Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Furl
Google
Reddit
Stumbleupon
Y! MyWebUD's Roberts to play pro basketball in Israel
> Is this a good move by Roberts?
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
DAYTON — Brian Roberts had multiple offers to play overseas, but he spurned a few teams that wanted him for one that really needed him.
The former University of Dayton star signed a one-year contract with Hapoel Gilboa Galil in Israel's professional basketball league. Although he could have competed at a higher level in Europe, Roberts figures he can have a more immediate impact — and make a favorable impression on NBA scouts — with a middle-of-the-pack club in Israel's top league.
"This has been a dream of mine since I was little, playing basketball as an occupation," he said, "but this is just the first step in a long career."
Roberts' contract will give him a salary in the low-six figures (essentially tax-free) and along with an apartment and car. His total package exceeds $200,000.
But the Toledo native, who will leave today, Aug. 27, for Tel Aviv, Israel, didn't fare well in two NBA summer leagues, getting off the bench for only two of five games in Orlando and averaging 5.4 points and 17.6 minutes per game for the Los Angeles Lakers in Las Vegas.
"That's just how it goes sometimes," Roberts said. "I didn't get the minutes I wanted. There were other players they wanted to look at first.
"With the Lakers, I didn't play as well as I needed to. It was tough getting thrown out there. The (Lakers') Triangle Offense is hard to get down. But it was a good experience at both places. Maybe I can learn from that if I get the opportunity again."
David Thorpe, Roberts' personal trainer and coach at the IMG Academy, believes his client made a wise career decision in opting for Israel.
"Brian had offers from more established leagues. But when you go to a better league as a rookie — just like the NBA — you're not going to play as much. Brian is at a point in his career where he needs to play," Thorpe said.
"I spoke to a number of coaches, executives and agents who were in Las Vegas for summer league, and, unanimously, they thought Brian's game matches perfectly with the system of the coach he's going to play for. They think he's going to blow up there."
Ohio State product Ron Lewis is one of the numerous players from the United States competing in Israel. But Roberts, who is fourth on the Flyers' all-time scoring list (1,962 points) and first in 3-point field goals (293) and 3-point percentage (.441), has been questioned about his decision to launch his career in the violence-plagued Middle East.
"With Israel, the first thing that jumps into everyone's mind is, 'Wow, you're going over there?' That's the first thought I had, too. But after talking to players, it's not like what you see in the news. It's not like you can't live in Israel. Tel Aviv is an Americanized city. It's very beautiful," he said.
Although he saw limited action in the summer leagues, Roberts gained plenty of admirers through his career at UD and a strong showing three months ago at the NBA pre-draft camp.
Thorpe said a leading European scout told him Roberts "is at worst a Euro-league talent. That's very heady praise for a rookie. The pressure is on Brian now. He needs to perform in Israel, help his team win a bunch of games and play great in the process. And then he's going to have a plethora of teams — not just international, but in the NBA as well — giving him an opportunity."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or at dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com
Comments