Maccabi Tel Aviv won the Israeli championship for the 58th time, but the team’s route to the title was far from routine. According to Sport 5, the yellow-and-blue entered the finals against Hapoel Tel Aviv without being favorites after a difficult, turbulent season, and the pressure surrounding the club erupted only when Roman Sorkin hit a huge clutch three-pointer at the end of a nightmare game for him.
Sorkin said immediately afterward, “How good it is to win the championship after this season. It is sweet, thanks to the fans whom we heard every minute, and sorry for the last game and a half.” Maccabi chairman Shimon Mizrahi said, “I do not know if there is a precedent for something like this. It shows the commitment and the tradition of the club. I always said our bread and butter is the championship and the cup.”
Head coach Oded Kattash called the title his most emotional moment, especially after what the team went through this year. “I have been struggling for three days and waiting for the next game,” he said, adding that he has “really” strong players and staff who not only coach, but also sometimes lift him up.
Lone Walker also took a dig at the red side of Tel Aviv, saying, “You know whose arena this is, this is Maccabi’s arena, it was and it will be. Look at the history made here. All the talk after they won the previous game... bring the trophy first. We have 2 of 3 titles this season, they have 0 of 3.” Will Rayman said he was proud of the team after “so much bullshit all season,” mentioning Serbia and Tel Aviv, while Iffe Lundberg said it was not easy to compete amid so many difficulties and that the team returned “to finish the job.”
