Israel’s top team cuts Glen Rice Jr. for assaulting teammate

JERUSALEM – Israel’s top basketball team has cut its star player Glen Rice Jr. after he punched a teammate in the face.

Hapoel Holon says it released Rice after the team’s Monday night loss because of a “severe disciplinary infraction.” It says Rice punched teammate Guy Pnini in the face in the locker room. Pnini was hospitalized with a suspected facial fracture.

The 27-year-old Rice is the Israeli league’s top scorer, averaging more than 24 points a game, and has led Holon to the top of the standings.

He also won a state cup thanks to a last-second winning shot against powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv. Rice, who briefly played in the NBA, was previously arrested in the United States on battery and robbery charges. His father is three-time NBA all-star Glen Rice.