It’s no wonder, therefore, that some of the players who pass through the country return here later on in their career, after wandering through Europe.
But delving deep into the matter reveals that the issue of foreign players involves quite a few negative aspects: The teams change players at the rate people change their used socks, there is an unstoppable turnover, not to mention the different behavioral issues of the players themselves.
Since 2006 (apart for a two-year break), Israel has been applying the Russian law, which basically changed everything. Until then, a team could include two Americans and two Bosmans (European players), and there were minor changes in personnel.
At first, the law stated that there would be no limit on the number of foreign players – and the only condition was that there would be at least two Israelis among the five players in the game. The result led to an increase in the number of foreign players in the league, while the level was apparently not raised.
Israeli professional basketball player Yaniv Green saw all the changes in the foreigner laws in recent years, and is well aware of their consequences. “They mainly affect the locker room and the atmosphere in the team,” he says. “In the beginning of my career, most players were Israeli and there was a local atmosphere. Today there is a majority among the Americans, and that’s also the way things are conducted in the locker room.
“I am very much in favor of the Israeli player, and the Russian law we managed to instill in the league with Basketball Players Association is perhaps the only thing protecting us. without it, I don’t think the fans would come to the court, because they wouldn’t have anyone to identify with.”
While in the early 1990s the players who landed in Israel had proven experience in the NBA, or were at their professional peak, the new reality is completely different. Because of the limited economic ability, many Israeli teams bet on young people who have just come out of college, players who don’t expect an inflated salary.
Financially, the Israeli league is not considered particularly rewarding. But unlike other places in Europe, in the absolute majority of Premier League teams the salaries are paid on the dot. You may be surprised, but that’s a pretty rare thing in the rest of the continent.
The good conditions, the pampering and the free time could lead to problems. Over the years, quite a few foreign players have been involved in discipline and violence offenses, and some have even been arrested.
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