Maccabi Tel Aviv Begins Preseason Training with Bonzi Colson's Return and Coach Katz's Recovery Remarks

Maccabi Tel Aviv, the reigning basketball champions, unofficially kicked off their preseason training on Thursday with their first session at the Hadar Yosef arena. The team started preparations for the new season with an incomplete roster, missing several foreign players who have yet to arrive and Israeli national team members such as Yam Madar and Roman Sorkin. Present at the training were captain John DiBartolomeo, Will Rayman, Armando Bacot, Jamie Clark, and notably Bonzi Colson, who has returned for a second stint with the club, generating significant excitement among the team.

Several young players also participated in the session, including Nitai David, Rom Stoller, Gabi Artemenko, Tamir Gold, and center Brandon Edwards, who played last season for Migdal Haemek and is now joining the champions' training. Coach Oded Katz reflected on the offseason, saying, "It was fun, honestly. After how the season ended, I needed two weeks to recover physically. Towards the end of the summer, I was able to enjoy more and rest once the roster was finalized. We are very excited, though we are missing seven very important players, but we are trying to make the most of the upcoming period."

Regarding Colson's return, the team expressed great enthusiasm. "We love Bonzi, and we are very proud to have completed this move and brought him back. It is important for our fans and professionally as well. I have no doubt he will contribute a lot to us. Bonzi is special. It's exciting just to think about playing again in Israel, in front of our crowd, and imagining Bonzi playing for them makes it even more special," said the team representatives.