"Bomb goes off, I'm gone": Israel-bound Patrick Beverley says safety a priority after major career move
After a 12-season NBA career, Patrick Beverley is set to join the Israeli Basketball Premier League. However, given the ongoing conflict in the region, he said that he's a bomb away from returning to the USA.
Beverley, who will play for Hapoel Tel Aviv BC, recently discussed a drone explosion in Tel Aviv that killed one civilian and injured at least 10 others. The Houthi militia from Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack, marking their first penetration into a major Israeli city.
On his latest episode of "The Pat Bev Podcast," the 36-year-old emphasized that his safety is his top priority and he would return to the USA if he felt threatened.
"Safety is important. Bomb goes off, I'm gone," Beverley said at 22:57.
Fortunately for Patrick Beverley, most of his team's games will be played outside of Israel.
"The team, the EuroCup, we don't play a lot at home. Most of our EuroCup games are in Bulgaria," he explained.
It's unclear when Beverley's first game with Hapoel Tel Aviv BC will be, but he is scheduled to leave for a training camp in Bulgaria until Aug. 19. The team will then move to Tel Aviv before traveling to Belgrade, Serbia.
Beverley said he has received numerous messages expressing concern for his safety in Israel but reassured fans, saying he spoke with an American who previously played there and described it as "paradise."
“I talked to an American who played there, he's not currently on the team, 'It's paradise. Went to the beach every single day for six hours a day, I had no bad experience at all. I played basketball in paradise,'” Beverley said at 17:31.
Patrick Beverley secures a lucrative contract in Israel
Patrick Beverley agreed to a two-year, $4 million deal with Hapoel Tel Aviv. He noted the generosity of the individual who offered him the contract.
"Not all Jewish people are cheap. The guy that gave me this contract, he was pretty generous," Beverley said at 27:45.
Beyond the financial aspect, Patrick Beverley is excited to be the main option on the team.
"Everyone keeps forgetting that I get the ball now. I get to be an artist at my purest form now. I get to do whatever," he said at 28:33. "I get to shoot stepbacks and miss, and deal with that pressure. I finally get to take stepbacks and hit, and live with that. It's a weird feeling of me getting excited to play basketball, getting compensated more. I make more money than I did last year."
In his 12-year NBA career, Beverley averaged 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.
Last season with the Bucks, he averaged 6.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 20.9 minutes per game.