Hapoel Jerusalem B.C.

Hapoel Jerusalem Basketball Club (Hebrew: הפועל ירושלים‎), for sponsorships reasons Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem, is a professional basketball club based out of the City of Jerusalem and competes in the Israeli Premier League, the Israeli State Cup and the Basketball Champions League. Hapoel has won several titles, including the ULEB Cup (now called EuroCup) in 2004, the Israeli League championship in 2015 and 2017 and six state Cups. In 2013, a new ownership group headed by Ori Allon took over, and the club has since seen a remarkable advancement and expansion. The team began playing in the Jerusalem Arena in 2014.

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem
LeaguesIsraeli Premier League
FIBA Champions League
Founded1943 (1943)
HistoryHapoel Jerusalem B.C.
(1943–present)
ArenaPais Arena
Capacity11,000
LocationJerusalem, Israel
Team colorsRed, Black, White
              
Main sponsorBank Yahav
PresidentEyal Chomsky
General managerGuy Harel
Head coachOded Kattash
Championships2 Israeli Championship
1 EuroCup
6 Israeli State Cups
5 Israeli League Cups
Websitehapoel.co.il

History

Hapoel Jerusalem Basketball Club was founded in 1935 and incorporated in 1943. It had its first appearance in the Premier League in 1955. Hapoel played in the first division most of the 1950s and 1960s, with notable players, such as David Kaminsky and Amir Berlinsky. The following two decades had ups and downs, as Hapoel toggled between the first and second divisions.

In 1986, led by coach Simi Riger, the team advanced to the Premier League, after five consecutive years in the second division. Since then, Hapoel has remained in the Premier League and become an important factor in the Israeli Basketball.

In 1996 and 1997, Hapoel won the State Cup, defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv in the finals, at the Yad Eliyahu (Nokia) Arena. The team was led by Adi Gordon, widely considered the team's symbol and one of its best players.

In 2004, Hapoel Jerusalem won its first European title, the ULEB Cup (EuroCup), defeating Real Madrid in the final in Charleroi, Belgium.[1] Also in that year, the other major European basketball competition, the EuroLeague, was won by Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv, making Israel the leading basketball nation in Europe and the Middle East for 2004.

In 2005, Israeli-Russian billionaire Arcadi Gaydamak purchased a large stake in the club. As a result, the team got stronger and signed four American players with an NBA record – Tamar Slay, Horace Jenkins, Roger Mason, and Mario Austin. The team also signed Israeli star Meir Tapiro.

In 2007, Hapoel won its third Israel State Cup, defeating Bnei HaSharon 103–85 at Nokia Arena. In early 2008 Hapoel came back from being 22 points down in the 4th quarter, to win its fourth State Cup, beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 93–89. In late 2008 Hapoel won its first Israeli Basketball League Cup, beating Ironi Nahariya 84–69.

In September 2009, oil tycoon Guma Aguiar joined Hapoel Jerusalem as the team's sponsor and helped clear the debts left by Gaydamak. This ensured Hapoel would be able to compete again at the highest levels. On October 8, 2009, Hapoel beat Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Winner Cup finals 86–80, winning the club's second cup in a row.

One year after the mysterious disappearance of Guma Aguiar, a new ownership group headed by entrepreneur Ori Allon took over. Guy Harel succeeded Dani Klein as general manager.

In April 2014, the New York Post and The Wall Street Journal reported that six-time NBA All-Star Amar'e Stoudemire might join Hapoel after his contract with the New York Knicks officially expired at the end of the 2014–15 NBA season.[2][3] Stoudemire signed with the Dallas Mavericks to finish out his original contract that had expired with the Knicks at that time, and then went to the Miami Heat after his deal with the Mavericks expired. Once he decided to retire from the NBA in July 2016, he signed with Hapoel Jerusalem on August 1, 2016.[4]

On June 20, 2014 the club signed coach Danny Franco, who led Maccabi Haifa to the 2014 finals against current EuroLeague title-holder Maccabi Tel Aviv. That same day, the club also signed season MVP Donta Smith.[5]

On June 25, 2014, the Executive Board of Euroleague Commercial Assets unanimously agreed to give Hapoel a wild-card to compete for a spot in the EuroLeague qualifications. They recognized that Hapoel was building as a promising club, with a new ownership group with great stability and a brand new 11,000-seat arena to be ready for the 2014–15 season.[6]

On June 25, 2015, Hapoel won the Israeli Championship for the first time in their history, after defeating Hapoel Eilat in the Final. On June 15, 2017 the club won the Israeli Championship for the second time after defeating Maccabi Haifa in the Israeli Final.

