Where They Are Today - Billy Thompson

From all places it is in the holy city, within the basketball arena of Jerusalem, where you can feel the essence of Judaism, you can still hear Billy Thompson's name echoing all over. Even today – eight years after he left Israel. Why is it so contradicting? Because "The Priest" is not only a nickname anymore for the 42 years old Thompson. For several years now, the awesome basketball player is serving as a pastor for Jesus People Proclaim International church in Boca Raton, Florida. And maybe there is no reason to be surprised. When you hear Thompson speaks, you can sense his great love for Jerusalem, Israel and Judeism – all of these became prominent motives of the church and community he's leading.

"As the head of the church, I'm officiating services in my community, goes to hospitals and pray for the sick and off course doing confessions" says Thompson, "In our church we also celebrate the Shabat. I invest a lot of discovering and studying the Jewish roots of our religion – Christianity. There are a lot of Jewish people that comes to these events and we sing together in Hebrew".

Even though priesthood had become a profession for Thompson, he isn't ready to leave the basketball behind him just yet. Thompson, who was one of the first member of the Miami Heat expansion team between 1988-91, is still loyal to the team and serve as its chaplin. "I pray with the players before games. I pray for them to take the championship", say Thompson, "It's great being with players like Shaquille ONeal and Dwyane Wade. Just to see them play and getting to achievements, make me so excited".

Even today, Thompson see Jerusalem as a significant benchmark in his current career, which started back in the campus of the University of Louisville. Thompson and his friend Milton Wagner led the way to the Cardinals' NCAA title in 1986. He himself claims it happened as a result of divine intervention. "My life turned upside-down in 1985. I would drink a lot, hanging out in parties and my life was full of sin. I detached myself from my Christian education my parents gave me. Then, all of a sudden, I had a revelation. I understood god wants me to return to the right way – religion's way. I stopped with my sins and dedicated with my Christianity studies and basketball".

- Did religion and basketball never collided?
"The two never contradict each other. On the contrary, faith gave me strength. Even in hard days, I knew god is helping, even on the basketball court and that everything is possible because of him".Even though he said he never encountered a conflict between his two loves, Thompson chose to devote himself to religion studies after 1991, when he was released from the Golden State Warriors – his last NBA team – Three years before he first came to Israel. "I started my expertise as a priest two years before I came to Israel, and then I took a break. After I left Israel, I continued with my studies for three more years, started my involvement with my current church, and after a while I became a priest".

Thompson is a believing dedicated man, but in 1994 he stopped his religion studies and went to Israel in the age of 31 to came back and play basketball. Thompson claims that this was a decision taken with god's guidance. It was the second time he revealed himself and ordered him to comeback. The opportunity to do it in Israel is nothing less than a miracle for him.

"After I stopped playing basketball and started my studies in church, I had another revelation – God told me that I need to come back and play for few more years. I told my agent to check my options overseas and it was like a miracle, because the only teams interested were from Israel. First I got an offer from Hapoel Galil Eliyon and Hapoel Tel Aviv. I wanted to play with Milt Wagner in Osishkin, but I hesitated and in the meantime they signed Buck Johnson".

"Amazingly, the next team who approached me was Hapoel Jerusalem and I took the opportunity right away, and went there to be close to Jesus. It was probably a divine intervention. It was like a dream for me, going to such a beautiful country. It was exactly like it was written in the bible and the New Testament. My fears from terror attacks were proven to be false. It safer in Jerusalem than other cities in the US. I remember my wife (Cynthia, a full partner in the church's activity) and my daughter went jogging after sunset. Today it's highly not recommended to do it where we live now".

- Beside of the emotional implications of the journey to the holy land, what was your impression of Israeli basketball?
"Fans in Israel love basketball and understand the game and that’s what makes Israeli teams the best in the world outside the USA. It's amazing that Maccabi Tel Aviv won the Euroleague twice in a raw and Hapoel Jerusalem won ULEB cup. That what proves god support in them".

Thompson also welcomes Pini Gershon, who coached him in Jerusalem, to the family of believers. "I'm happy to hear Pini found god. He always talked a lot and was joking all the time and I love him very much. I also love Doron Shefa and Adi Gordon – I think god connected us and made us a winning team. I remember clearly how we beat Maccabi twice in two cup finals and I'll never forget the winning basket Gordon scored in the last second".

