By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
The Israeli’s league Final Four starts on Tuesday with a great absence. In the court there will be fans only by three (Hapoel Holon, Maccabi Ashdod and Maccabi Rishon) of the four teams which take part. The big favorite for the championship, Maccabi Tel Aviv will not have fans on their side because of the boycott that declared against the competition system of the championship.
The dominance of Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israeli basketball is absolute for decadesand the federation decided on 2006 to change the format of the playoffs by establishing final four instead of best of five series after the quarterfinals in order to give other teams the chance to upset Maccabi in a knock out game.
Indeed, in 2008 Hapoel Holon and in 2010 Galil Gilboa won the final against Maccabi Tel Aviv “breaking” its… dictatorship. The previous two times Maccabi had lost the championship was in 1993 and 1969!
The management and players of Maccabi since then are complaining about the format of the playoffs asking to establish again best of five series. Lior Eliyahu said: “I understand our fans. They are right. The final four is not held anywhere else in the world”. So, Doron Jamchy, coach Zvi Sherf and other past members of the team will gather with the fans in an other gym of Tel Aviv and watch the games in a giant screen.
Shortly before the fight for the last title of the season, Maccabi wanted to put an end to speculation about coach David Blatt and announced the renewal of his contract for the next two years. Also, although the season is not over yet, the rumors for the next year’s team are starting to transform in facts. Apart from center Georgi Shermadini, Maccabi seems to have almost agreed with two players of Panathinaikos, David Logan and Alex Maric.