Team management

Ownership
  • 10% – The Amuta.
  • 90% – An ownership group, headed by majority owner Ori Allon, including Eyal Chomsky, Shalom Menora, David Kleinhandler and Howard Wietschner.

The new ownership group and corporate management is considered among the most professionally diverse sports ownership groups in the world, as it includes a software developer, who sold two software companies to Google and Twitter (Allon), an American and Israeli real estate and hi-tech businessman (Menora), the CEO of Israel's leading media group (Chomsky), and a retired partner at Goldman Sachs (Wietschner).[7][8][9][10]

Staff
  • General manager: Guy Harel
  • Sporting director: Yotam Halperin
  • Head coach: Oded Kattash
  • Assistant coaches: Jonathan Alon and Ryan Pannone
  • Physiotherapists: Gadi Hadad and Yanai Barak
  • Team doctor: Dr. Jonathan (Jonty) Maresky
  • Orthopedist: Dr. Adi Fridman

Fans and arena

The Brigade

Brigade Malcha is the official ultras organization of Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. In Malha Arena, the Brigade was located behind the south side basket. At the Jerusalem Arena, the Brigade is located in stands #1 and #12. The Brigade has close connections with the team itself, and is consulted by management on instrumental decisions, such as changing the team logo, and planning events with the community.

Rivalry with Maccabi Tel Aviv

Since the founding of the club in 1943, Hapoel Jerusalem has developed a major rivalry with Tel Aviv's leading basketball club Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv. Throughout the years, many games between the two teams became a part of the 'Hall of Fame' of Israeli basketball. The rivalry between the teams is very deep and emotional. Due to its vast size, the Jerusalem Arena has brought Israel's largest basketball rivalry to a whole new level.

Malha Arena (1985–2014)
Main article: Malha Arena
Malha Arena

When Hapoel Jerusalem was founded, it initially played in a small court on Histadrut Street, in the city center, before moving to the Jerusalem International YMCA arena. In the mid-1950s, it moved to the only indoor arena in Jerusalem at that time, "the Straus Arena," in the Histadrut building, on Straus Street. Malha Arena was used as Hapoel Jerusalem's home area from 1985 to 2014. It has a seating capacity of 3,000 seats, with 2,540 seats in its lower tier, an additional 460 seats in its upper tier. Despite its small size, the arena traps in noise, and distracts the opposing team. This gives a boost to players towards the end of the game when they need it most, according to the former head coach of Hapoel Jerusalem, Oded Kattash.

Jerusalem Arena (2014–present)
The Jerusalem Arena

Former Mayor of Jerusalem, and Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert, proposed the master plan for the arena in 2004, and it took ten years to build. Though the Jerusalem Arena is less than two kilometers from the team's previous home, which was opened in 1985, it is exponentially larger. The arena features 11,000 seats, four times as many as in Goldberg Arena, and all the modern amenities expected of a modern basketball venue. The stadium has twelve corporate boxes, each listed for $100,000 dollars per season. The site was chosen far back, but the building only took place in recent years. With an eye towards what the future might bring, the arena has been built to EuroLeague standards. Playing in the EuroLeague in the next few years, is a goal that the team has publicly set for itself.[11] The Jerusalem Arena was opened in the 2014–15 season.

Sponsors

The team's main corporate sponsor is Bank Yahav. Secondary sponsors include Burgers Bar, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, and Ein Gedi Mineral Water.[12]

Current roster

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

Hapoel Jerusalem roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Age
SF 1 Sirvydis, Deividas 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) 20 – (2000-06-10)10 June 2000
G/F 5 Rosenbaum, Daniel 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 23 – (1997-02-11)11 February 1997
PG 6 Blatt, Tamir 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) 23 – (1997-05-04)4 May 1997
F/C 17 Braimoh, Suleiman 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 30 – (1989-10-19)19 October 1989
F/C 20 Zalmanson, Idan 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 25 – (1995-04-18)18 April 1995
G/F 22 Ringvald, Dvir 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 21 – (1999-07-06)6 July 1999
F/C 35 Thomas, TaShawn 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 27 – (1993-02-27)27 February 1993
PG 69 Brown, J'Covan 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 30 – (1990-02-14)14 February 1990
SG Phillip, Tarik 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 27 – (1993-08-10)10 August 1993
SF Ariel, Adam 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 25 – (1994-12-10)10 December 1994
PG Cohen Saban, Adi 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) 26 – (1993-12-11)11 December 1993
SF Hill, Malcolm 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 24 – (1995-10-26)26 October 1995
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • Jonathan Alon
  • Danijel Lutz
Athletic trainer(s)
  • Roberto Iezzi
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (IN) Inactive player
  • Injured
Updated: August 17, 2020

