Israel national basketball team

EuroBasket 1953

Israel made their European championship tournament debut in the EuroBasket 1953 in Moscow, coming within a tie-breaker of taking the silver medal.

In the preliminary round, the Israeli squad won their group by tie-breaker after being one of three teams to finish with a 3–1 record. They advanced to the final round, managing to defeat perennial power Czechoslovakia and taking revenge on Yugoslavia for their preliminary round loss. Their record in the final round was 4–3, putting them in a 4-way tie for second place behind the undefeated Soviet Union. Israel came out on the bottom of that tie-breaker, finishing in 5th place of the 17 teams.

Israel's overall record of 7 wins and 4 losses included two wins by forfeit over Lebanon (in the preliminary round) and Egypt (in the final round), each of which had refused to play against Israel.

Later years

In the following years, the squad emerged as a serious competitor that, at times, even challenged the world elite teams. Its major accomplishments remain its silver medal at the EuroBasket 1979 and its qualifications to the Basketball World Cup and the Summer Olympics. Israel's basketball program was especially honored when FIBA awarded the country hosting rights for preliminary round games of the official EuroBasket 2017.

Current roster

Roster for the EuroBasket 2015.

Head coach position

Past rosters

1952 Olympic Games: finished 20th among 23 teams

Avraham Schneor, Zachariah Ofri, Menachem Korman, Ralph Klein, Simon Schmukler, Reuven Fecher, Marcel Hefez, Daniel Levy, Alfred Cohen, Yehuda Wiener-Gafni, Dan Erez, Amos Lin, Eliahu Amiel (Coach: Jacob Saltiel)

Israel at the EuroBasket 1953: finished 5th among 17 teams

Ralph Klein, Avraham Schneor, Zachariah Ofri, Daniel Levy, Menachem Korman, Alfred Cohen, David Heiblum, Simon Schmukler, Ernst Winer, Marcel Hefez, Mark Mimran, Haim Boksenbaum, Reuven Fecher (Coach: Jacob Saltiel)

1954 World Championship: finished 19th among 2 teams

Avraham Schneor, Zachariah Ofri, Daniel Moshe, Reuven Fecher, Alfred Cohen, Tavil Israel, Simon Shelah, Yehuda Gafni, Rafael Ram, Marcel Hefez, Azriel Luboshitz, Dan Erez (Coach: Jacob Saltiel)

1959 EuroBasket:' finished 11th among 17 teams

Ralph Klein, Avraham Schneor, Albert Hemmo, Haim Kastan, Amos Lin, David Tari, Jacob Edelist, Igal Volodarsky, David Kaminsky, Haim Hazan, Erez Lustig, Shabetai Ben-Bassat (Coach: Eli Amtel)

1961 EuroBasket: finished 11th among 19 teams

Tanhum Cohen-Mintz, Ralph Klein, Abraham Hoffman, Albert Hemmo, Haim Hazan, Erez Lustig, David Kaminsky, Ami Shelef, Offer Eshed, David Tari, Hanoch Barkon, Igal Volodarsky (Coach: Yehoshua Rozin)

1963 EuroBasket: finished 9th among 16 teams

Tanhum Cohen-Mintz, Ralph Klein, Offer Eshed, Ami Shelef, Zvi Lubezki, Albert Hemmo, Abraham Gutt, Igal Volodarsky, Shlomo Ben-Zeev, Abraham Hoffman, Haim Hazan, Ilan Zeiger (Coach: Yehoshua Rozin)

1965 EuroBasket: finished 6th among 16 teams

Tanhum Cohen-Mintz, Ralph Klein, Offer Eshed, Ami Shelef, Zvi Lubezki, Albert Hemmo, Abraham Gutt, Igal Volodarsky, Shlomo Ben-Zeev, Abraham Hoffman, Haim Hazan, Ilan Zeiger (Coach: Shimon Shelah)

1966 Asian Games: finished 1st among 11 teams

Amnon Avidan, Tanhum Cohen-Mintz, Igal Dar, Gershon Dekel, Offer Eshed, Abraham Gutt, David Kaminsky, Zvi Lubezki, Itshak Shachar, Ami Shelef, Haim Starkman, Ilan Zohar (Coach: Shimon Shelah)

1967 EuroBasket: finished 8th among 16 teams

Tanhum Cohen-Mintz, Offer Eshed, Gabi Teichner, Willie Wold, Shamuel Avishar, Igal Dar, Abraham Gutt, Gershon Dekel, David Kaminsky, Abraham Hoffman, Haim Starkman, Ilan Zohar (Coach: Shimon Shelah)

