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Maryland All-American Shay Doron left Israel on June 28 and talks to her mother and sister every day.
College Park (Map, News) - University of Maryland women’s basketball star Shay Doron left Israel on June 28, 14 days before tensions rose and bombs fell.
“I talk to my mother and sister everyday,” she said. “I worry about the safety of my friends and my family all the time.”
Doron’s year has been a series of highs and lows. After the national championship victory in April she spent all of June in Israel with her family. Now she has to deal with her family’s whereabouts in a country engulfed in chaos.
“It’s a problem when one side says one thing and the other side says something else,” she said. “Since the U.N. recognized us as a country we have not expanded our borders unless we have been attacked first.”
The 2005 All-American said the news reports from America and the reports from Israel differ in a lot of ways, not the least of which is their graphic nature. Still, Doron is more than willing to discuss the issues that drive the global news circuit.
“I don’t mind talking about it all,” she said. “I have first-hand knowledge that most people don’t have. I feel everything I can tell people is important.”
She said that the reports coming from her father in Tel Aviv are more supportive of the Israel she lived in than the recent destructive news broadcasts.
“My dad said nothing has changed there. Restaurants are busy and people are going about their normal lives,” Doron said. “That is the great thing, you don’t feel like you are living in a war zone.”
Since returning to America, Doron is working out with her Maryland teammates by morning and logging nine class credits in the afternoon. Even with the busy schedule, she tries to keep her life in perspective with those overseas.
“Its not difficult to play basketball,” she said. “It’s such a small part of life when you have to think about what is going on.”
Her teammates at Maryland understand her situation, but also understand what Doron brings to their team.
“She’s one of the starters returning to the team,” Kristi Toliver said. “She played significant minutes for us last year so we are looking forward to her leadership next year.”
Last summer Doron led the under-20 Israeli national team to a division championship and met a lot of her Israeli friends who still reside in the war-torn region.
“That was probably one of the closer national teams I have played on,” Doron said. “It was more about meeting friends then playing basketball.”
Staying in contact with those friends has been difficult with the constant movement of people through out the country, but said Doron she has tried and still talks to people on a daily basis.
The government requires all Israelis to become part of their armed services upon their 18th birthday, Doron said. The men are required to serve three years while the women two years.
Doron’s service has been put on hold until she returns to Israel permanently. She said there is no immediate timetable for her return.
“It’d be nice after I am done with basketball in 20 or so years to go back,” she said. “Even if I am just living in Israel it would help.”
The most important thing Doron said people should remember is that this is not an unusual situation in her homeland and that people have been dealing with terrorism for years.
“I think people don’t understand that it is a means of survival,” Doron said. “The sooner people realize it’s a global problem the better. It’s Israel’s problem today but it could be America’s tomorrow.”
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Jim Steinmetz said:
It's particularly unfair to say that Hurley was a nice college player but a marginal pro - he was in a gruesome accident that essentially destroyed his NBA career. What's next? Are you going to say Jay Williams was a disappointment?
9 agree | 8 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I'm still scratching my head trying find any similarities between Kevin Love and Larry Bird. Love is a low post player who can hit an outside shot if he's left unguarded, Larry Bird was a great outside shooter who could penetrate. Love lumbers down the court like a Clydesdale, Bird could run like a quarter horse. Other than the fact that they're both white and both are good, they're as different as could be.
9 agree | 11 disagree
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notme said:
Also, USC playing better as the season progressed? As shown by their 6-4 record in the last 10 games? Or their 12-8 record over the past 20 games? Oh, wait, USC actually was most successful EARLY in the season.
9 agree | 8 disagree
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notme said:
Did Dickey even watch the Pac-10 finals? Only a little help from Love? I guess, if only offense counts. Of course, the real reason UCLA won the game is that Love totally shut down Brook Lopez in the second half.
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Larry Williams said:
How can you talk about a resurgence of college hoops in the area and not mention the only school from Baltimore to win a National Championship ad has the best chance to reach the NCAA Division I tourny this year: Morgan State University!! Is it because Morgan plays in the predominately Black college MEAC. or have you become conditioned to disregard any accomlishments by this great university, just like the rest of the sports journalist in this city?
80 agree | 75 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Joe Mclean is like a breath of fresh air,especially in a time when the very life we live seems to be suffocating from the nonsensical stinch that's presently being emitted from a misguided generation of African/american youth that somehow seems insurmountable and even far too complex for the creator Himself to resolve. Joe is one of the most well rounded young brothers I know. He's a possitve role model and a gift to any parent. That's why I'm overwhelmed at the very fact of his existance and forever grateful to my Lord for allowing me to be his POP-POP. Thanks Joe, keep up the good work.
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Great story, Ron!!!! said:
Ron, I love this story on the Terp freshmen WBB players getting ahead, as well as the other tidbits you wove into the story. Thank you very much for writing this one. If you need another idea, how about one on the three outstanding Lady Terps that won gold medals this summer playing for the USA?!? Keep up the great work. Thanks, again.
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Examiner Reader said:
i thank that this is going to be a good thing for mason ,cam is a will rounded player he wiil add big games in the wins .
607 agree | 366 disagree
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