Maccabi Tel Aviv Faces Ambitious Aris Thessaloniki in Preseason Tournament

Maccabi Tel Aviv is set to face Aris Thessaloniki in their most significant preseason test to date as part of a tournament in Cyprus. The Yellows will also play against European champions Olympiacos in the competition, which does not use a knockout format. Aris Thessaloniki is described as one of Europe's most ambitious basketball clubs, boasting a budget exceeding 10 million euros. The team has signed former NBA players, including Jerian Grant, Earl, and AJ Ledbetter, and is aiming to win the EuroCup. Aris's owner, 25-year-old Richard Hasseiao, is reportedly close to Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose brothers Thanasis and Kostas also play for the team. Other notable signings include Elijah Mitrou-Long and Matt Morgan. The team is coached by former star Vassilis Spanoulis, who joined Aris citing the people and the project's vision, stating, "This project gives me tremendous motivation. I love challenges, difficulties. There is an opportunity here to build something from scratch." Aris is considered a favorite for the EuroCup title, alongside Hapoel Jerusalem.

Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Oded Kattash views the tournament as a valuable "test of tools" for his team, which is still building fitness and integrating new players. He noted the importance of practice games against strong opponents for team cohesion and game dynamics. Kattash plans to distribute playing time and experiment with different strategies, focusing on improvement and building on previous performances, aiming to see progress similar to the improvement observed between their first and second games.