Israel national basketball team

Infobox national basketball team
country=Israel
country_alt=ישראל
color1=3344ee
color2=ffffff
joined_fiba=1939
logo=Igud_bball.jpg
fiba_zone=FIBA Europe
national_fed=איגוד הכדורסל בישראל (Israel Basketball Association)
coach=Zvi Sherf
oly_appearances=1 (1952)
wc_appearances=2 (1954, 1986)
zone_championship=Eurobasket
zone_appearances=24 (1953, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007)
zone_medals="Silver": 1979
h_pattern_b=_bluesidestripecollar
a_body=3344ee
a_shorts=3344ee
a_pattern_b=_whitestripessides
fiba_ranking=25^th

The Israel national basketball team is the basketball team that represents Israel in (men's) international competition.

The Israeli team has participated 23 times in the European championship tournament. Their best achievements were a silver medal in Eurobasket 1979, and 5th place in 1953 and 1977. Israel finished equal 9th at Eurobasket 2007, and is currently ranked 23th in the world by FIBA, and 12th in Europe ("November 2007") [ [http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/even/rank/p/openNodeIDs/999/selNodeID/999/rankMen.html FIBA World Rankings] ] .

Roster as at September 11th 2008

Participation in FIBA competitions

=European Championships=

*1935–1949 - Pre-state Israel, "Did not qualify"
*1951 - "n.a."
*1953 - 5
*1955–1957 - "withdrew"
*1959 - 11
*1961 - 11
*1963 - 9
*1965 - 6
*1967 - 8
*1969 - 11
*1971 - 11
*1973 - 7
*1975 - 7
*1977 - 5
*1979 - 2
*1981 - 6
*1983 - 6
*1985 - 9
*1987 - 11
*1989–1991 - "Did not qualify"
*1993 - 15
*1995 - 9
*1997 - 9
*1999 - 9
*2001 - 10
*2003 - 7
*2005 - 9-12
*2007 - 9-12
*2009 - Qualified

FIBA World Championships

*1954 - 8
*1986 - 7

=Olympic Games=

*1936–1948 - "Did not participate"
*1952 - 17-23
*1956 [was intended to to participate but Did Not do to the Suez Crisis] –2008 - "Did not qualify"

Eurobasket 1953

Israel made their European championship tournament debut in Eurobasket 1953 in Moscow, coming within a tie-breaker of taking the silver medal.

In the preliminary round, the Israeli squad won their group by tie-breaker after being one of three teams to finish with a 3-1 record. They advanced to the final round, managing to defeat perennial power Czechoslovakia and taking revenge on Yugoslavia for their preliminary round loss. Their record in the final round was 4-3, putting them in a 4-way tie for second place behind the undefeated Soviet Union. Israel came out on the bottom of that tie-breaker, finishing in 5th place of the 17 teams.

Israel's overall record of 7 wins and 4 losses included two wins by forfeit over Lebanon (in the preliminary round) and Egypt (in the final round), each of which had refused to play against Israel.

Rosters

1952 Olympic Games: finished 20th among 23 teams

Abraham Schneior, Zachariah Ofri, Menachem Korman, Ralph Klein, Simon Schmukler, Reuven Fecher, Marcel Hefez, Daniel Levy, Alfred Cohen, Yehuda Gafni, Dan Erez, Amos Lin, Eliahu Amiel

1953 EuroBasket: finished 5th among 17 teams

Ralph Klein, Abraham Schneior, Zachariah Ofri, Daniel Levy, Menachem Korman, Alfred Cohen, David Heiblum, Simon Schmukler, Ernst Winer, Marcel Hefez, Mark Mimran, Haim Boksenbaum, Reuven Fecher (Coach: Jacob Saltiel)

1954 World Championship: finished 8th among 12 teams

Abraham Schneior, Zachariah Ofri, Daniel Moshe, Reuven Fecher, Alfred Cohen, Tavil Israel, Simon Shelah, Yehuda Gafni, Rafael Ram, Marcel Hefez, Azriel Luboshitz, Dan Erez (Coach: Jacob Saltiel)

1959 EuroBasket: finished 11th among 17 teams

Ralph Klein, Abraham Schneior, Albert Hemmo, Haim Kastan, Amos Lin, David Tari, Jacob Edelist, Igal Volodarsky, David Kaminsky, Haim Hazan, Erez Lustig, Shabetai Ben-Bassat (Coach: Eli Amtel)

