By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Yaniv Green one of the best Israelis big guys during the last decades has announced his retirement from basketball after career of 18 years.
“After doing a lot of thinking I had to accept what seemed to be the inevitable and because of that I have decided to retire from basketball. Basketball has always been a central part of my life, I played the game that I love so much since I was a child, I loved every part of my career my teammates, the practices, the trips, but most of all I loved the game and winning.
Thanks to basketball I was fortunate enough to experience things that only a few get to experience and I’m grateful for that. I want to thank everyone who took part in this amazing journey- my coaches, my teammates the medical staffs the teams I’ve played for but especially the fans for whom I played.
A year and a half ago, I experienced a severe injury. I went through a long rehabilitation, I did quite a few attempts to return but unfortunately I had to retire definitively.
I felt that I had more basketball inside me, but unfortunately the injury does not allow me to continue to engage the game I love so much.
I am happy and proud that my last official game was with the Israeli national team, where I became the record appearances player, and now I will be the number one fan of the national team and I will be forever available at their disposal.”
A Euroleague champion with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2005, Green began playing professional basketball at Bnei Herzliya, in 1998. Apart from Maccabi Tel Aviv (which he was a part from 2004 to 2007 and from 2008 to 2011), he has also played for Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem, among other clubs.
Green owns the record for most games played with the Israeli National team, having worn his country’s jersey in 190 official matches. In Eurobasket 2007 he was the top rebounder of the competition.
Announcement translation by Moshe Barda (@MosesB1)