Maccabi Tel Aviv celebrates title as Hapoel Tel Aviv waits for another season

In episode 57 of the Israeli basketball podcast “Double Dribble,” the hosts wrapped up a dramatic playoff finals series and looked ahead to both clubs’ futures. The discussion opened with whether this was the greatest season of head coach Oded Kattash’s career, and whether Maccabi Tel Aviv’s direction changes after the comments made by incoming owner Erik Shitman.

The panel also examined the club’s top players. Keenan Evans, who was named Finals MVP, still has an uncertain status for next season. Roman Sorkin drew special praise for a memorable play that the hosts said will be remembered in the history of Israeli basketball.

The conversation then turned to the red side, Hapoel Tel Aviv, which finished another season without a domestic trophy. The hosts asked whether that outcome should be seen as a failure, and discussed whether Yam Madar has cemented his place as the modern version of Kattash after one of the strongest finals performances ever.

The episode also raised the question of whether Dimitris Itoudis should remain with Hapoel Tel Aviv next season. The special recap featured several forward-looking questions about both clubs, with the studio panel made up of Dror Hofman, Udi Hirsh and Uri Kols.