1961 EuroBasket: finished 11th among 19 teams

Tani Cohen-Mintz, Ralph Klein, Abraham Hoffman, Albert Hemmo, Haim Hazan, Erez Lustig, David Kaminsky, Ami Shelef, Offer Eshed, David Tari, Hanoch Barkon, Igal Volodarsky

1963 EuroBasket: finished 9th among 16 teams

Tani Cohen-Mintz, Ralph Klein, Offer Eshed, Ami Shelef, Zvi Lubezki, Albert Hemmo, Abraham Gutt, Igal Volodarsky, Shlomo Ben-Zeev, Abraham Hoffman, Haim Hazan, Ilan Zeiger (Coach: Yehoshua Rozin)

1965 EuroBasket: finished 6th among 16 teams

Tani Cohen-Mintz, Ralph Klein, Offer Eshed, Ami Shelef, Zvi Lubezki, Albert Hemmo, Abraham Gutt, Igal Volodarsky, Shlomo Ben-Zeev, Abraham Hoffman, Haim Hazan, Ilan Zeiger

1967 EuroBasket: finished 8th among 16 teams

Tani Cohen-Mintz, Offer Eshed, Gabi Teichner, Willie Wold, Shamuel Avishar, Igal Dar, Abraham Gutt, Gershon Dekel, David Kaminsky, Abraham Hoffman, Haim Starkman, Ilan Zohar (Coach: Shimon Shelah)

1969 EuroBasket: finished 11th among 12 teams

Gabi Neumark, Gabi Teichner, Offer Eshed, Ivan Leshinsky, Giora Dori, Haim Baram, Mark Turenshine, Gershon Dekel, David Kaminsky, Itamar Marzel, Haim Starkman, Ilan Zohar (Coach: Shimon Shelah)

1971 EuroBasket: finished 11th among 12 teams

Tal Brody, Hanan Keren, Mike Schwartz, Haim Starkman, Gabi Teichner, Boaz Yanai, Mark Turenshine, Zvi Inbar, Dan Barzily, Itamar Marzel, Abraham Zuchman, Joseph Leja (Coach: Shimon Shelah)

1973 EuroBasket: finished 7th among 12 teams

Tal Brody, Mickey Berkowitz, Gabi Neumark, Hanan Keren, Jonathan Zacks, Shamuel Avishar, Gur Ben-David, Barry Leibowitz, Zvi Inbar, Itamar Marzel, Jacob Eisner, Boaz Yanai (Coach: Abraham Hemo)

1975 EuroBasket: finished 7th among 12 teams

Mickey Berkowitz, Tal Brody, Motti Aroesti, Yehoshua “Shuki” Schwartz, Hanan Keren, Shlomo Blum, Shamuel Nachmias, Barry Leibowitz, Avigdor Moskowitz, Itamar Marzel, Jonathan Zacks, Boaz Yanai (Coach: Abraham Hemo)

1977 EuroBasket: finished 5th among 12 teams

Mickey Berkowitz, Yehoshua “Shuki” Schwartz, Hanan Keren, Barry Leibowitz, Shamuel Nachmias, Aor Goren, Pinhas Hozez, Avigdor Moskowitz, Steve Kaplan, Itamar Marzel, Boaz Yanai, Rothschild (Coach: Ralph Klein)

1979 EuroBasket: finished 2nd among 12 teams

Mickey Berkowitz, Lou Silver, Motti Aroesti, Yehoshua “Shuki” Schwartz, Eric Menkin, Steve Kaplan, Boaz Yanai, Avigdor Moskowitz, Barry Leibowitz, Pinhas Hozez, Uri Ben-Ari, Shai Sharf (Coach: Ralph Klein)

1981 EuroBasket: finished 6th among 12 teams

Mickey Berkowitz, Lou Silver, Doron Jamchi, Jim Boatwright, John Willis, Haim Zlotikman, Gal Knaz, Steve Schlachter, Barry Leibowitz, Avigdor Moskowitz, Boaz Yanai, Pinhas Hozez (Coach: Ralph Klein)

1983 EuroBasket: finished 6th among 12 teams

Mickey Berkowitz, Doron Jamchi, Lou Silver, Motti Aroesti, Howard Lassof, Israel Elimelech, Steve Schlachter, Haim Zlotikman, Shmulik Zisman, Ofer Yaakobi, Niv Bugin, John Willis (Coach: Ralph Klein)

