Basketball in Israel

In Israel, basketball is a popular sport, with a multi-tiered professional club league system, as well as men's and women's national teams.

Professional league structure

Israeli Basketball Premier League

Ligat HaAl or the Israeli Premier League, is the top tier level league of basketball competition in Israel, making it Israel's primary basketball competition. Ligat HaAl comprises the top twelve basketball clubs, and was founded in 1954.[1]

The current teams in the Premier League are: Barak Netanya, Bnei Herzliya, Hapoel Eilat, Hapoel Gilboa Galil, Hapoel Holon, Hapoel Jerusalem, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Ashdod, Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi Rishon LeZion, Maccabi Tel Aviv, and Nes Ziona.

Liga Leumit

Liga Leumit is the second tier level league of basketball competition.

The league contains 14 clubs that compete in a home-and-away round-robin. At the end of the season, the top eight clubs advance to the play-offs. The first round is played on a best-of-three basis. The four winning clubs advance to two best-of-five playoffs, the winners of which are promoted to the Super League. The two teams that finish at the bottom of the table are relegated to Liga Artzit.

Liga Artzit

Liga Artzit is the third tier level league of basketball competition. The league contains 12 clubs (in two districts), which compete in a home-and-away round-robin. At the end of the season, the first team from each district (South/North) is promoted to the Liga Leumit. The two teams that finish at the bottom of the table are relegated to Liga Alef.[2]

Liga Alef

Liga Alef is the fourth and lowest level tier in Israeli Basketball.

State Cups

Israeli Basketball State Cup

The Israeli Basketball State Cup is the second most important basketball competition in Israel, after Ligat HaAl.

The tournament began in 1956, and is run by the IBA. The tournament format consists rounds each consisting of one game elimination matches.[3]

Maccabi Tel Aviv has won the most tournaments, having won 41.

Israeli Basketball League Cup

The Israeli Basketball League Cup is a pre-season basketball tournament held since 2006. It is held the week before the Ligat HaAl season, and the eight teams and ranked based on the Ligat HaAL standings.

Israel national basketball team

The bombined Men's and Women's basket team is ranked 55th in the world,[4] and 23rd in the Europe.[5]

Men's

The Israel national basketball team is a men's basketball team that represents Israel in international competitions.

The Israeli team has participated 27 times in the European championship tournament. Their best achievements were a silver medal in 1979, and 5th place in 1953 and 1977. Israel is currently ranked 37th in the world by FIBA,[6] and 14th in Europe (July 2014).[7]

Women's

The Israel women's national basketball team is a women's basketball team that represents Israel in international competitions.

The women's team is ranked 36th in the world,[8] and 16th in Europe.[9] (July 2014)

They have competed in the EuroBasket Women's tournament 6 times, but have won no metals. Their highest ever finish was 8th place in 1991.[10]

Arenas

There are eight main basketball arenas in Israel which are:

Israel Basketball Association

The IBA is the official governing body of basketball in Israel. The organization oversees every aspect of the sport including:

The IBA also handles associating with international bodies such as FIBA and Euroleague Basketball (company) (who organizes the Euroleague).[11]

NBA connections

Amare Stoudemire

Amare Stoudemire, from the National Basketball Association, best known for his time with the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks, in the summer of 2013, became a major shareholder of Hapoel Jerusalem Basketball Club together with sports agent Arn Tellem and Ori Allon. The team is expected to move into its new home, the Jerusalem Arena, in August 2014. Furthermore, the club is determined to join the Euroleague by 2018. Stoudemire expressed the option that he will play for Hapoel when his contract with the Knicks expires in an interview with The New York Post.[12][13]

Stoudemire, in the summer of 2014 schedule to conduct his first camp in Israel, in Tel Aviv. Due to Operation Protective Edge he canceled the camp on 14 July.[14]

NBA players from Israel

Omri Casspi currently plays for the Sacramento Kings. He was drafted 23rd overall in the 2009 NBA draft, making him the first Israeli to be selected in the first round of an NBA draft. He has also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Houston Rockets.[15]

Gal Mekel currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks.[16] He previously played college basketball for two years at Wichita State.[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.basket.co.il/News.asp?id=273
  2. ↑ http://www.ibba.one.co.il/
  3. ↑ http://www.euroleague.net/euroleaguenews/domestic-leagues/domestic-leagues-2012-2013/israel/i/108660/7594/israeli-state-cup-final-february-7-2013
  4. ↑ http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/even/rank/p/openNodeIDs/1001/selNodeID/1001/rankComb.html
  5. ↑ http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/even/rank/p/openNodeIDs/1001/selNodeID/1001/rankComb.html#|tab=fiba_europe
  6. ↑ http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/even/rank/p/openNodeIDs/999/selNodeID/999/rankMen.html
  7. ↑ http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/even/rank/p/openNodeIDs/999/selNodeID/999/rankMen.html#|tab=fiba_europe
  8. ↑ http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/even/rank/p/openNodeIDs/1000/selNodeID/1000/rankWome.html
  9. ↑ http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/even/rank/p/openNodeIDs/1000/selNodeID/1000/rankWome.html#|tab=fiba_europe
  10. ↑ http://www.eurobasket.com/Israel/basketball.asp?women=1
  11. ↑ IBA Official Site
  12. ↑ http://nypost.com/2014/04/14/amare-may-leave-knicks-for-jerusalem-team-after-2015/
  13. ↑ http://www.amarestoudemire.com/2013/amare-partners-up-to-become-owner-of-hapoel-jerusalem-basketball-team/
  14. ↑ http://www.amarestoudemire.com/2014/israel-basketball-camp/
  15. ↑ http://www.nba.com/playerfile/omri_casspi/
  16. ↑ http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/4218/gal-mekel
  17. ↑ http://www.goshockers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7500&ATCLID=654216
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