Handshake Snub and Title-Cap Taunt Spark Postgame Fracas After Maccabi’s Championship

Maccabi Tel Aviv won its 58th Israeli championship on Tuesday night, beating Hapoel Tel Aviv 83-79 to clinch the final series 3-1. The game ended with a court-side confrontation that centered on Maccabi guard Lonnie Walker and Hapoel owner Ofer Yannay, though Sports Channel footage showed the sequence that appears to have set it off.

After the final buzzer, players and staff from both teams lined up to shake hands. Yannay initially refused to shake hands with some Maccabi players, including Icelandic guard Elvar Fridriksson? No, the article identifies Lundberg, who approached him first, and later Roman Sorkin did receive a handshake from the Hapoel owner. The atmosphere changed when Walker arrived: Yannay did not shake his hand, but the two exchanged fist bumps.

Walker then waved Maccabi’s championship cap in Yannay’s direction and shouted, a gesture that infuriated George Hinas and drew Tomer Ginat onto the scene. Ginat confronted the Maccabi guard, who responded by again pointing to the title cap. At the same time, Corey Carr, Maccabi’s player development coach, tried to shake Yannay’s hand, but Yannay refused. The two did not escalate the exchange and instead spoke calmly.

The channel said the full account of what happened behind the game will air later in its evening sports news broadcast on 5SPORT.