A few days after closing in on Nahariya last summer, Assaf Yogev Ohayon picked up some senior Israeli players, including Bar Timor and others, and the group began training at a high pace with a personal trainer as well as internal games to prepare for the season.
"Yogev was insane," say players who trained with him.
"He did not get off the floor because his team always won. He pushed to train in the morning and in the evening, and did not want to stop."
Ohayon, who went through a difficult period at Hapoel Holon and also spent several months at home, wanted to prove, especially to himself, that he can still play and train at the highest levels.
Ohayon did arrive in season with record readiness.
He devoured the parquet from the first moment and mentioned his high ability from a few years ago.
Is the main reason why Nahariya led the table from the first moment and was the best team in the national league throughout the season.
Ohayon.
Haifa is waiting tonight, Photo: Courtesy of Nahariya
In almost all the last few years Ohayon has missed many games due to injuries and illnesses, and this season he is almost absent from the pitches.
Even when coach Shai Saglovitch wanted to let him rest, the coordinator asked to continue playing.
He is a partner in 25 of 28 league games and in 27.3 minutes averaged 11.3 points, 7.6 assists (first in the league), 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 steals.
Of course, this is not about the pace and intensity to which he got used to Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Jerusalem and Holon, but also in Nahariya Ohayon played in two frames. In the Balkan league he played in 12 of 16 games and in 25.8 minutes averaged 10.8 points, 5.9 assists, 3.8 Rebounds and 1.9 steals.
"Like a 22-year-old boy"
Since the start of the season, Ohayon has spoken little.
The period in Holon still bothered him, and he preferred not to open his wounds but to concentrate on basketball.
One of the few times was when he was a guest on the podcast "Fresh Talk" by his good friend Bar Timor and footballer Ron Shushan and spoke freely.
"I went back to my youth. I smile, enjoy and have fun," he said candidly.
"Suddenly I speak a lot of Hebrew. On Fridays they open a karaoke set in the locker room, and I love it. Hear Israeli songs and laugh at jokes in Hebrew. It's fun. You play Israeli basketball at its best and meet hungry kids who beat you, well I enjoy it. It brings me back to my days. The youth. "
A well-known person says: "Back to Yogev Simchat HaChaim, he plays like a boy at the age of 22. He had a difficult season in Holon, and he came back big. It's fun to see him flourish again. I believe Nahariya will rise and he will show good ability in the Premier League."
Yogev Ohayon led Urban 'Rain' Nahariya to a great season and first place with a diverse statistical line and a lot of leadership, and he also entered the top five of the season >> @ INahariya pic.twitter.com/NbItrQ0nwo
National Basketball League (@LeumitLeague) April 3, 2022
Saglowicz explains: "This year he came back smiling, and I do not say this as a cliché. It is very easy in a situation like his to sink into how difficult and how much it may not be what he wanted to do at this point in time, but from the moment he decided to come here he did not look back for a second .This is a great example for everyone.
He is a perfectionist in a way that is an object of admiration.
He is an example to everyone of what a basketball player should look like.
Fun to coach him, not every day you get to coach an actor like him.
Beyond basketball, it's human capital and what it produces in the locker room.
We both talked at the beginning and we knew that if we had a good locker room we would go up in the league, and he would take care of that. "
Ohayon.
Wants to move up a league, Photo: Courtesy of Nahariya
In the summer, after it became known that Ohayon had rejected several offers from the Premier League and signed in Nahariya, former player Shimon Amsalem met him and said to him: "This is the last year of his career, so are you going down to the national team?".
The coordinator responded decisively: "Shimon, I want to move up a league. I want to do something special in Nahariya."
"The most impressive thing about Yogev is his ability to keep himself hungry," says Amsalem, who interprets the second league games on the sports channel.
"Getting down from the Euroleague, Maccabi and Jerusalem to a team from the national team is not easy. Usually such players come to the league to get their body used to retirement, and on the other hand Yogev's hunger and centrality in the team is something to learn from."
A critical month at the age of 35
Ohayon, who will soon be celebrating his 35th birthday, is facing a critical month with his friends in Nahariya.
Tonight (Wednesday, 19:30) they will start the playoffs nationally, with all the pressure on them as the clear favorite for promotion.
At the end of the month, they will also compete in the Final Four of the Balkan League, which, as we have announced, has a good chance of being held in Ein Sara, which will further increase expectations in this sector as well.
The coordinator has a contract with the team next season as well, and we will wait to see if he gets a chance to show his abilities in the Premier League as well.
"Nahariya will go wherever Yogev takes it. Every time it goes out, its game Nahariya goes down in pace, in survey, in mind. When it is on the field Nahariya looks like a legitimate Premier League team," Amsalem concludes.
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
If you found an error in the article, we'll be happy for you to share it with us