"That's what always did" Thompson recalls, "clearing the way for Gordon to score the decisive baskets. He was the player I ever played with in Israel. Radisav Curcic was my toughest opponent in Israel, when he played with Maccabi. He was really tough. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to the place where I should could have in Europe. We did get to the Korac cup's semifinals, but we lost to a greek team. I was frustrated that we stopped there, because I thought we can win it all.

Usually foreign players confess about their love to Israel, but never come back. Naturally, in Thompson's case, a confession is obligating. He loves Israel with all his heart and will come for a visit with some of his church members from Boca Raton, a "roots trip" in the holy land. With god's help, in the 15th of November, he will have a giant congregation in the basketball arena of Malcha.

"I miss Israel so much and miss the fans" says Thompson, "I want them all to come to the congregation – a salute for Israel. We will celebrate the countries existence and pray for it. There will be music and singing. Hey…those who will come, will hear me sing. I really want to talk about my love to Israel. It is the center of the world for me. It's the foundation of everything. I would like to build a church there and help feed the hungry".

- It looks that you are more Zionist than the common Israeli.
"I would like to be an ambassador for Israel and I'm still hoping some day they will let me do that. Maybe the Knesset will understand I can do a good job in representing the country and they'll give me a citizenship. I hope it is possible, although I had a bad experience in the past. The way that they treated me in the media after I was accepted to the church – this is my only negative memory of Israel".

Well before the big congregation in Malcha, Thompson was willing to leave us with some promising blessings for the future: "I hope to meet all my good friends from Israel soon. Pini Gershon, Danny Klein, Uri Manzur, Morris Ohayon and Adi Gordon of course. I also hope that Ehud Olmert (former Jerusalem's mayor) will be there, he really supported our team. I expect to see all the fans who stood by me through the years. My heart goes out to them and I miss them. I was really happy for them after winning ULEB cup, they deserve it. Hey, I'm sure I can get involved with the team again, as a coach or even as a player. Maybe I can arrange something and bring Shaquille with me. Then we can even beat Maccabi".

- pictures courtousy of JPProclaim church in Boca Raton

where they are today - Micheal Ray Richardson

If there are any Israeli teams out there who are interested in a coach, what about the following candidate: As a player he has a reach background of eight seasons in the NBA, four of them as an allstar. In the beginning of the eighties who was arguably the best passer in America and one of the best defensive players around. You can also add 15 successful years in Europe to this respectable record.

After he retired at the age of 46, Larry Brown offered him to join the New York Knicks as his assistance, but instead he serves as the head coach of the Albany Patroons of the CBA – you can laugh about it, but it's the same team where Phil Jackson, another Knicks ex-player, started his coaching career. He split his time between France and the USA, so you can say he is familiar with the European scene. You can say he also acquainted with the Israeli scene. OK, He was here as a player twenty years ago. Today, he'll be happy to be back as a coach. Wouldn't you want Micheal Ray Richardson as your coach?

"It wouldn't be a bad idea to hire me as a coach, and in any case I would be happy to come back to Israel and work for one of the teams, whether it will be Maccabi Tel Aviv or any other team" say Richardson, an American citizen living in the French Riviera, who have troubles getting acclimated to the cold winter in frozen Albany, in upstate New York (Where he works with his assistant coach, former Hapoel Givatayim star, Derrick Rawland). "Obviously, my biggest ambition is to work in the NBA and actually I was invited by Larry Brown to join his staff last year, but it didn't go through. Unfortunately, Isiah Thomas was not interested in my services".

So Brown's dismissal disrupted Richardson's effort to comeback to the team, where he starred as a player in his first four years in the NBA. Maybe it was even the rivalry between him and Thomas as players in the early eighties. The two were among the best guards back then and even cooperated twice in the 1982 and 1985 all-stars game.

Overall, Richardson (who is known as Sugar Ray), appeared in four all-star games during his prolific NBA career, which presents overwhelming statistics: 14.8 points, 7 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 steals a game. Hard to imagine but young Richardson was really one of the players in the NBA back then. He was picked for the top defensive team twice and lead the league in steals four times. He even lead the league in assists once, in 1980 (10.1 asst. per game).

