Hapoel Tel Aviv forward Ish Wainright revealed that he was extremely close to signing with Zalgiris Kaunas before heading to the NBA in 2021.
31-year-old Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv forward Ish Wainright is playing his debut EuroLeague season this year.
However, he doesn't look like a rookie on the court by any means.
Wainright is one of the key players on one of the top teams in the EuroLeague, playing around 25 minutes per game this season.
He has been especially important on the defensive end, averaging 4.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.
On Friday in Round 28, he played against Zalgiris Kaunas at Zalgirio Arena for the first time in his career.
Although his team suffered its fifth straight EuroLeague defeat and everyone's focus is on how to get out of this rough stretch, after the game, Wainright could also recall that he once could have called this place home.
Before finally getting an opportunity in the NBA by signing a deal with the Toronto Raptors in 2021, Wainright had already reached an agreement with Zalgiris to make his EuroLeague debut after three years of playing in Germany and France.
Talking about that summer of 2021, Wainright recalled just how close he was to actually becoming a Zalgiris player before deciding to bet on himself and take a chance in the NBA.
"I had the contract in my hand," Wainright told BasketNews. "It was between the Toronto Raptors and Zalgiris, and I decided to bet on myself at the time."
Credit picture alliance / BEAUTIFUL SPORTS - Scanpix
Wainright was amazed on his first visit to Kaunas, praising Zalgiris fans and their top-notch atmosphere.
"Who doesn't want to play here? I mean, look at this atmosphere. It's amazing. It's a basketball country in my eyes. They have a fantastic fan base and arena."
"Yeah, that was amazing. With this being my first time playing in the EuroLeague, it was one of the top atmospheres I've seen. Their support is remarkable," he added.
Right now, Hapoel and Wainright are focused on bouncing back from their current five-game losing streak in the EuroLeague.
The American forward believes everyone on the team needs to take accountability and trust each other to turn things around.
"It starts with ourselves. It comes from within, with our heart, with our defense. We just have to trust each other," Wainright noted.
Credit picture alliance / BEAUTIFUL SPORTS - Scanpix
Talking about all the outside noise currently surrounding Hapoel, from the rumored Nigel Hayes-Davis transfer to the owner's statements, Wainright said the players need to control what they can and figure out how to get back to winning ways.
"Hey, I can control what I can control. We players, we're professionals. We try to keep everything on the inside, but when it comes to basketball, we've got to play. We've got to win games. We've got to figure out how to win," he concluded.
Edvinas Kuzas
Edvinas Kuzas began his basketball media career in 2025, joining BasketNews as a Daily Writer. He brings a deep understanding of the sport, shaped by years of following both its history and trending topics. Alongside his writing, he is currently pursuing a degree in basketball coaching, further expanding his knowledge of the game. This combination allows him to provide more analytical, insightful, and opinion-based perspectives on basketball.
About author
Like what we are doing? You can express your gratitude here.
If you like our content, please click here and add us as your preferred source. It helps us a lot, and we are committed to delivering you the very latest basketball news.