Hapoel Jerusalem will open its way to the top 16 stage of the FIBA Champions League this evening (7:30 p.m.) in an away game against the Greek Peristri, while on the other hand, a familiar face from the past will be waiting for the Reds - Joe Ragland. The veteran American guard who left Hapoel Holon in the summer after two successful years and an unforgettable championship.
Ragland did not want to leave Holonia and even held the option to continue, but in a summer of many changes on the field, accompanied by quite a few concerns that hovered over the club, and the interest from the legend of the past Vasilis Spanolis who tried to join in the summer of 2022 without success, led the player to make the decision." Deep in my heart, I really didn't want to leave. My agent knew this, I told him in a conversation between us that I knew I had the option of getting out of the contract, but that for me something very unusual would have to happen for me to get up and leave Holon. This was a decision I made in advance, I felt comfortable here, I wouldn't go to any group.
"As time passed in the summer, and things in the organization seemed unclear, I began to think. There was a feeling of something unclear in the air. I had a conversation with the management, and they were very honest with me and reflected on what the future would look like, and I respect them for that," Ragland told "Israel" Hayom" in a farewell interview we conducted with him after leaving.
Joe Ragland.
In Peristri uniform, photo: FIBA
great minds think alike
Ragland is not a typical basketball player.
Even at the age of 34, the guard watches dozens of hours of basketball from around the world and continues to learn about the game, when the option to switch to coaching at the end of his career has been on his mind for several years.
The possibility of collaborating with a figure like Spanolis winked at him.
"Spanoulis is a legend, and this was an opportunity I had to take. When I got the call from my agent and he told me that Prestri was interested, there was silence on the line for a few moments," he said recently.
"He had a somewhat mediocre start to the season and he experienced ups and downs. It was obvious that he was trying to acclimate to the system, but from the beginning everyone believed in him and Spanoulis had a lot of faith in him," explains Greek journalist Christos Thessaltes.
"Throughout the last period, Ragland has shown great leadership on the field. He has raised the level of his game and is leading Peristri in both the Greek League and the Champions League.
The relationship between Ragland, a talented player with receipts in Europe but a complex character to deal with, and his coach, is at the center of the consistent improvement that the player has shown recently.
"Spanoulis is one of the smartest coaches I've ever had," Ragland said in an interview in Greece.
"So far the connection and the relationship between them is good. Spanoulis gives Ragland freedom on the field and the player understands very well what the coach wants from him and provides the goods for him," notes Thesalts.
Ragland.
Jerusalem on standby for absorption, photo: FIBA
"In building the team, Perishri gave great importance to Ragland. He is the leader of the team, the most experienced player and also the most valuable in the squad. Spanolis appreciates him very much and is satisfied with him and they communicate great thanks to his understanding of the game and a high level of basketball language," adds the Greek journalist Tolis Kotzezias.
Ragland's importance to his team is prominently reflected in the statistics pages.
The center leads his team in the Premier League in terms of minutes per game (a large gap of 8 minutes from the second place), assists (an impressive gap of 7 more than the second place), index and steals and ranks second in the team in points and shots per game (11.6).
Hapoel Jerusalem knows and remembers Ragland well.
The player's career record in Israel - 40 points in the first game of the semi-final playoff series at the Arena last season, was against her.
A few moments after scoring the winning hat-trick in the league against Ironi Nes Ziona, Waiy Randolph took time to talk about his rival and former friend in the Italian Abellino.
"He's having an amazing season so far, I honestly don't know what the secret is to stopping him. I played with Joe in my first season in Europe (2016-17). He's a wonderful player. I've been following him and watching his games my whole career, he's a friend Mine is an exceptional player, he is a tiebreaker and a player who wins and changes games, so we will have a tough challenge trying to stop him."
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Ragland (right) and Johnson.
He also left in his wake, photo: Oded Karni
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