In Photos: Patrick Beverley spotted at Bulgaria airport before flying to Israel post-Greece vacation with GF Mandana Bolourchi
After 12 seasons in the NBA, Patrick Beverley has signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv BC of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. Despite concerns over security amid the ongoing war with Iran, Beverley has chosen to return to Israel, unlike his head coach and six other teammates.
Due to the situation in Israel, Hapoel Tel Aviv's coach, Ioannis Dedas, along with players Bruno Caboclo, Ish Wainwright, Johnathan Motley, Braian Angola, Marcus Foster and Ben Bentil, chose to stay in Sofia, Bulgaria, for training. They will reunite with the team in Belgrade next week for a game against Besiktas.
Meanwhile, Beverley shared a photo with his teammates at Sofia Airport, preparing to fly back to Israel.
This comes after Beverley enjoyed a vacation in Greece with his girlfriend, Mandana Bolourchi, who posted highlights of their luxurious stay at the five-star Four Seasons Astir Palace on Instagram.
Iran recently launched a missile attack on Israel, claiming it as retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and others.
Despite the escalating tensions, Beverley reassured fans that he is safe in Israel, stating that he's doing fine.
Patrick Beverley earlier said he was "one bomb away" from leaving Israel
In an August episode of "The Pat Bev Pod," Patrick Beverley discussed the regional conflict, stating that if a bomb went off, he would prioritize his safety and leave for the USA. At 36, he emphasized that security is his main concern.
"Safety is important. Bomb goes off, I'm gone," Beverley said.
Most of Hapoel Tel Aviv’s games are held 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.
He also shared that he received several messages from fans worried about his safety but reassured them by recalling a conversation with a former American player, who described Israel 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.
Beverley’s deal with Hapoel Tel Aviv is a two-year contract worth $4 million.
Over his 12-year NBA career, Beverley averaged 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. In his last season with the Bucks, he posted 6.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 20.9 minutes per game.