Playing Basketball in Israel

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I realized something this morning—I hadn’t FaceTimed my son.

My son, who’s Russian… living in China on a university campus with his mother, a language professor.

He moves between Mandarin and Russian effortlessly now and his English is getting better every day.

And still—I hadn’t called him yet.

Instead, I was deep in a conversation with an American friend in China, where I lived for ten years, texting back and forth as he and his wife’s restaurant filled with foreigners and Chinese locals partying their way into Monday.

At the same time, I was writing this newsletter about Israel.

Four countries had my attention this morning.

Russia
China.
Israel.
US.

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And it made me think about something bigger.

How the game—and life—moves across borders faster than we realize.

Because I’ve lived that reality before.

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Israel wasn’t where I wanted to go.

I had just come off playing a season in Paris—one of the best experiences of my life. Leaving that behind wasn’t easy. But this game doesn’t always take you where you want to go. It takes you where the opportunity is.

My agent secured a strong contract with Maccabi Rishon LeZion, and just like that, Israel became the next chapter.

I hesitated.

But my brother was already there—competing, building a career that would stretch over a decade in Israel. That told me everything I needed to know.

So I boarded the flight. Left Paris behind. And stepped into something new.

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The airport hit me first.

Security on a level I had never seen before—tight, controlled, serious.

But once I got through it…

Everything shifted.

The drive to Rishon LeZion was calm, open, alive. Palm trees, clean roads, energy. The kind of environment that makes you settle in quickly.

Just like that, the doubt disappeared.

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From the outside, Israel is one thing.

Headlines. Tension. Noise.

But living there?

It felt different.

Structured. Welcoming. Human.

I wasn’t there for politricks. I was there to do my job—play basketball—and I did that.

And I lived.

The beaches.
The food.
The history layered into everyday life.

Yes, there were moments—detours because of bomb threats, reminders of where you were.

But day-to-day?

People just wanted to live without conflict. People were warm. Palestinians and Israeli alike.

And when you live inside a place like that, it reshapes how you see it.

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That experience is why this next part matters.

Because the global game doesn’t stop at borders—it flows through them.

And right now, there’s a group of athletes in Israel that almost nobody is talking about.

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Tomorrow, I’m introducing Iris.

An agent based in Israel who represents African and Black Israeli athletes—players who were either born there or migrated there, just like so many athletes around the world chasing opportunity.

Her story is personal.

She was married to a Black American player. They built a life in Israel. Raised two sons who grew up there, developed there, and went on to play professionally.

Now she represents athletes walking that same path.

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And here’s the reality:

These players are no different from athletes in Canada, the U.S., or Europe.

Same ambition.
Same talent.
Same drive to be seen.

But they don’t have the same exposure.

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That’s where this comes in.

Because what started this morning as a missed FaceTime call…

Turned into a reminder of how connected everything really is.

China.
Israel.
North America.

Athletes moving through systems, cultures, languages—trying to find opportunity.

Trying to be seen.

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So over the next few days, we’re going to do exactly that.

Tell their stories.
Create visibility.
Open doors.

Because sometimes the difference between staying local and going global…

Is simply having someone connect the dots.

As always we keep it moving. So while you are sitting at your desk remember, anywhere, any time, we get it in. Push-up, squats, toe raises, crunches. Bite-size workouts. Take a couple minutes. Treat your body right. We are the Athletic Entrepreneur.

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Have an awesome day