1969 EuroBasket: finished 11th among 12 teams

Gabi Neumark, Gabi Teichner, Offer Eshed, Ivan Leshinsky, Giora Dori, Haim Baram, Mark Turenshine, Gershon Dekel, David Kaminsky, Itamar Marzel, Haim Starkman, Ilan Zohar (Coach: Shimon Shelah)

1970 Asian Games: finished 2nd among 12 teams

Dan Barzily, Tanhum Cohen-Mintz, Hillel Gilboa, Ronald Green, Hanan Keren, Ivan Leshinsky, Itamar Marzel, Gabi Neumark, Mike Schwartz, Haim Starkman, Gabi Teichner, Mark Turenshine (Coach: Shimon Shelah)

1971 EuroBasket: finished 11th among 12 teams

Tal Brody, Hanan Keren, Mike Schwartz, Haim Starkman, Gabi Teichner, Boaz Yanai, Mark Turenshine, Zvi Inbar, Dan Barzily, Itamar Marzel, Abraham Zuchman, Joseph Leja (Coach: Shimon Shelah)

1973 EuroBasket: finished 7th among 12 teams

Tal Brody, Mickey Berkowitz, Gabi Neumark, Hanan Keren, Jonathan Zacks, Shamuel Avishar, Gur Ben-David, Barry Leibowitz, Zvi Inbar, Itamar Marzel, Jacob Eisner, Boaz Yanai (Coach: Abraham Hemo)

1974 Asian Games: finished 1st among 11 teams

Motti Aroesti, Shamuel Avishar, Mickey Berkowitz, Tal Brody, Jacob Eisner, Hanan Keren, Itamar Marzel, Avigdor Moskowitz, Shamuel Nachmias, Shuki Schwartz, Boaz Yanai, Shmaryahu Zaslevsky (Coach: Abraham Hemo)

1975 EuroBasket: finished 7th among 12 teams

Mickey Berkowitz, Tal Brody, Motti Aroesti, Shuki Schwartz, Hanan Keren, Shlomo Blum, Shamuel Nachmias, Barry Leibowitz, Avigdor Moskowitz, Itamar Marzel, Jonathan Zacks, Boaz Yanai (Coach: Abraham Hemo)

1977 EuroBasket: finished 5th among 12 teams

Mickey Berkowitz, Shuki Schwartz, Hanan Keren, Barry Leibowitz, Shamuel Nachmias, Aor Goren, Pinhas Hozez, Avigdor Moskowitz, Steve Kaplan, Itamar Marzel, Boaz Yanai, Rothschild (Coach: Ralph Klein)

1979 EuroBasket: finished 2nd among 12 teams

Mickey Berkowitz, Lou Silver, Motti Aroesti, Shuki Schwartz, Eric Menkin, Steve Kaplan, Boaz Yanai, Avigdor Moskowitz, Barry Leibowitz, Pinhas Hozez, Uri Ben-Ari, Shai Sharf (Coach: Ralph Klein)

1981 EuroBasket: finished 6th among 12 teams

Mickey Berkowitz, Lou Silver, Doron Jamchi, Jim Boatwright, John Willis, Haim Zlotikman, Gal Knaz, Steve Schlachter, Barry Leibowitz, Avigdor Moskowitz, Boaz Yanai, Pinhas Hozez (Coach: Ralph Klein)

1983 EuroBasket: finished 6th among 12 teams

Mickey Berkowitz, Doron Jamchi, Lou Silver, Motti Aroesti, Howard Lassof, Israel Elimelech, Steve Schlachter, Haim Zlotikman, Shmulik Zisman, Ofer Yaakobi, Niv Bugin, John Willis (Coach: Ralph Klein)

1985 EuroBasket: finished 9th among 12 teams

Doron Jamchi, Mickey Berkowitz, Motti Aroesti, Chen Lippin, Motti Daniel, Shmulik Zisman, Amir Bino, Ofer Yaakobi, Steve Schlachter, Haim Zlotikman, Pinhas Hozez, John Willis (Coach: Zvi Sherf)

1986 World Championship: finished 7th among 24 teams

Doron Jamchi, Mickey Berkowitz, Howard Lassof, Motti Daniel, Chen Lippin, Adi Gordon, Nir Rechlis, Ari Rosenberg, Doron Shefa, Larry Bird-Curtis, Tomer Steinhauer, Ofer Yaakobi (Coach: Zvi Sherf)