Despite of his achievement in the NBA, eight years after he was picked forth by the Knicks in the 1978 draft (before Larry Bird, former Hapoel Tel Aviv Purvis Short and former Maccabi Tel Aviv Mike Mitchell), and managed to play for New Jersey and Golden State in the meantime, Richardson found himself in the holy land. Hapoel Ramat Gan, a declining elite team during that time, brought him in 1986 in order to help her compete for the championship against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Hapoel Tel Aviv…Maccabi Tel Aviv…The Israeli league...how come Richardson got to the middle-east basketball swamp, while he is in his prime, at the age of 31? The older basketball fans between us probably know the answer. Richardson was tested positive for cocaine and was suspended from the NBA and was asked to never come back – it was as unprecedented punishment, that marked the fight of then newly appointed commissioner David Stern against drugs use among the players.

And so, some months after he was outcast in his homeland, Richardson went on looking for a place to continue his magnificent career. One day the phone rang at his home. "Hi, my name is Avraham Hemo from Israel" presented himself the man on the line. It was the legendary coach and manager of Hapoel Ramat Gan, a veteran in basketball, whom also worked as a police officer. Hemo thought that under his supervision, Richardson will be able to restart his career and who knows…even to bring a title to Hapoel Ramat Gan.

"All I wanted was a chance to keep on playing basketball and the moment the opportunity came, I jumped on it right away" Richardson explains, "I wasn't afraid coming to Israel because I visited the country twice before as a member of the Nets that came for an exhibition game, and as a part of an American stars team that went there on a tour".

Richardson might not been afraid coming to Israel, but it seems Israel sure was afraid of him. As soon as the news arrived, they alarmed the late Kneset member Micha Reiser from the Likud party, whom demanded to discus the issue of the "drug-addict American played" coming to Israel. The head of the sport and education comity, Pinhas Goldstein, accepted Reiser's demand and attacked the team's decision to bring such a "non-educational figure". "Is a player that was suspended from the NBA because of drug abuse should find his place in Israel?" Goldstein wondered.

But not only politicians were afraid from the consequences of Richardson's involvement in the Israeli basketball league, the rival teams also didn't know how to accept the super-star that just landed in Ben Gurion airport and was welcomed with a barrage of slander. "It's a shameful disgrace that Richardson is coming to Israel" said Miki Berkovic, the leading star of Maccabi Tel Aviv and local basketball scene. It looked like Richardson signing with Hapoel Ramat Gan changed the balance of power between Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Ramat Gan and the other teams.

Although his coming to Israel sparked a public debate, Hemo and Hapoel union decided to stand behind Richardson. The coach even guaranteed that the player will stay clean under his supervision, an obligation that didn't manage to ease the tension. "I didn't read the papers and wasn't paying much attention to the things people say around me. All that I cared about was playing basketball again and the way that I can contribute to my new team. That's why I went there", claims Richardson who can't understand what was all the commotion about and how it got to the corridors of the Kneset.

Richardson probably tried to ignore the storm around him, but it didn't prevent the Kneset Comity from assemble in order to discuss his case. But eventually the issue never raised up in the meeting. Just when things started to boil, former FIBA president, Bora Stankovic, announced that there is no official document which indicates that Richardson was released from a amateur team from Denver, where he used to play. That's why, Stankovic explained, Richardson is forbidden from joining Hapoel Ramat Gan or any other team in Europe.

That’s how Richardson was prevented from taking part in Hapoel Ramat Gan as a player, because of spooky bureaucratic unclear reasons until further notice. The Hapoel union was forced to accept FIBA ruling and so was Hemo, whom wished the suspension is temporary. In the meantime he decided to keep Richardson around as an assistant coach. That was the first coaching experience of the future coach. Now he can even appreciate, but all he wanted back then was just to play ball and the true reason that it didn't happen eventually was because of Maccabi Tel Aviv, which had troubles accept the presence of the player and the threat it posed to its dominance.

