Local Hoops: Maccabi TA returns Arroyo from suspension

Maccabi Tel Aviv announced on Friday that it was returning its star player Carlos Arroyo from suspension. On Thursday, a week before its crucial Euroleague game against Real Madrid, Maccabi said that it has suspended Arroyo until further notice for improper conduct. Maccabi has been dissatisfied with Arroyo's behavior towards the coaching staff and his teammates for some time now and, following a heated exchange of words with the team's coach Pini Gershon and manager Gur Shelef in Monday's training game against Hapoel Galil/ Gilboa, Tel Aviv finally decided to punish the player via a club disciplinary committee. Arroyo, who apologized for his behavior, will play in Maccabi's BSL game against Ironi Nahariya on Sunday and Real Madrid on Thursday. Arroyo, who has averaged 13.6 points, 4.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds in the Euroleague, is the most expensive player in Israeli basketball history, earning a reported $2.5 million dollars a year.