The American center, who has just signed a three-year deal with Maccabi, gave an interview to Sport5.co.il. “I’ve heard good things about the team and about Blatt. You’ll see that I’m a player who gives 100% every night.” (Photo courtesy of Cornell University)
By Amy Samin
Only eight days have passed since David Blatt officially took up the reigns as head coach of Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv, and he has already signed three new players to the team for the coming season.
The most recent signing was of Jeff Foote.
After all the details had been ironed out, Foote granted the website for the Sports Channel an interview in which he talked about his new team, his expectations for his first season playing in Europe, and what kind of player we can expect to see when he hits the hardwood in Nokia Arena.
How was contact established between you and Maccabi Tel Aviv?
“The folks from Maccabi got in touch with my agent, and apparently they liked what they saw of my games.
Maccabi is a great team and I’m very excited about becoming a part of it.
What do you already know about the club?
“Maccabi is a great club and I expect to be competing for the Euroleague championship and the local one.
I can’t wait for practices to start.
I’m supposed to come to Israel in the coming weeks to undergo a physical, and then I’ll return at the beginning of August.”
What do you see in store for yourself in your first season outside the U.S.?
“I see it as an opportunity to be in a place I don’t know.
A lot of the people I’ve talked to about Israel had only good things to say about the country, especially Tel Aviv.
I think that David Blatt, who was a basketball player at an American college, will be able to help me, and to understand the things I’m going through.”
What kind of player can we expect you to be?
“I’m a player who likes to be in the paint, and who knows how to pass well.
On defense, I can manage against all kinds of players, even guards.
I see myself as the kind of player who takes good care of the ball.
I like to work hard, because things have never come easily to me.
I’m the kind of player who likes to put a lot into improving my abilities as a player.”
Foote’s coach at Cornell University, Bill Courtney, talked about Maccabi Tel Aviv’s new acquisition: “Jeff is an amazing guy, one who likes to work extremely hard.
He has an excellent understanding of the game, and is a wonderful player with his back to the basket; one who has a steady shot from the middle distance, and a passing ability that has improved greatly in the last few years.
From that standpoint, you could say he’s a guard in the body of a center.
Although he’s not forecasted to be part of the upcoming draft, I’ve heard that a lot of N.B.A. teams are talking about him, so don’t be surprised if he’s picked up one of these days.”
Hebrew text by Adi Hershelikovitch and Omer Benovitch of Sport5