"I was clean for eight years and I was determined to make the right decision in order to come back and play basketball" Richardson recalls, "The reason I wasn't given a chance is not connected to drugs or bureaucracy. The real reason was Maccabi Tel Aviv that had connection with FIBA. They probably felt threaten that they wouldn't manage to make me fail a drug test, so they use their influence with FIBA and managed to suspend me with un-serious excuses".

- Did Maccabi had a reason o be afraid?
"Of course. I believe that with me on the court, we could beat them and take the championships. If only they would have let me play, it was very hard to stop me. They were afraid, and they had a good reason to feel that way. But it's a shame that they acted in that way, although I would say this things happens everywhere. There are teams with a lot of power and influence and they use it to keep their supremacy".

Although he was forced to accept the ruling and understood he can't play until a final decision taken in his case, Richardson stayed in Israel and kept on working as Hemo's assistant. "It was fun and I learned a lot, but it was also hard to watch your teammates from the bench. You know that you are not injured and have no problem to play and you have this urge to step in, you want to help, but you are prevented from doing so", he recalls.

So what kept Richardson in Israel? Maybe it was the fondness of the country and it's people, maybe the expectation that someone from FIBA will make things right and fix the ill ruling in his case and maybe it was the relationship with Hemo. "I have a lot of respect for Avraham, he is a great person. He new basketball, but most of all he respected me as a human being and believed in me, something that shouldn't be taken for granted considering the tough situation I was in. He took me under his wing and gave me a chance after all".

Six months after he arrived to Israel, Richardson went back to the US, leaving behind him some bitter people. Apparently, Hapoel Haifa offered him a nice contract in order to get him for the following season, assuming the procedural problems will be solved until then. In the end the problem was solved, but it happened only after Richardson went to Italy and signed with Virtus Bologna in 1988.

"I'm aware that people said that I took money and left the country, but the thing was I got advanced payments from Hapoel Haifa that wanted me for next season. After I decided to sign in Italy, I needed to pay back the money, and that what I did eventually. I left Israel in good spirit and with a lot of love to the country".

The suspension removed, Richardson started starring on Italy's basketball courts, but his un-erasable drug abuse sheet kept on affecting his career. Under FIBA's instructions, Richardson had to be tested for drugs on regular basis so it can be assured that he is not using that anymore. One test almost got him suspended for life after it came out positive.

When the news about his looming suspension in Italy got to Israel, Hemo was asked if it's possible the player used drugs when he was in Israel. "He was completely clean with me", declared Hemo, and Richardson assures he was right. "Even though there were rumors, I stopped using drugs after I was kicked out of the NBA. I was totally clean in Israel as well in Italy. There was a misunderstanding that was cleared out and the fact is that I continued playing".

Richardson kept on playing for Bologna, which he lead to winning the cup holders European cup in 1990 with 29 points in the final against Real Madrid. Two years after that he starred for former European champions Yugoplastika Split in the post Toni Kukoc and Dino Radja era. With his Croatian team, he finally got a chance to play against Maccabi Tel Aviv in Yad Eliyahoo arena and put on a show with 30 points (4-4 from three points range), 6 rebounds and 5 assists – which didn't helped preventing the 85:95 defeat in the end. Doron Jamchi, who was "the best Israeli player" according to Richardson, scored 31 points for Maccabi.

In the end of that season, he came back to Italy and played two years in Livorno side by side with Wendell Alexis, future Maccabi Tel Aviv player. After that he went to the French Riviera beaches, and grouped in Olympique Antibes with another Maccabi star, Lee Johnson. That's where he met his wife and retried from basketball in 2001, after two more stints with Cholet in France and Foreli in Italy. "There is a time when you feel your body can't keep up with it anymore. When my time had come to feel that way, I retired. There weren't too many hesitations".

After he retired in the age of 46, and even though he started a new family (Richardson had five children, two from his current wife) and built himself new life in France, he went back to the US, where he became a mythological figure. Back at home, two producers Larry Weizman and Jim Podhoretz put his story in a film "What ever happened to Micheal Ray?" (2000). In the movie, which is comedian Chris Rock gives his voice to, there are some interviews with Richardson himself, as well as Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, Walt Frazer, Bill Cartwright, Hubie Brown and even David Stern.

