Hapoel Jerusalem B.C.

Hapoel Jerusalem Basketball Club (Hebrew: מועדון כדורסל הפועל ירושלים), known for sponsorship reasons as Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (הפועל בנק יהב ירושלים‎), is a professional basketball club based in the City of Jerusalem, Israel, and competes in the Israeli Basketball Premier League (the top tier of Israeli basketball), the Israeli State Cup, and the Basketball Champions League. It has won several titles, including the ULEB Cup (now called EuroCup) in 2004, the Israeli Basketball Premier League championship in 2015 and 2017, and seven state Cups. In 2013, a new ownership group took over, and the club has since seen a remarkable advancement and expansion. The team began playing in the Pais Arena in 2014.

Hapoel Jerusalem
Hapoel Jerusalem logo
LeaguesIsraeli Basketball Premier League
Founded1943 (1943)
HistoryHapoel Jerusalem B.C.
(1943–present)
ArenaPais Arena
Capacity11,000
LocationJerusalem
Team colorsRed, Black, White
     
Main sponsorBank Yahav
CEOAlon Kremer
PresidentMatan Adelson
Head coachAleksandar Džikić
OwnershipMatan Adelson (90%)
Fan association (10%)
Championships2 Israeli Championship
1 EuroCup
7 Israeli State Cups
6 Israeli League Cups
Websitehapoel.co.il

History
Amar'e Stoudemire
Adam Ariel
Levi Randolph

Hapoel Jerusalem Basketball Club was founded in 1935, and incorporated in 1943.[1][2] It made its first appearance in the Israeli Basketball Premier League in 1955. Hapoel Jerusalem played in the first division most of the 1950s and 1960s, with notable players such as David Kaminsky. The following two decades had ups and downs, as Hapoel Jerusalem 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.[1] Since then, Hapoel Jerusalem has remained in the Premier League.[1] In 1996 and 1997, Hapoel Jerusalem won the Israeli Basketball State Cup, defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv in the finals, at the Yad Eliyahu Arena.[1] The team was led by Adi Gordon.[1]

In 2004, Hapoel Jerusalem won its first European title, the ULEB Cup (EuroCup), defeating Real Madrid in the final in Charleroi, Belgium.[3][4]

In 2005, Israeli-Russian billionaire Arcadi Gaydamak purchased a large stake in the club.[1] As a result, the team became stronger and signed four American players with NBA records – Tamar Slay, Horace Jenkins, Roger Mason, and Mario Austin, as well as Israeli star Meir Tapiro.[1]

In 2007, Hapoel Jerusalem won its third Israel State Cup, defeating Bnei HaSharon.[1] In early 2008 Hapoel Jerusalem came back from being 22 points down in the 4th quarter, to win its fourth State Cup, beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 93–89.[4][1] In late 2008 it won its first Israeli Basketball League Cup, beating Ironi Nahariya.[1]

In September 2009, oil tycoon Guma Aguiar became the team's sponsor and helped pay debts left by Gaydamak.[1] On October 8, 2009, Hapoel Jerusalem beat Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Winner Cup finals, winning the club's second cup in a row.[1]

One year after the mysterious disappearance of Guma Aguiar, in 2013 a new ownership group headed by entrepreneur Ori Allon took over.[1] Guy Harel succeeded Dani Klein as general manager.[1]

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 Jerusalem after his contract with the New York Knicks expired at the end of the 2014–15 NBA season.[5][6] Stoudemire decided to retire from the NBA in July 2016.[1]

Amar'e Stoudemire signed a two-year contract with Hapoel Jerusalem on August 1, 2016.[7][8] In his first season with the team he helped it win the Israeli Basketball League Cup, defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv.[8]

On June 20, 2014, the club signed coach Danny Franco.[1] That same day, the club also signed season MVP Donta Smith.[9] On June 25, 2014, the executive board of Euroleague Commercial Assets agreed to give Hapoel Jerusalem a wild card to compete for a spot in the EuroLeague qualifications.[10]

On June 25, 2015, Hapoel Jerusalem won the Israeli Basketball Premier League Championship for the first time in their history, defeating Hapoel Eilat in the Final.[1] On June 15, 2017, the club won the Israeli Championship for the second time, defeating Maccabi Haifa in the Israeli Final.[1][11]

Team management

Ownership
  • 90% – United StatesIsrael Matan Adelson
  • 10% – Fan association

Staff
Yotam Halperin
  • Head coach: Serbia Alexander Dzikic
  • 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 Pais 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 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 Pais 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. With 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.

Pais Arena (2014–present)
Main article: Pais Arena
Pais 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 Pais 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 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.[12] The Pais Arena was opened in the 2014–15 season.

