By Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Sports journalist
Flagship summer recruit of the Israeli championship, Patrick Beverley arrived on site in an extremely complex geopolitical context. Three months later, he opened up about the conscience issue he is already facing, partly due to… his partner.
When he packed his bags in his new home, he already knew the risks he was running. Patrick Beverley nevertheless decided to sign for Hapoel Tel-Aviv and settle in Israel, which was then already in the middle of an armed conflict with Palestine. Focused on basketball, he therefore made sure not to talk too much about this subject… which would nevertheless begin to prove too heavy for him.
Pat Beverley leaving from Israel… for his fiancée?
As with each episode of his The Pat Bev PodcastBeverley recently took stock of her personal situation far from the NBAfirst of all with a resolutely positive speech:
Patrick Beverley : Right now I’m in Tel Aviv and since I got here the way I’ve been treated has been absolutely phenomenal.
I have a lot of freedom, both on and off the field, and my team and the Jewish community have really accepted me.
From an individual point of view, the American leader therefore has nothing to complain about. Despite this, he could soon pack up and leave the Middle East. In question, the growing tensions between Israel… and Iran, his partner’s native country:
Patrick Beverley : I’m like a leading figure in Israeli sports, but people don’t know that I have a fiancée who is from Iran. So the fact that I’m here is causing a lot of extra stress on both of our families.
As such, Pat Bev could therefore prioritize his family well-being over his sporting fullness, even if he says he has not yet made a definitive decision:
Patrick Beverley : I’m not going to say she gave me an ultimatum, but I have to make decisions. I get a lot of pressure, whether from his family or mine. Between my children, my mother, her family… It’s very, very complicated. In my head, it’s 50/50. I’m not here for the money. I’m already crazy rich. My fiancée is even more so, so it has nothing to do with money.
I just need to figure out who I want to make happy. I’m between two waters because I also want to honor my promise to my team. I kind of have to choose between the love of my life and my first love, basketball. (…) She gave me a deadline to make my choice and I think my decision should be based on what is best for my family. I think about it every day. We’ll see.
Fully satisfied with his life in Israel, Patrick Beverley would on the other hand generate concern in his family and that of his Iranian fiancée. A context that is anything but ideal which could therefore lead him to “abandon” Hapoel Tel-Aviv.
