Jon Scheyer is accustomed to winning, having led the Duke Blue Devils to a national championship in 2010. That success did not transfer to the NBA, but Scheyer is now returning to the hardwood as a member of one of the most dominant franchises in European basketball.
The 23-year-old signed a contract to play with Maccabi Tel Aviv, defending Israeli Basketball Super League champions and owners of five European titles.
"At Duke, we had a target on our back every day," Scheyer told the Associated Press upon arriving in Israel. "Expectations are high too. When you lose a game, it's a big deal at Duke. I think that is very similar to how it is here. I am used to those expectations, and I just want to live up to them."
After graduating in 2010, Scheyer was not drafted, but he had been playing with the Miami Heat's summer league team until an eye injury dashed his NBA aspirations.
The 6-foot-4 guard was met by a strong contingent of Maccabi fans when he first arrived in Israel and was introduced by team chairman Shimon Mizrahi. He is expected to play a prominent role on this year's squad, according to the AP.
Maccabi Tel Aviv has enjoyed a run of dominance in the Israeli League that ranks among one of the most prolific of all time — winning 49 championships, including 37 in a 38-year span from 1970-2007.
The reigning Israeli League champions, Maccabi Tel Aviv lost in the finals of this year's European championship to Greece's Panathinaikos.
Since he is Jewish, Scheyer will be able to become an Israeli citizen, and thus not be counted as a foreign player in a league that places a limit on the number of non-Israeli players that teams are allowed to have.