1987 EuroBasket: finished 11th among 12 teams

Doron Jamchi, Howard Lassof, Motti Daniel, Adi Gordon, Chen Lippin, Nadav Henefeld, Ofer Fleisher, Ari Rosenberg, Doron Shefa, Larry Bird-Curtis, Tomer Steinhauer, Ishak Cohen (Coach: Zvi Sherf)

1993 EuroBasket: finished 14th among 16 teams

Doron Sheffer, Nadav Henefeld, Doron Jamchi, Motti Daniel, Adi Gordon, Ofer Fleisher, Israel Elimelech, Desi Barmore, Shimon Amsalem, Tomer Steinhauer, Amir Katz, Lior Arditty (Coach: Zvi Sherf)

1995 EuroBasket: finished 10th among 14 teams

Doron Sheffer, Doron Jamchy, Nadav Henefeld, Brad Leaf, Motti Daniel, Guy Goodes, Adi Gordon, Ofer Fleisher, Dror Cohen, Amir Muchtary, Lior Arditty, Kobi Balul (Coach: Zvi Sherf)

1997 EuroBasket: finished 9th among 16 teams

Oded Kattash, Doron Sheffer, Nadav Henefeld, Shalom "Puppy" Turgeman, Gur Shelef,Tomer Steinhauer, Lior Arditty, Amir Muchtary, David Bernsley, Oren Aharoni, Uri Cohen-Mintz, Ofer Fleisher (Coach: Zvi Sherf)

1999 EuroBasket: finished 12th among 16 teams

Oded Kattash, Doron Sheffer, Nadav Henefeld, Motti Daniel, Guy Goodes, Shalom "Puppy" Turgeman, Shimon Amsalem, Meir Tapiro, Gur Shelef, Uri Cohen-Mintz, Tomer Steinhauer, Yoav Saffar (Coach: Muli Katzurin)

2001 EuroBasket: finished 12th among 16 teams

Derrick Sharp, Meir Tapiro, Shalom "Puppy" Turgeman, Yaniv Green, Lior Lubin, Israel Sheinfeld, Shahar Gordon, Ido Kozikaro, Afik Nissim, Yoav Saffar, Barak Peleg, Moshe Mizrahi (Coach: Muli Katzurin)

2003 EuroBasket: finished 7th among 16 teams

Tal Burstein, Meir Tapiro, Derrick Sharp, Gur Shelef, Yaniv Green, Yotam Halperin, Erez Katz, Moshe Mizrahi, Israel Sheinfeld, Yoav Saffar, Ido Kozikaro, Shahar Gordon (Coach: Muli Katzurin)

2005 EuroBasket: finished 11th among 16 teams

Tal Burstein, Meir Tapiro, Chris Watson, Dror Hagag, Sharon Shason, Gur Shelef, Yaniv Green, Yotam Halperin, Afik Nissim, Erez Markovich, Moshe Mizrahi, Ido Kozikaro (Coach: Zvi Sherf)

2007 EuroBasket: finished 11th among 16 teams

Lior Eliyahu, Meir Tapiro, Dror Hagag, Yotam Halperin, Yaniv Green, Jeron Roberts, Amit Tamir, Erez Markovich, Ido Kozikaro, Matan Naor, Moran Roth, Guy Pnini (Coach: Zvi Sherf)

2009 Eurobasket: finished 14th among 16 teams

Moran Roth, Yuval Naimi, Gal Mekel, Raviv Limonad, Guy Pnini, Yotam Halperin, Tal Burstein, Lior Eliyahu, Moshe Mizrahi, Ido Kozikaro, Yaniv Green, Amit Tamir (Coach: Zvi Sherf)

2011 Eurobasket: finished 13th among 24 teams

Yogev Ohayon, Afik Nissim, Yuval Naimi, David Blu, Guy Pnini, Gal Mekel, Tal Burstein, Lior Eliyahu, Yotam Halperin, Elishay Kadir, Yaniv Green, Uri Kokia (Coach: Arik Shivek)

2013 Eurobasket: finished 21st among 24 teams

Yogev Ohayon, Afik Nissim, Nitzan Hanochi, Alex Tyus, Guy Pnini, Lior Eliyahu, Omri Casspi, Yotam Halperin, Elishay Kadir, Yaniv Green, Raviv Limonad, Ido Kozikaro (Coach:Arik Shivek)

2015 Eurobasket: finished 10th among 24 teams

Yogev Ohayon, Lior Eliyahu, Omri Casspi, Elishay Kadir, Yaniv Green, Raviv Limonad, Gal Mekel, D'or Fischer, Bar Timor, Robert Rothbart, Shawn Dawson, Dagan Yivzori (Coach:Erez Edelstein)

Manufacturer

2015: Peak