Age Gap Highlights Contrasts in Israeli Basketball League
Translated & summarized from Israel Hayom by baba
The Israeli Basketball Premier League showcases a wide age range, from 37-year-old Augustin Rubit to players under 17 like Hilai Lavie. This season highlights the generational differences within the league, with veteran stars and emerging young talents.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Augustin Rubit, 37, is the oldest player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League.
- Hilai Lavie is the league's youngest player, soon to be 16.
- A significant age gap exists between the league's veteran and rookie players.
- Rubit aims to coach after his playing career ends.
- Hapoel Galil Elyon is the league's youngest team with an average age of 23.5.
The Israeli Basketball Premier League features a significant age disparity this season, with veteran center Augustin Rubit of Maccabi Ashdod being the oldest player at 37. Rubit, who previously played in the EuroLeague for teams like Bamberg, Olympiacos, and Bayern Munich, joined the newly promoted Ashdod after a season in Spain. Despite not playing in the top European league for three years, he believes he still has much to contribute and expressed curiosity about his new experience, comparing it to his rookie season in Germany.
Rubit, born in 1989, is the only player in the league born in the 1980s. Other notable older players include Lorenzo Brown of Hapoel Jerusalem (born 1990) and Tomaš Satoranský of Hapoel Tel Aviv (born 1991). The oldest Israeli player is John DiBartolomeo of Maccabi Tel Aviv, aged 35.
In stark contrast, the league's youngest player is Hilai Lavie, a forward for Hapoel Eilat, who will be under 17 at the start of the season. Lavie, born in 2009, is one of three players from that birth year in the league, alongside Eliot Rafael of Maccabi Ashdod and Gal Rahamim of Ironi Ness Ziona. Lavie stated he wants to be recognized as a player, not by his age, and sees the opportunity to learn from experienced teammates.
Other young talents include Ariel Berkovich and Oren Troshkin, both born in 2008. The youngest team in the league is Hapoel Galil Elyon, with an average age of 23.5. Notably, all players on Galil Elyon, except for Maurice Kemp (born 1991), were born in the 21st century.