Since he came back to the US, Richardson decided to dedicate himself to working with youth and was hired by the Denver Nuggets a an ambassador in the community in Colorado, where he presented his version of the story. "During the two years I've worked with the Nuggets, I lectured more than 30 thousands teenagers and the massage stayed the same" say Richardson, "Above all education and so, in the end everybody has to take care of himself and remember – we all have problems, but if you are strong enough and believe in yourself, you can solve them".

This season Maccabi Tel Aviv had a player that was probably not strong enough and failed, it was Rodney Buford, that came to Israel with a problematic record of his own, a little bit like the case of Richardson back in the eighties. For Richardson, things look a lot different today in the age of 52, and from his own experience he knows that the bottom line is that the responsibility is on the player himself: "When you are coming to Europe, you have to be very open minded with a new place, a new culture. You have to adapt to it. If you know you have a problem and you can't get over it, just stay at home. In an unfamiliar culture you have to be alert, and you should know people will look for you. That the way it goes in our profession and need to be ready for it".

Strange, but Richardson doesn't remember encountering any of those kind of troubles in conservative Israel of two decades ago. "There will always be people whom will be bad with you, but in Israel I felt at home" says Richardson, "The people were great, they respected me and were very open with me. It's a good country, good food, beautiful women. I remember the Cinerama club, which opened in the year I got to Israel. It was wild club, I enjoyed it very much. If I'd only had a chance I would come back. Maybe you can ask if somebody needs a coach over there?".

- All photos courtesy of Chuck Miller (Albany Patroons)

Where They Are Today - James Terry

If you were in Israel sometime during the last two decades, you probably noticed James Terry's name. not only because he made himself a name as one of the best big men that ever played here, but most of all because he spent not less than 13 years here and been all over the country.

You can say Terry is still Israeli, by heart and passport. That said, today, you can say that the 44th years old center as a former Israeli and past player. That takes nothing from the vast experience and great memories he gained with us in the Mediterranean – he agreed to share a lot of them in a conversation from his home in Maryland.

"Since I left Israel, I started a family", Terry recaps his last eight years, "I have two young children – 6 years old Lauryn and 3 years old Isaiah. I assume they'll both be big as their father and I'm very proud of them. I work as a construction supervisor, and spend my spare time fishing, something I really enjoy. I'm still big and strong, and I'm still in pretty good shape. Sometimes, I pick a ball and go to play in the neighborhood. If you ask me, I'm sure I could make a comeback in Israel, and give twenty minutes of defense and rebounding. If someone will call, I sure will be happy to come back and play in Israel".

Terry started his Israeli career in Maccabi Haifa and finished it in 1996 with Hapoel Zefat, between those two teams, Terry played in Hapoel Holon, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Hapoel Nahariya and Hapoel Eylat. During that time, he tried his luck in Italy, Spain, Greece and Argentina, but always came back to holy land. "Nahariya was the place where I had the most fun" Terry admits, "It was real fun because the team just started and nobody really expected us to win, so there was no pressure. When it comes to basketball, I liked to play for Holon and Hapoel Tel Aviv. That's where I had my biggest achievements as a player in Israel and Europe".

Throughout his time in Israel, Terry encountered problems with teams that don't pay salaries on time – something that became a chronic sickness of the Israeli league and probably is one of the reasons for its decline. "In the 1989-90 season, I felt we had a very good team in Holon, one that can really compete with Maccabi Tel Aviv. We had Desi Barmore, Gary Plummer and the outstanding guard Kevin Williams, and that gave us a pretty good chance. The problems started in the late stages of the season, when the management ran out of money. It's not that I'm mad at the team's president back then, Mishka Lapardon, but he ran out of money in the middle. That's what bothered me in Israel. Everybody promise you stuff they can't stand for. They make a budget, but can't keep up with it. After that they tell you 'mahar…mahar…(tomorrow… tomorrow…)', but in the end of the day you don't get what you deserve".