1985 EuroBasket: finished 9th among 12 teams

Doron Jamchi, Mickey Berkowitz, Motti Aroesti, Chen Lippin, Motti Daniel, Shmulik Zisman, Amir Bino, Ofer Yaakobi, Steve Schlachter, Haim Zlotikman, Pinhas Hozez, John Willis (Coach: Zvi Sherf)

1986 World Championship: finished 7th among 24 teams

Doron Jamchi, Mickey Berkowitz, Howard Lassof, Motti Daniel, Chen Lippin, Adi Gordon, Nir Rechlis, Ari Rosenberg, Doron Shefa, Larry Bird-Curtis, Tomer Steinhauer, Ofer Yaakobi (Coach: Zvi Sherf)

1987 EuroBasket: finished 11th among 12 teams

Doron Jamchi, Howard Lassof, Motti Daniel, Adi Gordon, Chen Lippin, Nadav Henefeld, Ofer Fleisher, Ari Rosenberg, Doron Shefa, Larry Bird-Curtis, Tomer Steinhauer, Ishak Cohen (Coach: Zvi Sherf)

1993 EuroBasket: finished 14th among 16 teams

Doron Sheffer, Nadav Henefeld, Doron Jamchi, Motti Daniel, Adi Gordon, Ofer Fleisher, Israel Elimelech, Desi Barmore, Shimon Amsalem, Tomer Steinhauer, Amir Katz, Lior Arditty (Coach: Zvi Sherf)

1995 EuroBasket: finished 10th among 14 teams

Doron Sheffer, Doron Jamchy, Nadav Henefeld, Brad Leaf, Motti Daniel, Guy Goodes, Adi Gordon, Ofer Fleisher, Dror Cohen, Amir Muchtary, Lior Arditty, Kobi Balul (Coach: Zvi Sherf)

1997 EuroBasket: finished 9th among 16 teams

Oded Katash, Doron Sheffer, Nadav Henefeld, Shalom “Puppy” Turgeman, Gur Shelef,Tomer Steinhauer, Lior Arditty, Amir Muchtary, David Bernsley, Oren Aharoni, Uri Cohen-Mintz, Ofer Fleisher (Coach: Zvi Sherf)

1999 EuroBasket: finished 12th among 16 teams

Oded Katash, Doron Sheffer, Nadav Henefeld, Motti Daniel, Guy Goodes, Shalom “Puppy” Turgeman, Shimon Amsalem, Meir Tapiro, Gur Shelef, Uri Cohen-Mintz, Tomer Steinhauer, Yoav Saffar (Coach: Shamuel “Muli” Katzurin)

2001 EuroBasket: finished 12th among 16 teams

Derrick Sharp, Meir Tapiro, Shalom “Puppy” Turgeman, Yaniv Green, Lior Lubin, Israel Sheinfeld, Shahar Gordon, Ido Kozikaro, Afik Nissim, Yoav Saffar, Barak Peleg, Moshe Mizrahi (Coach: Shamuel “Muli” Katzurin)

2003 EuroBasket: finished 7th among 16 teams

Tal Burstein, Meir Tapiro, Derrick Sharp, Gur Shelef, Yaniv Green, Yotam Halperin, Erez Katz, Moshe Mizrahi, Israel Sheinfeld, Yoav Saffar, Ido Kozikaro, Shahar Gordon (Coach: Shamuel “Muli” Katzurin)

2005 EuroBasket: finished 11th among 16 teams

Tal Burstein, Meir Tapiro, Chris Watson, Dror Hagag, Sharon Shason, Gur Shelef, Yaniv Green, Yotam Halperin, Afik Nissim, Erez Markovich, Moshe Mizrahi, Ido Kozikaro (Coach: Zvi Sherf)

2007 EuroBasket: finished 11th among 16 teams

Lior Eliyahu, Meir Tapiro, Dror Hagag, Yotam Halperin, Yaniv Green, Jeron Roberts, Amit Tamir, Erez Markovich, Ido Kozikaro, Matan Naor, Moran Roth, Guy Pniny (Coach: Zvi Sherf)

ee also

*Israel national under-21 basketball team
*Ligat HaAl (basketball)

References