By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
It was almost a done deal even before the Loto league final four started. Maccabi Tel Aviv destroyed in the semifinal Hapoel Holon (102-73) and in the final beat easily Maccabi Ashdod, the team that finished the regular season in the sixth place, 83-63.
That was championship number 50 in Israel for the dynasty that is also called the “team of the people” and as it usual in such celebration the news came after the game. As Maccabi Tel Aviv owner David Federman confirmed in live television at Sport5.co.il the signing of Georgian center Giorgi Shermadini from the Italian team Cantu is done.
There are also ongoing negotiations with Aleks Maric of Panathinaikos, who is a free agent in the summer, and with former Maccabi guards Yotam Halperin (Spartak St.Petersbourg) and Doron Perkins (Cantu). Federman also said that they would love to have Sarunas Jasikevicius of Panathinaikos back.
It was also confirmed that Maccabi Tel Aviv will not play next season in Adriatic League. As Federman admitted: “ We lost money playing the Adriatic League. Of course we didn’t expect that”.