Israeli Basketball Association Denies Claims by Hapoel Tel Aviv Owner Over Dan Oturu's National Team Status

The Israeli Basketball Association responded on Monday to accusations made by Hapoel Tel Aviv owner Ofer Yanai, who claimed that center Dan Oturu was excluded from the Israeli national basketball team roster due to pressure from Maccabi Tel Aviv. The Association rejected these allegations as "baseless" and clarified the facts surrounding Oturu's citizenship process and national team selection.

According to the Association, Yanai or his representatives were never contacted by the chairman regarding Oturu's naturalization or that of any other player. Instead, representatives from Hapoel Tel Aviv approached the chairman to discuss Oturu's citizenship request. The chairman emphasized that Oturu is a highly regarded player and that the committee responsible for naturalization procedures does not discuss individual player names but focuses solely on the selection process.

The Association further explained that the selection process involves a three-member panel including two professional figures and the president of the disciplinary court, with the chairman not involved in the selection. It was also made clear that any naturalized player would face a lengthy process and would not be eligible to play in upcoming national team windows. The Association noted that the next naturalized player selection is not scheduled until the summer of 2026, and the current summer roster already includes two naturalized players, Kadin Carrington and Danny Wolf, of whom only one can be registered for games.

The Association dismissed Yanai's claim that Oturu's selection was "sabotaged" as unfounded, stating no selection has yet taken place to be sabotaged. Representatives from Maccabi Tel Aviv and Bnei Herzliya were invited to advise the committee before conclusions are finalized. The Association accused Yanai of repeatedly attacking it with false claims and reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and advancing Israeli basketball without engaging in conspiracy theories.