Patrick Beverley last month made the surprising decision to sign a contract with a professional team in Israel, but the veteran guard says he will not hesitate to leave his new club if safety becomes a concern.
Beverley recently signed what has been described as a “historic” contract with Hapoel Tel Aviv BC of the Israeli Premier League. During the latest episode of his “The Pat Bev Podcast,” Beverley acknowledged that he has faced questions about playing overseas given the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“Safety is important. If a bomb goes off, I’m gone,” Beverley said, via EuroHoops.net.
A drone exploded in a Tel Aviv neighborhood several weeks ago and killed a civilian. Beverley said he has spoken with players who assured him they feel safe in Israel, but that does not mean he will be naive.
“I haven’t got knowledge of any unsafe places in Tel Aviv now,” Beverley added. “My old teammate told me that in every apartment, there is a bomb room, and he used it to hang up clothes. He was there three or four months last season, and nothing happened.
“The team, the EuroCup, we don’t play a lot at home. Most of our EuroCup games are in Bulgaria.”
The 36-year-old Beverley likely drew plenty of interest from NBA teams, but he said he did not “want to stand in the corner.” He believes he will have a more meaningful role playing in Israel.
Beverley averaged 6.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game across 73 games split with the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks last season.
