The guard is still looking for his first league title in Europe
Cassius Winston wants to finish job with Jerusalem, now with home fans
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Every competitor wants a career full of titles. Cassius Winston is no different, and he hopes to finally get a league crown in Europe with Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem – especially now that the team can play the BKT EuroCup at home.
Jerusalem has found its groove in the EuroCup with a five-game winning streak going into the national team break. And Winston has been a big part of the Israeli side racing out to a 6-2 mark, good for a three-way tie atop Group A.
“We like our position. It’s a long season, but I feel like we're getting better as a team and hitting a pretty good stride right now. So it's just about being consistent and just keeping at it,” Winston told David Hein. “There is still got a lot more season to go, but I like our chances.”
The 27-year-old point guard has shined in his first season in the EuroCup, averaging 15.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists. And it shouldn’t be a surprise that the 1.85-meter guard is playing well.
After a stellar college career which included winning a Big Ten Conference championship with Michigan State University, Winston spent the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons trying to make the NBA, playing predominantly in the G League.
He left the United States for Europe and made his continental debut in the EuroLeague with FC Bayern Munich in 2022-23, where he averaged 11.0 points and 3.4 assists. Winston moved onto Tofas Bursa in Turkiye the following season and spent the 2024-25 campaign in Italy playing for Reggio Emilia.
Winston played internationally the last two seasons in the Basketball Champions League – both times losing in the quarterfinals of the playoffs to a Spanish club.
This off-season he was attracted to the move to Israel and Jerusalem.
“It was just a great opportunity, a legendary club. I knew they were trying to do some really special things. And I just wanted to be a part of that; I wanted to be a part of something that can be that major,” he said. “I definitely wanted to come and play with all this talent and just see where I could impact the game and help the team out.”
Jerusalem would love to get to the EuroLeague, and Winston wouldn’t mind being there again, too. Each season since leaving Bayern, he has been able to measure himself against two EuroLeague teams in his domestic leagues: Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Turkiye, and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and Virtus Bologna in Italy.
“It's always the goal to play at the highest level possible and go there and contribute, and show that you can compete at that level, too. So, it's a great opportunity and a great situation to help this team and help myself in the process,” he said.
When asked how motivated he feels to get back to the EuroLeague, Winston answered: “It's up there. I just want to play at the highest level and whatever is best for me. I know the EuroLeague is filled with really good players and really good competition. So if I get an opportunity, I would love to challenge myself against the best, always.”
Through his time in Europe, this season with Jerusalem is the first opportunity for Winston to play with someone for a second time. Winston and Austin Wiley played together at Tofas and really provided a strong point guard-big man combo.
“We had a really good year in Tofas – just our chemistry and how we played together. And it carried over into this year, just reading each other, knowing each other's spots, just going out there playing with somebody that dominant. It always helps make the game easier on us as guards,” Winston said.
Wiley had joined Jerusalem after that year at Tofas while Winston went to Italy. And Winston said he talked to Wiley about a move to Israel.
“I talked to him just to see how things were, how he liked the coaches and the game and the play style. And he loved it. He told me I would enjoy it and that I would do well here, so it was nothing but good things to say.”
While things have gone well with Wiley and the rest of the team, one thing Winston hasn’t experienced yet is the home crowd for a Jerusalem game in the EuroCup. Games in the EuroCup have not been played in Israel since October 2023, but that will change on December 9 when Jerusalem hosts Veolia Towers Hamburg.
"Oh, man. It's super exciting. I've seen how the fans get here for our [Israeli League] home games, so I know they're going to show up for those games too, and it's going to be cool to add that environment to the EuroCup games,” he said.
“It's kind of hard going out there and playing in empty gyms with no fans. So to have that extra support, an extra teammate with us, it's going to be a huge lift for us.”
Jerusalem has already shown it can challenge for the EuroCup title, but Winston believes EuroCup games at home in Israel will make a major difference.
“I think it changes the whole dynamic. You don’t have to travel. You can be at home, prepare for the games on a more normal normal schedule. I can only imagine how much this will help us as a team from top to bottom,” he said.
Winston captured a Big Ten regular season crown and Big Ten Tournament title with Michigan State. And he helped Bayern win the German Cup and Jerusalem secure the 2025 Israeli Super Cup. But there is still that elusive league crown on the European continent, as well as a possible EuroCup championship, to fight for. And that push will become stronger now that Jerusalem's home fans are back at EuroCup games.