Sponsors

The team's main corporate sponsor is Bank Yahav. Secondary sponsors include Givova, Prima hotels.[13]

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
G 3 Trinidad and Tobago United States Carrington, Khadeen 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 28 – (1995-10-03)3 October 1995
SF 4 United States Johnson, Chris 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 33 – (1990-04-29)29 April 1990
F/C 5 Senegal Ndour, Maurice 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 31 – (1992-06-18)18 June 1992
G 11 United States Jamaica Lemar, Brynton 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 28 – (1995-01-23)23 January 1995
G 14 Israel Dovrat, Noam Injured 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) 21 – (2002-07-16)16 July 2002
G/F 20 United States Randolph, Levi 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 31 – (1992-10-03)3 October 1992
SG 23 Israel Amsalem, Afek 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 19 – (2004-09-23)23 September 2004
F 24 Israel Blayzer, Oz 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 30 – (1992-12-29)29 December 1992
C 33 Israel Chachashvili, Gabriel 2.10 m (6 ft 11 in) 23 – (1999-12-08)8 December 1999
C 35 United States Hankins, Zach 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) 27 – (1996-07-27)27 July 1996
PG 44 United States Smith, Speedy 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 30 – (1993-01-28)28 January 1993
G 45 Israel Poleg, Eylon 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 18 – (2005-09-26)26 September 2005
G/F 50 Israel Zoosman, Yovel 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 25 – (1998-05-12)12 May 1998
G/F 80 Israel Cornelius, Or 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 27 – (1996-09-26)26 September 1996
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • Greece Theodoros Giannakopoulos
  • Israel Shai Oleartchik
Athletic trainer(s)
  • Serbia Philippe Mihailovich
Team manager
  • Israel Yonatan Alon
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (IN) Inactive player
  • Injured Injured
Updated: August 13, 2023

Depth chart
Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2
C Zach Hankins Gabriel Chachashvili
PF Maurice Ndour Chris Johnson Oz Blayzer
SF Levi Randolph Yovel Zoosman
SG Or Cornelius Khadeen Carrington Eylon Poleg
PG Speedy Smith Brynton Lemar Noam Dovrat Injured
  • The Israeli league rule requires every team to have at least one Israeli on the court at any time.
  • There should be maximum 5 non-Israeli players 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.

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.

Head coaches
Brad Greenberg

Season by season
Season Tier League Pos. Israeli Cup League Cup European competitions
1991–92 1 Premier League 5th Eightfinalist — 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-up3rd 1 Saporta CupEF
1999–00 7th Runner-up 2 Saporta CupEF
2000–01 2nd Runner-up 1 EuroleagueRS
2001–02 3rd Runner-up 2 Saporta CupSF
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 LeagueQF
2020–21 Quarterfinalist Semifinalist Semifinalist 3 Champions LeagueRS
R Balkan LeagueRS
2021–22 Semifinalist Quarterfinalist Semifinalist 2 Champions LeaguePlay-ins
2022–23 Semifinalist Champions Semifinalist 2 Champions LeagueRunner-up

Logos
  • Historical Club Logos and Emblems Since 1943
  • Current Logo
    Current Logo

Honors

Total titles: 15

Domestic

Israeli Championships

State Cup

  • Winners (7): 1996, 1997, 2007, 2008, 2019, 2020, 2023
  • Runner-up (8): 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2015, 2017

League Cup

European
Winners (1): 2003–04
Semifinalist (2): 2005–06, 2016–17
Runner-up (1): 2022–23
Semifinalist (1): 2001–02

References
  1. "Hapoel Jerusalem BC". TheSportsDB.com.
  2. "Basketball – Hapoel Jerusalem (Israel): palmares, results and name". www.the-sports.org.
  3. "2003-04 - Welcome to Eurocup". Archived from the original on April 14, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  4. "2008–09 Club Profile: Hapoel Jerusalem". 7DAYS EuroCup.
  5. "Amar'e Stoudemire May Head to Israel After Contract". The Wall Street Journal. April 15, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  6. Berman, Marc (April 14, 2014). "Amar'e may leave Knicks for Jerusalem team after 2015". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  7. "Amar'e Stoudemire joins Hapoel Jerusalem!". Hapoel.co.il. August 1, 2016. Archived from the original on August 5, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  8. "Hapoel Jerusalem". Amar'e Stoudemire.
  9. "Rebuilding in full-swing at Hap J'lem; Franco, Smith incoming". The Jerusalem Post.
  10. Sinai, Allon (June 26, 2014). "Hapoel Jerusalem handed Euroleague qualifying berth". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  11. "Basketball News, Scores, Stats, Analysis, Standings". Eurobasket LLC.
  12. Sachs, Frankie (March 21, 2014). "The Club Scene: Hapoel Jerusalem looks to bright future". Eurocup Basketball. Archived from the original on March 24, 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  13. "כ.א.ל במו"מ מתקדם לאימוץ הפועל ירושלים". כ.א.ל במו"מ מתקדם לאימוץ הפועל ירושלים. June 20, 2014.
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