False alarm: Maccabi investigation sheds light on players' night out / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: imago images/Jan Huebner Credit imago images/Jan Huebner

One week after Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv players Jalen Reynolds, James Nunnally, and Derrick Williams were spotted having a night out after the Israeli powerhouse crashed out of the Israel Cup, the club issued an announcement, clearing up the air on the issue.

James Nunnally

MIN:28.08PTS:13.05 (55.56%)REB:3.6As:2.65ST:0.6BL:0.2TO:1.6GM:20ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022

The investigation carried out by the Israeli powerhouse showed that the video depicting the three players was posted to social media without their knowledge and it wasn't depicting them having a night out, as the three were just on their way out of a restaurant.

None of the mentioned players were included in the roster against Hapoel Tel Aviv, but despite that -per the announcement- they still could face sanctions.

"It's disrespectful to the fans," Maccabi said in an official statement one week ago. "A few hours after the players left the arena with security, they chose to act this way. If you decide to meet, at least keep it modest."

One of Maccabi's players, Khyri Thomas, has since on Twitter denied being one of the players mentioned in an Instagram video of the Israeli club's players partying after the match.

"This is False! I don’t know why I was tagged in this video," the player noted in his tweet. "After every game, I go home, I call my mother, sisters, and niece & nephew. Please stop contacting me about this."

Derrick Williams has denied the rumors as well. "If you really think me or my teammates don’t care because it’s Valentine’s Day “one which we would never post” is just stupid," the player wrote on Twitter.

"That’s your own fans trying to belittle the players. An empty restaurant waiting for a bill turns into a media fest," the Maccabi forward continued. "Sometimes you only get 5 seconds of a story that was an hour-long."

"Don’t talk to me or put my name on bullshit because you want someone to blame about how you feel," Williams finished his statement.

James Nunnally

Team:Maccabi Tel AvivPosition:SF, SGAge:31Height:201 cmWeight:93 kgBirth place:California, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

This Tuesday, the Israeli powerhouse has issued another statement, clarifying the situation involving their three athletes:

"Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball Club conducted a thorough review of the documentation of three of the team's players - Jaylen Reynolds, James Nunnally, and Derrick Williams - published after the State Cup semifinal game.

The three players left the arena immediately after the game and dined at an Italian restaurant, where they tend to eat since it is close to where they live. While the place was already empty and as they were on their way out, waiters turned up the volume of the music.

One of the employees who filmed the clip tagged the players on Instagram and uploaded the video online. The text written in the employee's story was his own idea. He also misidentified the players and tagged someone (Khyri Thomas) who was not present.

1. The players weren't on a night out, but instead sat down to eat after the game at a restaurant adjacent to where they live.

2. They didn't upload the video, nor did they post the caption "We don't care."

3. The video was filmed and posted online without their knowledge.

4. Despite all this, the three players understand that the issue is of great importance.

The increased visibility and the fact that many fans were deeply offended, urged them to issue the following joint statement: "We apologize and regret the way things were portrayed. We understand that although at the time things were completely different from the interpretation given to them, the video looked bad and caused serious harm to the fans' feelings and the club's management.

We have nothing but appreciation and great love for the fans and the club and we are sorry for any loss, especially the one suffered that Monday. We will accept whatever decision the club deems appropriate under the circumstances and we will continue to fight for Maccabi and their fans."

Thank you for reading us! Help us even more.