JERUSALEM, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Hapoel Tel Aviv has signed former NBA player Jeff Withey for one season, according to a statement released by the Israeli EuroCup club on Tuesday.
The 33-year-old American center, a former Kansas Jayhawks standout, was recognized twice as the defensive player of the year in the Big 12 conference during his college basketball days.
After being selected as the 39th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, Withey made appearances for the New Orleans Pelicans, Utah Jazz, and Dallas Mavericks. His NBA stint spanned 206 regular-season games across five seasons, where he averaged 3.2 points and 2.5 rebounds in 10.1 minutes per game. He also played three playoff games with Utah.
In 2018, Withey transitioned to Europe, playing for Turkey's Tofas, Lavrio in Greece, and Ness Ziona in Israel.
He then joined South Korea's Goyang Orion Orions in 2020 and spent the last two seasons with the Champions League team, Bilbao Basket.
Last season, Withey's new team, Hapoel, reached the EuroCup quarterfinals and secured the second spot in the Israeli league after succumbing in the playoff final series to Maccabi Tel Aviv. ■