- Not much has changed since those days. How can you solve that?
"Maccabi kills the league, but to make the Israeli league better, you need to invest money. In the end, everything comes down to that, and if you don't have money, then you shouldn't promise something you can't afford. The problem is that you have so many good people that cares for their teams, but they don't know a thing about basketball. If you have a certain amount of money, bring the best players you can afford but not more than that. At least you know that you can pay the players, and they will give you all that they got. And feel dedicated to you. Maybe you won't get stars on your team, but at least they won't break and leave in the middle of the season".

Terry, how surprising, first came to Haifa after he was officially converted to Judaism, a common practice in the early eighties reality, when teams could play only one foreign player. Greg Cook was signed and Terry insisted on joining, even with the price of converting his religion. This step, like many others, sparked public criticism against the nationalized foreigners trend that gained momentum during that decade.

"I went through the conversion process because I wanted to play in Israel", Terry admits, "I enjoyed my trip to the country and in order to join Haifa I needed to be granted citizenship. I know there was criticism about the nationalized players and I can understand that. Even nowdays there are American players complaining that NBA teams pick Europeans that takes their jobs. I think it's not justified in my case, as well as in Aulcey Perry, Earl Williams and the other veterans case. If we were getting our citizenship and running away after one year I would accept the criticism, but In my opinion, we stayed in the league for many years and we helped to improve it. Anyway, personally, I didn’t let it get into me".

- Even though you got your citizenship, you declined the invitation to play for the Israeli national team.
"I was invited to take part for the NT three times, but declined them all. Thinking back, I regret it because it could have been a nice experience to play in an international tournament at least one time, but I was a young man and I missed my family in the US. The season in Israel is very long and the summer vacation was the only opportunity to try and spend some time with my close ones. I think I also needed it in order to stay fresh and charge myself with new energies. It helped me coming back to Israel year after year and stretch my career for such a long time".

Terry might not played for the Israeli national team but he got enough opportunity to feel how it feels like being an Israeli, as a player and as a citizen in all kinds of situations. One that stands high above the others, was his visit in Auschwitz concentration camp, with Hapoel Holon in 1987. "I feel lucky to have this opportunity to visit Auschwitz", Terry recalls, "It was a very important and emotional event for me and it made me understand how it feels like being Israeli and Jewish. I know how much evil came out of this place and it was very sad for me, but I do happy I visit there. You can read about it in books, but it can't really demonstrate what really happened in that damned place".

Another Israeli experience was his army service in the IDF, which was short, but exhausting. "The army was definitely an experience, although I wouldn't want to repeat it. I don't even remember how much time I spend there in the base, but I do remember every day was too long. I remember the desert, the cold showers and the food, that was awful. We learned how to shoot a M16 and how to dismantle it, but all the time I just wanted to finish it. At least I met a lot of friends there, because, like me, there were some other nationalized players that were forced to get drafted to the army. I found a lot of people there".

During his time in Israel, he found a lot of American friends like Keith Bennett, who is remembered as Terry's twin brother, and Joe Dawson. "I was blessed meet a lot of good friends in Israel and good friends are not something that someone have too much of. Joe for example is a great friend who was also a good player". Other players that Terry remembers as true greats are Kevin Magee, LaVon Mercer, Gary Plummer, Roland Houston and Andre Spencer.

- Do you have any bad memories from Israel?
"I don’t really have bad memories, maybe one strange one. When I was with Hapoel Tel Aviv we went to a game in Greece. While we were waiting to take off, the plane's engines started burning and everybody panicked and looked for their bags. I remember someone started shouting at us to leave our luggage and just evacuate. In the end the fire was extinguished and everything was fine. Eventually, you can say it was kind of funny, since we had to take back the same plane to go back home to Israel. Anyway, we weren't too happy with that".

So, if we'll exclude the bad memories from that scary incident, or the financial problems, it seems Terry has only good things to say about us, the Israelis: "The country is still deep in my heart, and even these days I'm getting updated with everything that goes on there, and I still cares a lot about it. I spent there a big part of my life as a young man and adult. I miss the beaches and the nightlife and especially to the fans. People in Israel were always willing to help, whether if you got stuck with your car at 3 am or just if you are hungry. I want to thank everybody for the memories and for that they always made me feel at home. They treated me so nice. They are great…as long as you win. They make you want to put on a show, and I, as everybody knows, always wanted to have a show".