Maccabi Tel Aviv opened up training camp on Thursday at the Hadar Yosef Sports Center as many of the players, both the holdovers as well as the new arrivals and some youth players got together for the first time to begin the preseason preparation period on the right foot.

Bonzie Colson and captain John Dibartolomeo shared their first thoughts about getting back onto the court as they look ahead to the season while also peering back at the summer that was and of course the greeting that Colson had at the airport.

“It was a special moment to have all the fans there waiting for me and my family. Like I say, you don’t see that everywhere else, so it’s very exciting and now it’s just time to get to work and, you know, get better as a team.”

Maccabi will need to get off to a good start especially compared to last year and since Colson knows the system, there’s hope that the club can get off and running really well right off of the bat.

“I’ve got to tune up a little bit of the system, sharpen up a couple things, but it’s starting to come to me. Yesterday, we had a little practice, so getting to the realm of things and how the offense is, it’s starting to make more sense to me, but it’s going to take some time. Obviously, we’ve got to develop some chemistry, but we want to start good. We’ve got some tough games and that’s what preseason is about, getting guys ready, getting everybody in shape to play. Our goal is to have a good start in the season.”

Colson shared his feelings about having wanted to return to Maccabi after departing a couple of years ago, “I always felt like I wanted to come back after I left. It was just a matter of time and when the situation fits right for my family and obviously for Maccabi, plus I’m familiar with the system and I’m familiar with Oded while I’m also familiar with some guys. Obviously, Tel Aviv is a beautiful city as well. So, it was just a good situation for me and I’m excited to be back. I’m excited to work and try to accomplish some of our goals on the court.”

As for what Colons believes will be the key to Maccabi’s success, he explained succinctly, “I think it comes down to defense and continue having that grit defensively. Rebounding, communicating. I think that’s kind of thing what we need. I think our offense has always been one of the best in the league, how we move the ball, pick and roll, all that is what we do. But defensively, just being more assertive, communicating. When we do that, I think we can be a special team.”

Games that Colson is looking forward to are fairly simple and right to the point, “Hapoel, the derby is obviously very exciting. I’m excited about playing Fenerbahce, my old team. I’m excited about all of them. I just want to go out there and play, put everything to the side and just hoop. That’s why I’m here, just play the game that I love. So, every game is special to me. You can’t take it for granted.”

John Dibartolomeo also spoke about the upcoming campaign, “I feel good. I’m excited this starts a new season. It’s nice to see a lot of returning players and some new ones as well. I think we got a good mix of some talented guys who are hungry to prove themselves. It’s an exciting time of year where there’s a lot of potential.

Having Bonzie Colson back is a highlight for the captain, Obviously, Bonzi is great. We had a lot of fun playing together in the past. His energy, his aggressiveness, obviously his capabilities on the floor are also amazing. We look forward to him being a big part of this team going forward and also now in a leadership role.”

Dibartolomeo inked a 2-year extension and talked about the decision to do so, “I gave it a lot of thought. At the end of the day, there’s on-the-court things, off-the-court things that I get being in Maccabi, living in Tel Aviv and being in Israel. Obviously, those took priority. At the end of the day, as I said before, this is a tough spot, a tough job to walk away from. I love it here. I love being a part of this club and being in Tel Aviv and in this community. It’s hard to leave and I’m happy I’m back.”

As for expectations, the captain knows that the ultimate goal is to be at the top of Europe, “We take it day by day. We’re in August right now and the important thing is that everyone shows up ready to work. We work on our chemistry. We work on building good habits, staying positive, staying together. The kind of things that are going to get us through what we know is going to be a long and tough season.

“We’re trying not to look too far forward, too fast. But at the end of the day, this is an ultimate goal for me. One of the things I have yet to do in Maccabi is to get to a Final Four. I really would love to get there someday, I hope. I think we have the pieces that can make that happen. But again, we’re very early on in the season. We need to start one thing at a time.”