• Home
  • FIBA
  • EuroLeague
  • NBA/NCAA
  • National Leagues
  • Podcast
  • Features
  • More
  • Contact

Grimag

  • FIBA
  • EuroLeague
  • NBA/NCAA
  • National Leagues
  • Podcast
  • Features
  • More

Where are they now? Aulcie Perry (United States)

December 20, 2007

After a little bit more than a month of absence, I come back with a new story of the "Where are they now" series. Today, I will talk about one of the Americans that made some big impact in Europe, I speak of Aulcie Perry.

After joining Maccabi in 1977, Perry immediately helped the "Yellows" to their first Triple Crown – Israeli League, Israeli Cup and most importantly, the first Euroleague title. He then joined forces with Earl Williams to form Maccabi’s trademark frontcourt during the early 1980s and Perry would help Maccabi to a second Euroleague title in 1981. He would also reach Euroleague finals in 1980 and 1982 while dominating his team’s domestic competitions.

That’s the sportive part of the story, and by far the happier one. Because on the personal side, Perry was less "successful". During his years with Maccabi, Aulcie became a huge celebrity in the Israeli life. He was dating a famous model, Tami Ben Ami, which was a huge publicly followed romance. However, all this stardom turned Perry’s head and he became a drug addict.

This addiction went that far, that he did not show up to one Euroleague game against Real Madrid. Officially, he was out because of flu. However, a TV team went to his house and they found him there in a very bad condition due to drug use. After this, Maccabi still believed in him, and Perry did not get fired.

Things got wilder when after his basketball career, Perry wanted to move back to the United States. On his flight back, he got caught in Amsterdam with heroin with a street value of USD 1.8million. He got sentenced for 20 years of prison in a trial in 1987. However, he has been released after the half of the sentence and he immediately went back to Israel. As Maccabi stayed in contact with him over the years, they help him to reorder his life.

When he came back, he could also spend a few months with his long lasting model girlfriend who was married at that time with somebody else. However, she died of cancer a few weeks later. On the other hand, he got a licence to hold a burger restaurant in Tel Aviv where the Maccabi players went for eat. This restaurant is still going on these days but Perry has also come back to basketball. He started a basketball camp for kids in 2005 and is also involved with Maccabi’s youth sections. Besides all that, Perry is working as an agent.

The funny part of the story is still ahead though. As Perry was really tall, he is 2m10, and as Israel is not known for being a country where seven-footers are as common as holes in Swiss cheese, he was probably one of the biggest persons in the country. So his name became a nickname for tall people in the 80s. "Wow…look at that Aulcie Perry!" was a famous saying during these years and it has still survived in the local usages.

Dec 20, 2007ballineurope
Powered by Sidelines
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
This post was published on December 20, 2007
Zalgiris ends a nearly two year losing streakWhy I don't feel bad for Siena
Comments: 8
  1. Kerem
    17 years ago

    Nice story.. glad to hear Maccabi took care of their franchise player! Any footage of this dude?

    ReplyCancel
  2. Eric
    17 years ago

    Just as Kerem : a real story.
    Thanks Christophe, keep coming up those moments of life, tragedy and happy ends.
    I didn’t even know about this great baller.

    ReplyCancel
  3. ziv
    17 years ago

    this is a photo of him http://www.tzahevet.co.il/cmdb/gallery/large/former27.jpg i guess it’s 3-4 years old.
    interesting to note – when he got out of prison while still on parole maccabi some how managed to pull some strings to allow him to visit Israel for maccabi chairman (Shimon “Shamluk” Mahrovski) surprise party (part of a TV show they use to make in israel – a retrosepctive of famous ppl life).

    anyway, Perry who actually converted to judaism in the 80’s mainly in order to get an israeli nationality (and got the name Elisha Ben-Avraham) is still attending maccabi games. he even got a chair set for im somewhere behind to bench (i didn’t see him yesterday in the Rytas game though).

    ReplyCancel
  4. Jordan Whitehouse
    17 years ago

    What exactly did Maccabi really do for him?
    they put some distance between anything that doesn’t fit in with them

    ReplyCancel
  5. Thomas
    17 years ago

    nice story, can you also tell the story of the Real Madrid Match when Earl Williams went up to beat the crowed and Perry jumed on on him

    ReplyCancel
  6. Christophe
    17 years ago

    @thomas
    I did not know that story, if anybody else could help out

    ReplyCancel
  7. Doron
    17 years ago

    Just saw him at the Maccabi-Malaga game last week. He was very nice to fans, signed autographs, and fraternized with Maccabi players. Hopefully he has gotten everything in order and is happy now.

    ReplyCancel
  8. Mae White
    17 years ago

    He is a warm, generous real person. Also an unforgettable athelte- Maccabi got more than they deserved with his successes.
    May he find satisfaction and happiness wherever he goes.

    ReplyCancel
Pingbacks: 2
  1. Tedcup.Com » Where are they now? Aulcie Perry (United States)
    17 years ago

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

ballineurope
17 years ago 10 Comments Features
Recent Posts
The Euroleague Final Four isn’t just about players. Meet the coaches shaping 2025: Ergin Ataman, Georgios Bartzokas, Sarunas Jasikevicius, and Vassilis Spanoulis.
The Coaches Defining the 2025 Euroleague Final Four
1 day ago
Fenerbahce return to the Euroleague Final Four seeking their first title since 2017. Can Sarunas Jasikevicius lead them to glory in Abu Dhabi?
Fenerbahce’s best shot since 2017?
2 days ago
AS Monaco return to the Euroleague Final Four with Vassilis Spanoulis at the helm. Can Mike James and the Roca Team shock Europe in Abu Dhabi?
Vassilis Spanoulis and Monaco’s tasty Final Four Journey
3 days ago
Categories
Recent Posts
Euroleague Final Four 2025: Why It’s in Abu Dhabi
The Coaches Defining the 2025 Euroleague Final Four
Fenerbahce’s best shot since 2017?
Tags
EuroLeagueNBAYouTubeReal MadridCSKA MoscowFC BarcelonaFIBAOlympiacosPanathinaikosZalgiris KaunasACBSpainMaccabi Tel AvivRicky RubioTeam SpainLos Angeles LakersMontepaschi SienaPartizan BelgradeLithuaniaIrelandGermanyPau GasolItalyTeam LithuaniaTurkeyTeam FranceCaja Laboral BaskoniaLietuvos RytasFenerbahce ÜlkerGreeceJuan Carlos NavarroSerbiaSan Antonio SpursTony ParkerMinnesota TimberwolvesFranceDirk Nowitzkibasketball highlightsTeam RussiaALBA BerlinEuroleagueEuroCupDallas MavericksTeam USAEuroBasket 2011
Share
0
Facebook
ABOUT
BallinEurope.com was founded in September 2007 by Christophe Ney (who now runs the excellent scouting-themed website European Prospects) and Tobias Seitz, both then bloggers for FIBA.com with over 10 years’ worth of experience in the professional basketball world each. The mission then was to “provide a very unique perspective of Basketball in and about Europe.”
Most Commented
Why Andrei Kirilenko and CSKA Moscow must win the Euroleague
13 years ago
180 Comments
Euroleague Transfers Table 2008/2009
17 years ago
168 Comments
A week in highlights: Spanish block party, mighty Milos, Utah rap and some dude dunking in L.A.
14 years ago
139 Comments
Archives
Get In Touch

Email: emmetryan@gmail.com

Name: Emmet Ryan

2014 © BallinEurope. Join JCI Dublin