Ex-Walton/Georgia Tech Star Cut in Israel
Glen Rice Jr., the leading scorer in Israel's professional basketball league, is under police investigation.
Former Walton High School and Georgia Tech star Glen Rice Jr. is the leading scorer in the Israel Basketball Super League, but his success and that of first-place team Hapoel Holon weren’t enough to protect him after a reported locker-room fight after a game Monday night, April 9.
Holon cut Rice, and police are investigating after Rice punched teammate Guy Pnini in the face, The Times of Israel reported. The team called Rice’s action a “severe disciplinary infraction.”
Pnini was hospitalized with what was believed to be a broken bone in his face.
Rice, who has played professional basketball since 2013, has a troubled history, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted. He was charged with reckless conduct and marijuana possession after being shot in the leg in 2015, and he was arrested on battery charges in 2016 and 2017.
Rice signed with Holon in October after a brief stint in the Philippines ended in controversy when he was thrown out of a tournament game for shoving an opponent to the floor.
His statistics have been removed from the listings of the league leaders, but he had 21 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in Monday night’s 94-89 loss to Gilboa Galil. He was seen arguing with Pnini on the court before the game.
Holon leads the league with a 17-6 record.
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