Depth chart
Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2
C Idan Zalmanson
PF TaShawn Thomas Suleiman Braimoh
SF Malcolm Hill Deividas Sirvydis Dvir Ringvald
SG Tarik Phillip Adam Ariel Daniel Rosenbaum
PG Tamir Blatt J'Covan Brown Adi Cohen-Saban
  • The Israeli league rule requires every team to have at least one Israeli on the court at any time.
  • There should be maximum 5 foreigners on a 12-men game sheet.

Source: basket.co.il

Notable players

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.


Head coaches

Season by season
Season Tier League Pos. Israeli Cup League Cup European competitions
1991–92 1 Premier League 5th Eightfinalist N/A 3 Korać CupEF
1992–93 4th Semifinalist 3 Korać CupPR
1993–94 3rd Semifinalist 3 Korać CupPR
1994–95 7th Semifinalist 2 Saporta CupPR
1995–96 2nd Champions
1996–97 2nd Champions 2 Saporta CupQF
1997–98 4th 1 EuroleagueRS
1998–99 2nd Runner-up 1 Saporta CupEF
1999–00 7th Runner-up 2 Saporta CupEF
2000–01 2nd Runner-up 1 EuroleagueRS
2001–02 3rd Runner-up 1 EuroleagueRS
2002–03 8th Semifinalist 3 EuroCup ChallengeGS2
2003–04 5th Runner-up 2 ULEB CupC
2004–05 5th Eightfinalist 2 ULEB CupRS
2005–06 2nd Runner-up 2 ULEB CupSF
2006–07 2nd Champions 3rd 2 ULEB CupQF
2007–08 5th Champions Runner-up 2 ULEB CupR32
2008–09 4th Semifinalist Champions 3 EuroChallengeRS
2009–10 3rd Eightfinalist Champions 2 EurocupQF
2010–11 3rd Quarterfinalist Runner-up 2 EurocupRS
2011–12 6th Eightfinalist Semifinalist 2 EurocupRS
2012–13 4th Semifinalist Semifinalist 2 EurocupRS
2013–14 3rd Eightfinalist Runner-up 2 EurocupQF
2014–15 1st Runner-up Champions 2 EurocupRS
2015–16 2nd Eightfinalist Quarterfinalist 2 EurocupR32
2016–17 1st Runner-up Champions 2 EuroCupSF
2017–18 3rd Semifinalist Quarterfinalist 2 EuroCupRS
2018–19 Semifinalist Champions Semifinalist 3 Champions LeagueQF
2019–20 Semifinalist Champions Champions 3 Champions League
2020–21 3 Champions League

Logos
Historical Club Logos and Emblems Since 1943
  • Current Logo

Honours

Total titles: 14

Domestic

Israeli Championships

State Cup

  • Winners (6): 1996, 1997, 2007, 2008, 2019, 2020
  • Runner-up (8): 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2015, 2017

League Cup

European

ULEB Cup (EuroCup)

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References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 14, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Amar'e Stoudemire May Head to Israel After Contract". The Wall Street Journal. April 15, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  3. Berman, Marc (April 14, 2014). "Amar'e may leave Knicks for Jerusalem team after 2015". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  4. "Amar'e Stoudemire joins Hapoel Jerusalem!". Hapoel.co.il. August 1, 2016. Archived from the original on August 5, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  6. Sinai, Allon (June 26, 2014). "Hapoel Jerusalem handed Euroleague qualifying berth". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  7. http://www.linkedin.com/pub/c-howard-wietschner/14/583/1b
  8. http://www.eurocupbasketball.com/eurocup/features/club-scene/i/134422/3736/the-club-scene-hapoel-jerusalem-looks-to-bright-future
  9. http://directors.dundb.co.il/Details/Company.aspx?duns=514651152
  10. http://www.amarestoudemire.com/2014/hapoel-jerusalem-looks-bright-future/
  11. Sachs, Frankie (March 21, 2014). "The Club Scene: Hapoel Jerusalem looks to bright future". Eurocup Basketball. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  12. http://www.one.co.il/Article/235302.html
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