History 1953–present Team colors Green, White Team manager Ido Kozikaro Arena Romema Arena Founded 1953 | Arena Capacity 5,000 President Jeff Rosen Head coach Offer Rahimi Location Haifa, Israel Championships 1 | |
 | ||
Leagues Israeli Basketball Premier League, Israeli Basketball State Cup Profiles | ||
Maccabi Haifa Basketball Club (Hebrew: מכבי חיפה) is a professional Israeli basketball club that belongs to the Maccabi Haifa association. They play in Ligat HaAl, the top division of Israeli basketball. The club won their first championship in 2013, beating perennial champions Maccabi Tel Aviv in the final Game.
Contents
History
Maccabi Haifa is one of the oldest basketball teams in Israel and is one of the original eight teams that formed the top division in 1953. In 1971 and 1985, the club qualified for the State Cup finals losing to Maccabi Tel Aviv in both years.
The club was relegated to the second division in 1993, and dropped into the third tier in 1995. They returned to the top tier, Ligat HaAl, in 1999. Despite their recent success, in 2000, Haifa mayor Amram Mitzna merged the club with Hapoel Haifa to form BC Haifa.
Although the club qualified for the playoffs twice, they began to experience financial difficulties. Upon relegation the club folded and sold its rights to Bnei HaSharon. In 2004 Maccabi Haifa officials changed the name of the second team under its control, Maccabi Bat Galim, to Maccabi Haifa in an effort to restore the club's glory days.
The following season, the club was promoted to the northern division. In 2007 they were promoted to Liga Leumit under the leadership of the coach Tobi Slilat. After the club was promoted, Avi Ashkenazi (who had coached the team in 1995) was reappointed.
2007—08 season
Prior to the 2007-08 season, in July 2007, the team was purchased by Jeffrey Rosen.
Rosen pledged that the club would be promoted to Ligat HaAl in his first year of ownership. In order to accomplish this, Deon Thomas, a former player at Maccabi Tel Aviv, was signed to play for the club. Additionally Rosen changed the team changed its name to Maccabi Haifa Heat from Maccabi Bat Galim.
In the 2007–08 season they finished in fourth place in Liga Leumit, and earned promotion after winning the best-of-five semi-finals 3–1 against first seed Maccabi Elitzur Netanya.
2008—09 season
The 2008–09 Israeli Basketball Super League season marked the first year in which the Maccabi Haifa Heat played in the Israeli Premier League's top division under American owner Jeff Rosen. Prior to entering their 2008–09 season Maccabi Haifa had not played in the league's top division (also known as "The Super League") since 1999. Before the season began the team signed a multitude of talent to its roster which immediately took notice from around the league.
Notable pre-season signings included:
On 26 October 2008, Maccabi Haifa started its season winning its first 3 games by an average margin score of 21 points per game and won 7 of its first 9 games before running into its rival Maccabi Tel Aviv in an 80–68 loss. Led by team captain Doron Perkins the team finished the season in 3rd place with a 14–8 record, reaching the Israeli League playoffs in the team's first year back in the Premier League.
In the first round of the playoffs, Haifa defeated Bnei HaSharon in four games, 66–69, 75–71, 74–61 and 87–68. In the [Semi Finals|2008–09 Israeli Final Four] Haifa defeated Hapoel Jerusalem 98-93. In the finals, Haifa lost to Maccabi Tel Aviv 85-72.
2009—10 season
On 5 August 2009, before the 2009–10 Israeli Basketball Super League season, the club announced that it would be changing its name from Maccabi Haifa Heat, to just being Maccabi Haifa. The decision to drop the "Heat" from its name due to possible confusion with NBA franchise Miami Heat.
On 23 August the club signed the young high school phenom Jeremy Tyler from San Diego High School.
The club finished the regular season at 4th place with a 14-8 record. They were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the 5th seed Elitzur Maccabi Netanya, in four games, 76–88, 75–73, 75–77 and 71–75.
2010—11 season
During the 2010–11 Israeli Basketball Super League Haifa won a place in the Eurochallenge by beating the French team Paris. The club played an historic game against the NBA New Jersey Nets in front of 5,174 fans at the Prudential Center. Haifa trailed 56–43 at the break, but lost 108–70.
The 2010-11 Season was the first of two seasons under head coach Miki Gorka. Haifa finished the season in 9th place with a record of 8-19 and did not qualify for the playoffs.
2011–12 season
Mickey Gorka who finished the 2010-11 season with 6 home wins in a row signed with the team as head coach for the, 2011–12 Israeli Basketball Super League season, his second season, alongside his assistant Offer Rachimi. Sylven Landesberg, Tyler Wilkerson, Avi Ben Chimol and Jermaine Jackson also returned from last season and the team signed ex N.B.A players Sean Williams and Qyntel Woods. The team would be the tallest team on average in the league – 6-foot-5 (1.98 Meters) and one of the youngest – 24.5 years-old. In November 2011, the team acquired a new main sponsor, the Oil Refineries LTD.(BAZAN) and is now called Maccabi Bazan Haifa.
Haifa finished the season final and 11th place with a record of 5-19.
2012—13 season
The 2012–13 Israeli Basketball Super League season was the first every championship for Maccabi Haifa, and their first season under head coach Brad Greenberg. Haifa star, Gal Mekel, was also named the MVP of the season.
Haifa was able to finish the season with a 17-10 record, which was good enough for second place. In the quarter finals, Haifa beat Hapoel Gilboa Galil in three straight games, 87-85, 93-81 and 93-87. Then in the semi finals they Hapoel Eilat in 5 games, 87-75, 105-84, 75-78 (OT), 72-82 and 71-68.
Haifa was able to win the 2012–13 Israeli Basketball Super League Final championship, on their home court, the Romema Arena in Haifa, on 13 July 2013. They defeated the prior year champions, Maccabi Tel Aviv. Maccabi Haifa was able to win their first ever title after a 86-79 victory.
2013—14 season
During the 2013–14 Israeli Basketball Super League season, for the second consecutive season, Macabbi Haifa made it to the finals, again against Maccabi Tel Aviv. For the first time in league history the finals would be a two-game, split home and home series, with the total cumulative score determining the champion.
Maccabi Haifa lost game, at home, by a score of 77-81. Due to the new format, Haifa would need to win the second game by 5 points in order to win the championship. Game two was played in the Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv and at the end of regulation they were winning by 4 points, which was a cumulative tie, sending the game into over time. Although Haifa won the game by 2 points, 84-82, they lost the series in cumulative total score 161-163.
Donta Smith was named the league's Most Valuable Player.
2014—15 season
Maccabi Haifa finished the 2014–15 Israeli Basketball Super League season with a 17-16 record, putting them in a five way tie, for third place, in terms of record. Due to point differential however, they finished in fifth place.
In the first round of the playoffs, Haifa played Hapoel Eilat, however they lost three games to two. This ended their season, and a streak of two straight seasons of competing in the finals.