The Real World Final: Ness Ziona Urban at the Greatest Moment in Its History Israel today

Urbani Ness Ziona, in fact its historic promotion to the European Cup final, proved that pure sport is not only at the top levels • It has its superheroes, the exciting connection to the fans and the big heart • Thanks to all these things, it deserves tonight to become Cinderella

• Dan, Selden and Miller at the end of the semifinals.

  Leave on the field everything they have

  Photo: 

  Alan Shiver

2004 was the most successful in the history of Israeli basketball.

Maccabi Tel Aviv won the Euroleague, Hapoel Jerusalem in the ULB Cup and Hapoel Tel Aviv advanced to the Final Four of the Euroleague.

Among all the sporting struggles that season, I remember Pini Gershon's disparaging statement: "What is the ULB Cup?" I want to say that only the Euroleague has professional significance and importance. But it seems to me that Pini himself, who sat in the hall on Tuesday, was moved by the event. Fourth in importance in Europe, but for all involved, and especially for the fans, the game was the most exciting experience of their lives, and that's the real story.  

The beauty of sports does not lie only in peak achievements at the highest levels.

It is in tension between the potential of physiological and mental talent and its actual realization and realization to the end.

In the distance between your last peak and the next peak you will aspire to conquer.

And this beauty can be pursued and achieved at any level, in any industry, in any league, anywhere. 

It depends first and foremost on the dream of the individual, who connects to a team, driven by the vision of a club, whose values ​​include not only victory but also important secondary goals like connection with the community, sports as education and connection between people.

And there is no better example of this than the humble club, which in its first incarnation was established as Hapoel Ness Ziona by the founder of Hapoalim Sports in Israel, the late Micha Shamban, to illustrate the beauty of Israeli sports. 

We must not get used to power

This week the world sports world erupted from the momentary flash of the Football Super League, brewed by greedy businessmen, and its rapid extinction by the loyal fans of those teams that were supposed to play in it.

The lesson learned will be roared loud and clear: professional sports are built on ups and downs, on changing speed, on an emotional pendulum, on stimulating your edge. 

We should not aspire to be fans of the elite genre only, and we must not get used to a power that allows us to gather many players on one pitch and expect a sporting experience.

That would not happen, and the Super League would very quickly become boring, because the excitement is always relative.

The life of a sports fan is often difficult and full of disappointment, and in every league there is one champion and another 15 frustrated.

Do not wrap us in "What poor fans" in dazzling and artificial cellophane. 

Go get excited about Israeli basketball in our national league.

Go fall in love with Beitar Tel Aviv / Bat Yam, which reached the Cup semi-finals (by the way, its home ground is in Ness Ziona). Real sports live there, where there is anxiety of relegation, longing for league promotion, a dream of a championship, hope of participating in a secondary European event. Therein lies the gap that sweat, effort and emotional connection can bridge.

Ness Ziona has ridden this gap since the beginning of the season, improved vehicles and intentions, led by a wonderful management team, who managed to replace three foreigners while moving and make the season, on a modest budget and with an experienced and egoless coach, happily receiving advice from everyone and lovingly applying it to his children. The pitch.   

Tal Dan, a bandaged sergeant

After passing Ferma, probably the best team in the factory, one more game remained to complete the task.

Oddly enough, Ness Ziona was not at its best.

Brian Angola destroyed more than helped, and his fifth offense was the event that changed the momentum and allowed Patrick Miller to lead and deliver the two assists that won the game.

Angola owe a great deal, and he will return. 

Nimrod Levy, and especially Wayne Sandan, excited by the death of a good friend in the United States, kept the team in the picture despite low shooting percentages and a decisive loss on the rebound. Good for the evening. 

In the picture of Tal Dan at the end of the game, the whole idea is embodied.

A captain, a symbol of a club that has been playing there for more than a decade, comes up in a five with a shot in the broken and bandaged hand, hits the first basket, fights, removes, calms down, runs a game - then snatches an elbow and adds a second bandage on his head. 

The Knicks have Willis Reed measured to Madison Square Garden, the Upper Galilee has Brad Liff limping to the field in Kfar Blum, Maccabi Tel Aviv had its injured end against Cuban in the last Euroleague championship season, and the IDF Arik Sharon with the bandage on the ADF, cross For Ness Ziona fans, especially for children who wore festive orange in the stands, and are unfamiliar with the above stories, it's the same intensity of excitement, and it's the first superhero they met live. 

And now, one more victory, and this hero will be able to swing a real trophy, with a bandage on his hand and a crown on his head, like the Statue of Liberty of Israeli basketball.

But whether they succeed or not, Ness Ziona has already taught us a great lesson in the pure meaning of sport.

The one that resides deep in the heart of the colony.