Maccabi Tel Aviv celebrated late into the night between Tuesday and Wednesday after winning the Israeli championship for the 58th time in club history, sealing the title with a 79-83 victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv in Game 4 of the playoff final. The win gave Maccabi a 1-3 series victory and completed a domestic double, following February’s State Cup triumph. The club marked the end of one of its longest and most exhausting seasons with celebrations that began on the court, continued in the locker room, and ended with a team meal at Restaurant 206.
An hour after lifting the trophy, the players were still on the floor thanking the yellow-clad fans who filled the stands. In the locker room, champagne was sprayed everywhere and buckets of ice were poured over players’ heads as they posed with the title and celebrated the relief of finishing a difficult campaign.
Roman Sorkin, who struggled offensively for much of the game before hitting a key three-pointer to put Maccabi back ahead and then sealing the result with a dunk, said, “We are very happy. It was a very long season, full of ups and downs. It is not obvious at all that we finished with a double, especially against such a talented team like Hapoel Tel Aviv. It makes it even sweeter. It is a great privilege to be a player for Oded, to experience him is huge. I would go to war with everyone in this locker room.”
Captain John DiBartolomeo, who turned 35 just days earlier and has no contract for next season yet, said talks with the club are ongoing but not closed because of financial gaps, while Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem are monitoring the situation. “This is probably the sweetest championship of my career,” he said. MVP winning guard Iffe Lundberg, whose deal also expires, said he will now focus on vacation with his family after averaging 17.5 points in the four-game final. Coach Oded Kattash called it “one of the biggest and most emotional titles,” saying, “We deserved it, we fought for it and I feel we got here with our last strength and with our tongues out.” The foreign players are expected to leave Israel on Wednesday, the Israelis will begin their break except for Sorkin, who will join the national team before World Cup qualifying, and the club is set to reconvene in mid-August to start building next season’s roster.
