Still on the map

As a child, I remember watching Michael Jordan in action. The way that man moved on the court, very few can manage to turn their craft into an art, but he could. The times I could catch a glimpse of him were exceedingly rare. The Dutch equivalent of Sports Center was not really interested in carrying a lot of basketball. Despite Rik Smits doing a great job in Indiana, the Netherlands did not seem interested in covering his exploits. Even Francisco Elson becoming the first Dutchman to win an NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs did not change this. No, the Netherlands never truly warmed to this North American treasure, but wearing NBA jerseys has become fashionable among the younger generation – I guess it is better than nothing. So, apart from the occasional game recap and collecting Upper Deck trading cards, there was no other way for me to keep abreast of the NBA’s finest. And though I dreamt for a few seconds of one day soaring like MJ, I realized rather quickly that I would be much better at watching basketball safely on the couch, my incredible athletic ability notwithstanding.

In Israel, basketball is a much bigger thing. The most successful club, Maccabi Tel Aviv, has won several European championships, the first one in 1977 by beating Italian side Mobilgirgi Varese. But supporting Maccabi Tel Aviv does not mean that we cannot cheer for other Israeli teams, once they have the opportunity to achieve international greatness. Throughout the years I have seen Hapoel Jerusalem win and lose international championships. And last night it was Hapoel Tel Aviv’s turn.

Hapoel’s run has been impressive this season and management is determined to succeed. A combination of great players, such as Johnathan Motley, Antonio Blakeney, and Yam Madar led by a successful coach by the name of Dimitris Itoudis. It even managed to surprise by signing Patrick Beverley who, equally surprising, departed too soon. When it started its European campaign in the EuroCup competition, it knew that winning the championship would grant it access to Europe’s highest level next season: the EuroLeague. Last night that mission was completed.

The war, of course, looms large. In the finals, Hapoel had to play their Spanish opponents Gran Canaria in a best-of-three series. Its first game was played on Tuesday in front of a crowd of several thousand Hapoel fans. But not in Israel, it had to be played in Bulgaria’s Samokov Arena, as Israeli basketball and football teams – my apologies, I simply cannot use the word “soccer” – are not allowed to play their home games in Israel, due to security concerns. It won its first game comfortably and last night had the opportunity to seal the deal. Playing in Gran Canaria, only 100 tickets had been sold to Hapoel fans, apparently, but that did not stop them from making a lot of noise. In addition, there was a nice pro-Palestinian welcoming committee waiting for the representatives of the Israeli coastal city. It was seemingly peaceful and not surprising, but they should cherish their democratic freedom to protest, as Gazans do not receive the same courtesy from Hamas.

From the tip-off, Hapoel was visibly eager, determined to win. It took an early lead by passing the ball around quickly and making stunning plays, by making clever assists, solid three-pointers, and a few impossible shots and great dunks – boom shaka laka-worthy, to say the least. Starting from the second quarter, Gran Canaria tried to catch up and came close a few times throughout the rest of the game – causing me to shout and curse in Hebrew and Dutch, naturally. Each time the Spanish audience became hopeful, screaming “olé,” and “vamos,” yet each time Hapoel would pull away again. As hard as they tried, they simply could not stop Madar, Motley, and Blakeney, who took charge and gave a show for all to remember. By the fourth quarter, Gran Canaria’s resolve seemed finally broken, only to re-emerge for one final, desperate push. However, the Spanish hosts never managed to take the lead, from start to finish Hapoel was the director of this clash and ended up winning. It ended as I hoped it would: Hapoel winning a European championship, no need for a final third game and, next season, two Israeli teams will play in the EuroLeague. A historic achievement.

Sports has the ability to bring people together and last night it did exactly that. It brought joy, obviously, to Hapoel Tel Aviv’s fans. This team, an amalgam of Israeli, American, and Brazilian players led by a Greek coach, has done something amazing. In addition, it briefly suspended rivalries with Israeli teams, as fans from across the country congratulated Hapoel for bringing Israel success. And while the greatest Pesach gift to the Israeli people would have been the release of the last group of hostages and an end to the war – something that still has not happened, unfortunately – this victory could bring all of Israel a little panacea for the pain.

Through this victory, Hapoel will join Maccabi Tel Aviv next season in the EuroLeague. It has made its fans proud, it has made Tel Aviv proud, and it has even made Israel proud. The rivalry between Hapoel and Maccabi will be as intense as ever but, more importantly, Hapoel proved that Tal Brody’s quote still applies, after defeating CSKA Moscow in 1977:

We are on the map! And we are staying on the map – not only in sports, but in everything.