"Why Ketch, why exactly is he doing this?" shouted the late legendary broadcaster Meir Einstein after Oded Ketch's three-pointer in the uniform of Panathinaikos against Maccabi Tel-Aviv in the same Euroleague final in 2000. The lines, but even before he started his coaching career, he signed the biggest appearance of an Israeli player in the Euroleague - and not in the yellow uniform.
Another Israeli coordinator who goes by the name of Yam Medar, is expected to take the floor tonight (Friday) with Partizan Belgrade on the floor at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, and join the limited list of Israeli players who have played in the second best league in the world, and not in the Maccabi Tel Aviv uniform. In the rival Alba Berlin, Yuval Sussman starts and Tamir Blatt their second season in the team - and together the three will arrange an Israeli derby in the Euroleague.
Just before Madar entered it, "Israel Today" with the narrow and nostalgic list of Israelis who reached the top league in Europe over the years.
Oded Ketch, Panathinaikos, 1999-2001
The greatest career of an Israeli player in a European team uniform, and also the only one to win the title.
In 1999, Ketch moved to play for the Greek team Panathinaikos, with whom he lifted the European Cup after winning the final against Maccabi Tel Aviv, scoring 17 points and being the outstanding player.
At the end, he said the famous sentence: "This is the happiest day in my career, and the saddest in my career."
Oded Ketch.
Signed a glorious career as an actor, photo: Udi Tsitiat
Dror Hajaj, AAK Athens, 2005 The
short center back (1.78) broke into the European market thanks to a great season in Hapoel Tel Aviv, with which he reached the finals of the Euroleague (the third most important enterprise in Europe at the time). In 2004/05 he played in the team Levon Bres from Belgium, with whom he won the cup and finished as the king of assists in the league.
In the following season, he moved to A.A.K.
Athens which played in the Euroleague.
The Greek team, which lost many of its assets at the beginning of this season, did not qualify for the top 16 and finished last in the early round with three wins and 11 losses.
Hajjaj played a total of 14 games (2 in five) in which he scored an average of 3.4 points, gave 1.4 assists and collected 1.4 rebounds.
Later in 2008/09 he returned to the senior factory in the Maccabi Tel Aviv uniform.
Hajj.
Blocked by Yotam Halperin in the Euroleague match between AK and Ljubljana, photo: Reuters
Amit Tamir, AAK Athens, 2005
Another Israeli who played alongside Hajj in Greece that season was the center Amit Tamir, when Yotam Halperin was also nominated to join the team and complete a rare Israeli trio - but in the end he signed with Olympia Ljubljana.
Tamir came from Pauk Thessaloniki, which he left due to financial difficulties, after averaging 7.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in the Greek league.
The Israeli played a total of 9 games in the AAK Euroleague uniform, in which he scored an average of 3.6 points and pulled down 3.2 rebounds.
In the debut game against Strasbourg, which was the best for him, he scored 11 points, but missed 7 three-pointers.
Amit Tamir at AAK's match against Strassburg, photo: AFP
Yotam Halperin, Ljubljana and Olympiakos, 2005, 2008-2010
At only 21 years old, the Israeli guard received an early release from the army to sign with the Slovenian team.
He also had an offer from Olympiakos, but he and Maccabi Tel Aviv preferred that he move to Ljubljana because they knew he would get more minutes there, and indeed he did.
Halperin played a total of 14 games, 11 of which were in the top five, and averaged impressive numbers of 13.9 points per game, 3.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds, while shooting 37.3% from beyond the arc. His record game, before the team was eliminated in the early stages, was Against AAK Athens of Hajj and Tamir when he scored 26 points with only one miss from the field, and led his team to victory 68:77.
After this season, he returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv for two years, and then went to Europe again - this time for Olympiakos in Media where he played for three seasons. In his first season, he reached the Final Four of the Euroleague with the team, but it finished fourth after losing to Panathenaic and Barcelona - and the Israeli had a weak Final Four personally. In the following season, the Greeks reached the final, but lost to Barcelona - Halperin played five minutes, and did not throw a basket at all in the decisive game.
Halperin in Olympiakos uniform.
It did not rise in Money Time, photo: AFP
Raviv Limond, Le Mans, 2007
The Israeli guard, who later also played for Maccabi Tel Aviv, had an impressive term in the French team's uniform. He played in 14 games (5 in the top five), scored an average of 10.5 points (almost 46% three-pointers) and gave 4.1 assists .
The record game was of course against Maccabi Tel Aviv in France, Lemond finished with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, with Nicolas Batum (today an NBA star) by his side with 24 points of his own. Also against Milan and Tsivona Zagreb, Israel crossed the 20 mark the points.
"I was sure that I was coming back from Le Mans and Maccabi would jump on me and sign me right away," he said in one of his interviews after he left France. It took the Yellows a whole season before they got hold of him.
Lemond in a Le Mans uniform in front of Rita Vilna, photo: Getty
Lior Eliyahu, in Asconia, 2008
After three successful seasons in the yellow uniform, the Israeli forward went on an adventure in Europe in the 2008/09 season, and signed a fat contract with the Caja uniform for Borel Vitoria (today in Asconia).
With his new team he reached the quarterfinals of the Euroleague where he was eliminated by CSKA Moscow, he averaged 8.4 points and 3.4 rebounds.
In the local arena, he was a partner in a surprising championship, after an impressive victory in the final series over Barcelona, the Euroleague champion - leading the team in the decisive game with 18 points.
At the end of the season he returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Eliyahu a large crossing, photo: jugador baskonia
Robert Rothbart - Ljubljana, 2011
The huge center (2.17) who was born in Bosnia and immigrated to Israel at the age of 6, signed one of the most forgotten performances of an Israeli player in the Euroleague.
In the 2011 season, after excelling in the uniform of Maccabi Haifa as part of the EuroChallenge, he signed the uniform of the Slovenian team that played in the senior league.
In his 9 games in the early stage of the Euroleague, he scored 8.1 points per game and pulled down 5.3 rebounds, which earned him a call-up to the Israeli national team.
Rothbart.
A short term in Ljubljana, photo: Getty
Gal Mekel - Nizhny Novgorod and Red Star Belgrade, 2014, 2015
After fulfilling his dream and becoming the second Israeli in the NBA, the point guard was released from the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2014/15 season and joined the Russian team during the Top 16. In six games in which he participated, he scored 11.7 points and gave 4.5 assists, but the team did not qualify for the crossover.
Stick.
Mol Wesley in a Nizhny uniform, photo: Getty
In the following season he left Russia for Red Star Belgrade.
Mekel did not integrate properly into the Serbian team and in his last matches was not even included in its squad.
He put up disappointing averages of 3.8 points and 2.8 assists in only four games in the Euroleague, and was cut a month already in December.
Stick in the Red Star uniform.
Didn't work out, photo: Getty
Yuval Sussman and Tamir Blatt, 2021
Yuval Sussman and Tamir Blatt are still writing their history at the senior factory.
The duo arrived together in the German team last season, and made a successful debut - mainly thanks to winning the doubles in the local framework.
In the Euroleague, the center (in his first season) impressed with 5 points and 3.5 assists, and a noticeable improvement in the last part of the season.
Sussman, who after 5 seasons left Maccabi Tel Aviv, recorded his best season in the factory with 7 points (44% for threes) and 3 rebounds on average.
Blatt and Zosman, in front of Maccabi in the temple, photo: Alan Shiver
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