Hapoel Tel Aviv owner Ofer Yannay continues to make waves in the Israeli basketball world as the Reds have come to terms with NBA star Patrick Beverley, the guard announced on his X account Tuesday, followed by an official statement by the club.
“They gave me everything I asked for… I couldn’t refuse,” the 36-year-old posted from his Pat Bev Pod podcast account and then confirmed via his personal account.
Hapoel will add Beverley to a roster that includes a number of top signings this summer, such as Johnathan Motley, Ish Wainwright, Ben Bentil, Marcus Foster, and Joe Ragland. They aim to challenge the two-time defending champions and crosstown rivals, Maccabi Tel Aviv.
In addition, Yannay’s Hapoel hosted four-time NBA Champion Tony Parker this month when a joint announcement was made that his club, ASVEL Villeurbanne, will come to Israel for a preseason tournament hosted by the Reds.
“The general manager and coaching staff define who are the best and most suitable players in each position. We do everything to bring them – and usually succeed,” Yannay exclaimed. “The addition of Patrick, an exceptional player with enormous motivation to win, is a significant part of our desire to build a strong club and a deeper roster that will fight for all the titles. Additionally, his signing with Hapoel Tel Aviv will make him an important ambassador of basketball and of Israel, especially now.”
General manager George Hinas added: “This is a very exciting day. Patrick Beverley is joining the Hapoel Tel Aviv family. I want to thank the owners and all of the management who made this happen and, of course, thank Patrick as well, who during the meetings with us showed great respect for the club. Patrick is very enthusiastic about the move; he is very hungry and ready to prove and fight for the club and the fans.”
Over the years, a number of top-level NBA veterans have signed in Israel, including Amare Stoudemire, Nate Robinson, and Jordan Farmar. Beverley, known for his tough-as-nails defensive play, will join that list and arrive in the Holy Land with a rich resume, having played for no fewer than seven NBA teams, including the Rockets, Clippers, Timberwolves, Lakers, Bulls, 76ers, and Bucks.
In close to 750 games across the NBA regular seasons and playoffs, Beverley averaged 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while also being named to the NBA All-Defensive Team in 2017 and selected twice to the second team in 2014 and 2020.
Beverley, who played for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks between 2006-08, began his professional career overseas with Dnipro in Ukraine, followed by a stop in Athens with Olympiacos, and then a season at Spartak St. Petersburg, where he was named the EuroCup MVP in 2012.
Beverley's history with Israeli hoops
Interestingly enough, Beverley played under Israeli coach Zvika Sherf at Spartak and shared the floor with Omri Casspi in Houston, as well as Yotam Halperin with both Olympiacos and St. Petersburg, while current Hapoel head coach Stefanos Dedas was an assistant with Spartak when the guard featured in Russia.
With his return to Europe, Beverley will no doubt be a huge draw both in the Israeli domestic league as well as in the EuroCup competition, where Hapoel Tel Aviv will no doubt look to win the league and earn a place in the Euroleague.
Should Israel not be able to host EuroCup games due to the ongoing war with Hamas, the Reds will play abroad just as they did last season, but instead of Belgrade, they will play in Samokov, Bulgaria.
Hapoel Tel Aviv has played in the Shlomo Group “Drive-In” Arena, which seats approximately 3,000 fans over the past few seasons but may move to the larger 10,000-seat Menora Mivtachim “Yad Eliyahu” Arena, where they would share the facility with Maccabi Tel Aviv.