Hapoel Holon Signs T.J. Holyfield to Temporary Contract Amid Injury Woes

Hapoel Holon has signed American forward T.J. Holyfield, 31, to a temporary contract to address a series of injuries affecting the team's foreign players. Holyfield, who stands at 2.03 meters, is expected to arrive in Israel on Thursday and join team practices after completing his medical examinations. Last season, Holyfield played for Taiwan Beer Leopards in Taiwan, averaging 11.2 points and 8 rebounds per game. Prior to that, he spent two seasons with Yamagata in Japan's B2 League, where he posted averages of 14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.6 steals. His European career began in Finland with Karkkila, followed by two seasons with Oldenburg in Germany, where he also played in the Basketball Champions League (BCL). Holyfield played college basketball at Texas Tech, averaging 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks, after a successful stint at Stephen F. Austin, where he was twice named to the All-Defensive Team. "T.J. Holyfield is a player who can play both interior positions. He is a team player with strong defense, good passing and rebounding, and a solid shooting ability from two and three-point range," said coach Predrag Krunić. Daniel Revitz, the club's professional manager, added, "T.J. is an experienced and team-oriented player who can play both the 4 and 5 positions. He is a smart player who can quickly contribute with his experience. He is mobile, a very good defender, and offensively can play inside and outside, with good shooting and passing ability. We had to react quickly to the recent injuries of our two foreign big men, Greg and Brandon, and we are very pleased with this addition for the upcoming period."