![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sportsrabbi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/IMG_2288-scaled.jpeg\")
Will Clyburn – Photo Credit: The Sports Rabbi<\/p><\/div>
\nJust ahead of Thursday\u2019s clash, Clyburn, who is always a perennial all-star and whose name is continuously in the MVP discussion, spent some time with The Sports Rabbi to talk about his career, if Maccabi Tel Aviv ever made him an offer as well as what it\u2019s like welcoming Shane Larkin back and having the opportunity to play with him and what life under Ergin Ataman is like. But first we took a trip back in time to when he graced the hardwood here in the Holy Land.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe atmosphere itself at the Holon home games and the fans were unbelievable and to this day they are still the most unbelievable fans I\u2019ve every played in front of. They\u2019re supportive and they always brought it and accepted my family with open arms here. This will always be one of my favorite places to play in for my family and me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Did you imagine you would have had this career when you were playing in Israel?
\n\u201cNot at all. At the time I was just enjoying basketball. Holon was one of the most fun times that I have had playing basketball. It\u2019s one of those things I wasn\u2019t expecting anything, I\u2019m happy David Blatt took a chance on me and kind of jump started my career in the Euroleague.\u201d
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sportsrabbi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/6B5D2668-6434-4F83-B880-FB172BF6E670.webp\")
Will Clyburn – Photo Credit: Euroleague.net<\/p><\/div>
\nAfter a season with Holon, Clyburn made the move to Istanbul and played for David Blatt at Darussafaka in his debut campaign in the Euroleague in 2016\/17, \u201cHe means a lot. Obviously he gave me the opportunity and until this day I text him here and there. Every time I see him on TV I send him a text message, in fact every time I think of him I send him one. We talked 2-3 weeks ago about helping my family out and he was ready to do it right away, so I think there will always be a good relationship there.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the things that separates Clyburn from the rest of the pack is that he has the drive to continuously get better which keeps up his competitive juices. This season itself, Clyburn is averaging 19.3 points, 6.1 assists and 2.3 assists in yet another stellar campaign thus far. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe competitiveness. I\u2019m super competitive and I think that\u2019s what drives me to get better every year. Every summer me and my trainer go back to the drawing board and think about what we can do better and what we can add, that\u2019s kind of how it goes every summer. I want to get better, I want to improve and I obviously want to win, but I want t9 be the best version of myself as well to further my chances of winning. But it starts in the summertime. We are all super competitive in the summertime, me, my trainer and my brother, so it kind of carries over.\u201d
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sportsrabbi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/07255B48-8781-4B9C-AB98-F248AE2016B2.jpeg\")
Will Clyburn – Photo Credit: Dov Halickman<\/p><\/div>
\nIn 2019 with CSKA Moscow, Clyburn captured his first and only Euroleague title to date after having lost the season before, \u201cIt was truly special, especially with those guys. We had lost the year before, so to come back won\u2019t the same group of individuals and win that as a redemption it\u2019s unbelievable. To this day it\u2019s one of the most incredible feelings that I have ever felt. Hopefully I can relive that with these guys and enjoy the experience one more time.\u201d<\/p>\n
After five seasons in Russia, Clyburn moved on to EFES but it was not an easy decision to make due to having been so much a part of the fabric of coach Dimitrios Itoudis\u2019s team.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy decision to come here was difficult because I had no intention of leaving Russia. People probably don\u2019t know but I had signed an extension with that team, another two year extension and I was going to be there for another two years. It was tough leaving that place. EFES showed interest early and they kind of didn\u2019t give me an opportunity to go anywhere else. It\u2019s one of those things that I went with it and a chance to play with a talented team. You\u2019ve got Shane (Larkin), Vassa (Micic), and a lot of other talented players on this team, so it\u2019s a chance to help them.\u201d
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sportsrabbi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/C1E9958C-BEC5-4E8D-93E4-01374D7AF664.webp\")
Will Clyburn – Photo Credit: Euroleague.net<\/p><\/div>
\nSurprisingly as to how successful Clyburn has been throughout his storied career with many titles and honors, he never had the chance to play in the NBA, however, the forward is satisfied as to how things turned out.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s everybody\u2019s dream growing up to go to the NBA. It\u2019s one of those things where I\u2019m comfortable with myself and comfortable and happy where I\u2019m at. Obviously, I wish I would have taken the chance that was given to me in 2019, but at the same time I stayed in a place where I was really wanted and they showed that commitment by signing me to a 3-year deal to show me that they wanted me there and to be the main face of that team. It was about being comfortable with myself and being in a place where I\u2019m completely wanted instead of one year maybe, maybe not.” <\/p>\n
While the Detroit, Michigan native played for Holon, he was never approached by Maccabi Tel Aviv, however, he was seriously looked at by another Israeli team, \u201cNo. After I left Holon they (Maccabi Tel Aviv) never gave me a call, surprisingly. Jerusalem was very close and at the last second, I\u2019m not going to say who it was but they didn\u2019t like the way my shot was, they didn\u2019t like the way I looked. I know who the coach was but I\u2019m not going to say his name. He didn\u2019t like the way my shot looked and I\u2019m kind of glad they passed up on me because I got to go play Euroleague that year and it was great. But Maccabi, not that I know of, maybe they did, maybe they didn\u2019t but for sure after Holon they didn\u2019t come to the table.”
