Jordan Loyd landed in Israel as yet another player has arrived to join Maccabi Tel Aviv as they begin looking ahead to the Euroleague season that starts in just over a month.

The guard returns to Israel, where he played a number of years ago for Hapoel Eilat as a veteran leader who won an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors, featured in the Euroleague over the past five years and played in the Final Four with Monaco. The now 31-year old Loyd will be one of the offensive forces for the yellow-and-blue as he comes in to a team that I’ll rely on him to lead the attack and help take Maccabi to the promised land with his experience and know how.

“It’s amazing [to be back] and it feels like a homecoming. I’ve never played here in this club but to be back in the country is beautiful. There are a lot of special people here for me so it means a lot. Coming from Monaco it’s a little bit of a different dynamic for the team but being here with all these new guys, the one thing I know is that they are really hungry and everybody on this team are really hungry and they have a lot they want to show this year, so it’s going to be an exciting years.”

Loyd had offers from other clubs over the summer, but it was clear to him that he would be one of the key components to Oded Katash’s offense and would be counted on to take charge of the club which was something he relished if given the opportunity with a team in a country that he wanted to be in.

“You know personally that I have always wanted to be here. I had a couple of other offers but for me it’s all about the people, I feel like the people here are ones that I want to work with and love to grow with. After having a kind of a difficult year for myself it’s the perfect place to comeback, but not just for me personally but it’s a great team, great club, great history and it was a helluva playoff series we played against you guys a couple of years ago so it was just the passion. It was an easy decision honestly.”

The guard will be playing in back court with a number of top flight high octane players including Tamir Blatt, John Dibartolomeo and Rokas Jokubaitis which is something he is looking forward to, “It’s going to be great and overall known Tamir for a little bit and I’ve had a lot of battles with John and all the other guys as well. Jokubaitis coming is a great addition and it’s going to be fun to play with him so I’m going to read and react off of them. The guys that have been here, I always say when I go somewheres new that I want to be a sponge and learn as much as I can and then do what I do best. So it’s going to be fun and the offense is going to be special, it was difficult guarding it for all these years but now I’m happy to be a part of it.”

Head coach Oded Katash will give Loyd plenty of responsibility on and off of the court in an offense that he is most definitely looking forward to playing which will no doubt help him come back from what he has described as a season that had its high points and low points as well.

“Personally, I know a lot last year when I was in Monaco I was talking about how there were ups and downs and things like that, I do have that chip on my shoulder this year so I’m going to attack everyday like that. Playing with coach is going to be amazing. Guards come here and flourish all the time, I hear he’s a great players coach, I had many, many battles that I’m going to mess with him about over the years but now I get to be on his side and whatever he needs me to do, I’ll do it willingly and happily. I’m excited.”