Alex Tyus is back in Israel. The well-travelled 38-year-old center touched down on Saturday morning to complete a move to Hapoel Haifa, ONE reports, beginning a fourth chapter of his long relationship with Israeli basketball.
Tyus, who stands 2.03m and will wear the number 9 shirt for the Carmel-based club, joins two other new foreign signings already in the country. Jaylen Piage and Robert Allen landed in Israel earlier in the week, and according to ONE all three are due to start training with Hapoel Haifa's squad on Tuesday.
For Israeli basketball fans of a certain vintage, Tyus needs no introduction. He first arrived in the country with Maccabi Ashdod in 2011, before a move to Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2013 turned him into a household name.
It was in yellow that Tyus produced the signature moment of his career, starring in Maccabi's run to the 2014 EuroLeague title, a triumph capped by a final win over Real Madrid in which he played a central role at both ends of the floor. He added Israeli league and cup silverware in the same spell.
A well-worn passport followed, with stops at Anadolu Efes, Galatasaray, UNICS Kazan, Real Madrid and ASVEL among others, before Tyus returned to Israel for shorter spells at Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem in recent seasons. Last season he played in Turkey's second tier with Bandırma Bordo Basketbol, where he was among the league's top rebounders.
Tyus is a naturalized Israeli citizen, having received an Israeli passport in 2012 after converting to Judaism during his college years in the United States. That status has allowed him to play in Israel and for club teams without occupying a foreign-player slot in the past.
His arrival gives Hapoel Haifa a proven, championship-pedigree veteran to anchor the frontcourt as the club builds its roster ahead of the new season, adding experience to a rebuilding project on the Carmel.
