Jeremy Pargo has become a Euroleague star and has enjoyed his time playing overseas.

“I’ve had two really successful years with two successful teams. It’s been nothing but bliss for me,” Pargo said in a phone interview from his hometown of Chicago. “(Ex-Bulldog) Matt Santangelo played for the coach (David Blatt) I play for. Jannero (Pargo’s older brother) played for him in Russia. Israel is Americanized so it’s an easy adjustment. The people are extremely friendly and they love their basketball. It’s a great country and a great place to be.”

Pargo helped Gilboa Galil win the 2010 Israeli Super League championship, scoring 15 points in a title-game victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv. Last year, Pargo averaged 10 points and 6.3 assists for Maccabi Tel Aviv, which won the Israeli Super League and lost to Panathinaikos for the Euroleague championship. 

“I was coming from a smaller team to one of the biggest teams in the Euroleague,” Pargo said. “You hear about my team on a daily basis. Everyone thought it would be a rebuilding year for Maccabi, but we made it to the championship game. My team before only played in the Israeli league, one game a week. It’s not a bad league, but it’s not the strongest league. Maccabi plays in the Euroleague, which is the strongest league – bigger players, more intensity, more speed to the game.”

Maccabi recently signed Jordan Farmar, but Pargo believes the two can coexist.

“At Gonzaga, I played with two point guards pretty much my whole time. Last year I played with two point guards,” said Pargo, who signed a two-year contract with Maccabi. “Doron Perkins (former Santa Clara Bronco) was my backcourt mate last year.”