Nancy Lieberman's son T.J. Cline makes safe return home from Israel
DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) — You know her as a basketball Hall of Famer and a Dallas icon but Nancy Lieberman is also a mom. And like many Americans, this week has been a difficult one for her because her son, T.J. Cline, was in Israel.
Cline, a professional basketball player for the Hapoel Eilat team, just made it safely back to North Texas Thursday night. He's played in Israel for six years and has experienced the country under attack before.
But this time was different.
"A lot of somber days," Cline shared with CBS News Texas. "A lot of—if I can be honest—[is] anxiety, not just from myself but from the country as a whole."
It hurt him to know how much his mom and his entire family worried about him back home.
"I mean, I'm a grown man. I feel like I can handle myself in most situations, but what I can't help is my mom and my family and my sister calling me and crying, and my brothers. That was probably the most heart-wrenching," he said.
In the middle of a country at war, Cline had to be strong for his family and his Israeli teammates—some of who were sent off to the military. "To kind of be there for them and just kind of put yourself to the side and say to yourself, 'I know that I'm the middle of a foreign country and I'm trying to get home, but let's have some perspective...' My point guard—we go to practice on Monday, 'Where's Ido? Oh, Ido got called to the military,'"
Cline was finally able to board an emergency flight out of the country Wednesday.
"People were clapping when we landed...not just my teammates, the citizens of Israel, the people that were trying to get out, the people that were stuck there...just as a relief to finally land," Cline said.
He doesn't know what's next but he's grateful to be back home with the people he loves.
"I'm gonna enjoy the time that I have with my family," Cline said. "Hug my mom a little extra, go and see my grandma in San Antonio, hug her a little extra...just kind of cherish these moments that I have."