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sportsrabbi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/E018B3BE-0669-4EA9-B154-A654F2DE431E.jpeg\")
Ante Zizic – Photo Credit: Dov Halickman<\/p><\/div>
\nNow at EFES, Clybrurn has been reunited with one of his Darussafaka teammates in center Ante Zizic who spent two seasons wearing the Yellow & Blue, \u201cIt\u2019s good and he\u2019s always been a good guy. We always stayed in touch and he was an up and coming talent and he\u2019s still young. He has a lot of growing to do still and he\u2019s just a great team guy. It doesn\u2019t matter if he doesn\u2019t play, play well, play great, he\u2019s always the same guy and you always need those types of guys in the lockerroom with you.\u201d <\/p>\n
The game against Maccabi will mark the return of Shane Larkin to the Euroleague after having been out injured for some time. Clyburn of course can\u2019t wait to get a chance to play with the star guard after he made his Turkish League debut this past week, \u201cWe\u2019ve been missing Shane. Everybody has been giving him crap for not being her, so finally having him back is great. It will take time to get him into the flow of things. He was impressive in the first game so far with us, so we\u2019re all excited for him to come back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coach Ergin Ataman has guided EFES to back-to-back Euroleague championships and is no doubt a character of the game as well as one who has a unique approach to the game, \u201cI\u2019m not going to compare the two because they are both different. He\u2019s laid back, he super laid back but on obviously he wants to win and that drives him. He gives you freedom and that\u2019s what makes us a good team. He gauges you freedom to play your game in his system. He wants you to do things his way but he gives you that freedom to play his game. I think that\u2019s why a lot of players love playing for him. He doesn\u2019t hold you back and he lets you go out and play and he knows that players win games and he gives you that opportunity.\u201d
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sportsrabbi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/E823A5FC-EA46-406E-B568-D918E8B05932.webp\")
Will Clyburn – Photo Credit: Euroleague.net<\/p><\/div>
\nAny visiting team to Yad Eliyahu will be challenged to keep to their game plan down and do their best to block out the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans who always play a factor in their team\u2019s success which something that Clyburn is very aware of as he shared what EFES will need to do to come away with the win.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to play smart. The fans are great so you don\u2019t want to get the fans involved. Basically just playing smart, slow the ball down when we can, run our set offenses and don\u2019t let them get out in transition and get easy points and get the crowd going. We have to defend as they are a talented offensive team. Lorenzo Brown is running the show right now so we need to control him the best we can and definitely handle the defensive rebounds.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Maccabi Tel Aviv welcome the back-to-back Euroleague champions Andolu EFES for a Round 16 matchup on Thursday night (21:05) at Yad Eliyahu. The Yellow & Blue enter the contest sporting a 8-7 record good for 8th place, the last playoff spot while the Turkish squad have the identical record and sit in 7th place in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":75564,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[135,46,4,54],"class_list":["post-75566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-holy-land-hoops","tag-anadolu-efes","tag-cska-moscow","tag-maccabi-tel-aviv","tag-will-clyburn","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n