I have experiences for a lifetime."
Landsberg.
Enjoying Israel, photo: Getty
What is the thing you remember most about Israel?
"There are so many.
The biggest thing was the relationship with the people I met there.
I met people who will always be a part of my life.
A group of people I was very close to and will be in contact with all my life is the Maccabi team in 2014 that won the Euroleague."
"Sean James, Tyrese Rice, Ricky Hickman, Joe Ingles. We're very close and keep in touch. They're like my brothers and no matter what happens after that we're all in touch, no matter who's still playing and where everyone is. It doesn't happen A lot, and that's not how you become friends with someone for life. It's special for me."
What do you remember from your military service in Israel?
"The army was another experience where I met great people. Some of my friends from the army are still in touch with me. All my friends from the internships spoke English and we communicated easily. In the internships you are together all the time and live in a small room together and do things together. This friendship brings us closer and the fact that I am still in touch with some friends from there Some in America, some in Israel and some in the rest of the world, but we keep in touch."
Landsberg.
Will not forget 2014, photo: Alan Shiver
Why did you actually go to the army?
"I did it on her before, and when I did it on her she knew it was part of the requirements."
Do you think you were appreciated enough in Israel?
"I don't know how to answer that, you have to ask the people in Israeli basketball. I feel that in Israel I was young and I was still trying to understand who I was and I didn't have the opportunity to understand myself in those years. When I left Israel I got out of my comfort zone and continued to develop, I expressed myself and that helped for me to grow and mature as a player and a person. I'm not saying that I didn't feel appreciated in Israel, but I feel that I left Israel as a player who still has a lot of room to develop."
What do you remember from your time at Maccabi?
"I had a learning curve at Maccabi. I learned a lot about professionalism and being part of a team. The biggest thing I learned there, especially when I left, is not to let anyone tell you what you're worth. Only you know the work you do and how much you train. I have a chip On my shoulder when I train and I know what I'm worth, and I want to prove all the time that I'm the best player I can be. I always want to be the best on the field, and that's something I learned at Maccabi. I learned that you always have to take advantage of the opportunity you've been given and show why you deserve an opportunity additional".
Will we see you returning to Israel in the future?
"I don't know. Maybe one day, but right now I'm in a situation where I'm playing in a place like China. It's a good and special situation. When I left Israel my goal was to get to China, I heard about the competition there and it sounds nice to me. It's not an easy place to enter. You have to A good resume and good basketball ability. Getting to China is difficult, yet I told my agent - I want to get to China. I went to Spain and Turkey and I had to be very good there to get to China."
Landsberg.
Maybe he will return to Israel, photo: Ami Shoman
Usually players say they want to get to the
NBA
or the Euroleague.
You say you were always aiming to get to China.
Is it a matter of money or are there other reasons as well?
"I know in Europe they think basketball in China is not good, but it's hard to play every night and try to score 20-30 points, play defense and do everything at a high level. It's hard when you're expected like that, it's competitive basketball and all eyes are on you."
"They expect you to score a lot and do a lot of things every night. It's challenging and I'm happy with the situation I'm in. It's not that playing in Israel is something I don't want to do, but it's not what I'm aiming for right now. I want to be in China and play basketball in the Chinese league." .
There have been rumors in recent years about several teams from Israel trying to bring you, including Maccabi. How close was it?
"I knew every season that I was going back to China the next season. No team was serious, because my agent told them that I wanted to stay in China. My agent helps me get what I want. Last summer we worked on my contract in Shandong and at the same time I thought about coming to play in Israel for a month, I thought About Ness Ziona because Elad (Hassin, YM) coaches there and he was my first coach in Israel.
I thought about it a bit, but my contract here worked out so I gave up."
Landsberg.
Think about the miracle of Ziona, photo: Udi Tsitiat
"I am Israeli and I support the Israeli players"
In an interview he gave to one of the media outlets in Europe a few years ago, Landsberg harshly attacked the treatment of Israeli players in Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Premier League.
This time he already sounds more conciliatory, perhaps out of a desire to leave all the doors open.
Who knows, he is already 32 years old and anything can happen in the next few years.
"I don't remember exactly what happened in that interview, but it's not just a matter of Maccabi but a matter of Israeli players in Israel. I'm an Israeli player and I support Israeli players. Today I don't follow Israeli basketball, so I have no idea what the situation is at the moment. I hope that Well".
Why have you never played for the Israeli national team?
"I always wanted to play for the Israeli national team, but I was never called up. And I understand that because there is only one option for a citizen and they took tall players like Tyus or Jake Cohen. I wanted to experience national team basketball, so I played with Austria. Now I can no longer play Jewish nation".
Sylvain Landsberg.
dreamed of the team,
Would you like to finish your career in China or do you have other goals?
"I don't say no to anything, but I know for sure that before I finish playing, and I also told my mother this, I would like to win the Euroleague again. Winning with Maccabi was something nice and it's something I want to experience again. I felt part of the team, but I want to win the Euroleague When I'm a big part of the degree, to feel that it's my degree. It's something I want to do before I retire. I don't know if it will be in Israel or in another country, but it's going to happen. It sits on my heart and is at the top of my list."
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