Bonzie Colson’s return to Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv was supposed to bring familiarity, experience and a proven EuroLeague presence to a team with high ambitions. Three rounds into the season, however, both the player and the team are still searching for rhythm, and last Friday’s heavy defeat (90-67) to Panathinaikos in Athens underlined how much work remains to be done.
Colson endured a particularly difficult night against the Greens, finishing with just two points in 18:03, making his only two-point attempt but missing all four of his shots from beyond the arc. He added five rebounds and committed two turnovers for a PIR of 1.
The performance continued an uneven individual start to the EuroLeague season: after going scoreless in only 8:47 against ASVEL, he responded with 17 points and a PIR of 17 against Besiktas, before struggling again in Athens. Through three games, Colson is averaging 6.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 18:39, shooting 85.7% from two-point range but only 22.2% from three.
His second spell with Maccabi nevertheless comes with a very different status from his first. Colson has previously described his 2022 arrival in Tel Aviv as the point when his European career truly took off, explaining that he approached every practice and game with the need to establish his identity as a EuroLeague player.
After leaving Maccabi for Fenerbahce, he remained an important two-way contributor, before deciding to move on in search of a larger role. He has said that his option for another season in Istanbul was ultimately his decision and that the financial terms were not the determining factor.
His return to Tel Aviv was far from the only possibility. Olympiacos were repeatedly linked with Colson during the summer, initially as a potential replacement for Alec Peters, while reports also indicated interest from Israeli rivals.
Colson had nevertheless made his attachment to Maccabi clear even before the season, calling the club a special place and publicly setting the Final Four as the target.
Speaking to SKWEEK after the loss to Panathinaikos, the 30-year-old forward addressed Maccabi’s poor start and need for chemistry, explained why he returned to Tel Aviv, confirmed talks with Olympiacos, reflected on making Europe his basketball home and discussed Hapoel, the changing Tel Aviv rivalry and the strength of this season’s EuroLeague.
It was a tough night for Maccabi. What exactly went wrong tonight, to say the least?
“I mean, it feels like everything’s wrong at this point, on both sides of the floor. But at this point, it’s still early in the season, we have to stay together. And we’re doing that. That’s what it’s all about, staying together as a group. Trying to figure out how we can get out of this bad start that we’re having. And still believing in each other, like we’re doing, still communicating. Just trying to get out of this funk that we’re in, and we will get out of it.”
What’s missing from Maccabi right now, in your opinion? How good were Panathinaikos, and how bad was Maccabi, on the other hand?
“I don’t think we’re that good at all right now, on both sides of the floor, to be honest. We’ve got a lot of improvement to do. If we have the turnovers, for them to get a lot of easy transition points, obviously that doesn’t make things easy. We’re not hitting shots, which is normal. You know, our intensity has to be better, we have to have good starts. And gain chemistry.”
You’ve said that Maccabi’s goal is the Final Four. Looking at this roster realistically, what does this team have that your previous Maccabi teams didn’t have?
“I mean, nothing’s changed. It’s early, we’ll get out of this funk. We’re trusting and believing, that hasn’t changed. Obviously, we have some returning players, new players. But just continue to stay together, continue to build, and gain chemistry on both sides of the floor.”
Why did you ultimately choose Maccabi over the other options you had last summer?
“Well, it’s familiar. I’ve had success here. I love the coaching staff. The city’s great. And I’ve won here, so I want to continue to win. And get back to where we want to be. And Tel Aviv is a nice place.”
How close were you actually to joining Olympiacos last summer?
“I mean, we had some talks. Obviously, it was an option of mine. But I decided to go this way.”
Did you actually speak directly with the club or with coach Bartzokas?
“No, I let my agent handle it.”
What was the thing that made the deal fall through?
“Oh, nothing. I just weighed all the pros to come to Maccabi and Olympiacos. And that’s why I’m here.”
When you first came to Europe, your plan was to stay for one year and return to the NBA. At what point did you stop looking at Europe as a stepping stone and start seeing it as your basketball home? Can you recall?
“A couple of years I’ve been over here, not getting any official offers. I’ve had some of these two-way deals, but I wanted something more concrete. I’ve had a lot of success being over here. MVP, championships in multiple leagues. It’s a great home. I met my wife out here. So it’s been great with me. I’m thankful to be out here and just continue to play and do what I love.”
What’s the biggest difference between Bonzie Colson entering the EuroLeague in 2022 and the player returning to Maccabi now?
“Just experience. I think I just understand what European basketball is about. Throughout the years I’ve trusted the coaching staff. I’ve trusted my work ethic that I could get better every year. And I have. I’ve been in many different roles in my career. But at the end of the day, it’s about winning and getting better. And I’ve done that. So I’m going to just continue to build.”
Hapoel were also interested in signing you, but you have said you would never wear red. Was there ever a serious moment when you actually considered their offer?
“At times the opposing team just wants you just so you don’t go to the team you’ve been with in the past. And I felt like that a little bit. I’m very familiar with Maccabi and how they run things, how they are on and off the court. I think that’s important.”
@euroinsidersclipsBonzie Colson reveals whether Hapoel ever made him an offer. 👀🏀 How close was it to happening? 🤔♬ son original – euroinsidersclips
From your knowledge, what makes that rivalry different from places like Belgrade, Athens or Istanbul?
“I think the previous years it was a real rivalry. It was like war on the court. I experienced the derby a couple of weeks ago and it’s not the same at all. Our fans are still great, but their fans fell off a little bit. So I don’t think it’s the same type of energy that they’ve had in the past. Obviously, this rivalry has been 30, 40, 50-plus years. But from my experience, being with Maccabi for a couple of years now, it’s a big difference between how they treat their team and not a lot of fan interaction with them.”
What do you make of the EuroLeague this season?
“It’s talented, very talented. Every year it gets better and better in my eyes. Every game is important. I enjoy playing in a lot of it. It’s very competitive.”
And Panathinaikos?
“You see they’re very talented. They’ve got a deep roster. They have a fantastic coach. When they’re clicking, it can be dangerous. They’ve got a lot of experience. So, they’re going to be very good.”
