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Maccabi Tel Aviv Leaves Lonnie Walker Off Final Roster After Row Over Playoff Absences

How 2 Israeli newsrooms covered this story — translated into English and compared side by side.

50% centerFirst reported by Walla · Jun 16, 2026
Center 1Right 1

What happened

Maccabi Tel Aviv left Lonnie Walker off its roster for the first game of the playoff final against Hapoel Tel Aviv. Walker blamed the coach on Instagram, while the club said the decision was professional and linked partly to Tamir Blatt’s injury.

  • 01Walker was left out of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s roster for Game 1 of the final.
  • 02He had also sat out a semifinal game over Israel’s security situation.
  • 03Walker said the coach made the decision, not him.
  • 04Maccabi cites Tamir Blatt’s injury and the need to register Jimmy Clark.
  • 05His future is uncertain, despite a guaranteed contract, because of his $2.2 million salary.

Summary translated & synthesized from the sources below by baba. Read each original for the full report.

In this story
People
Tamir BlattLonnie Walker IV

Full coverage · 2 outlets

The same event, reported separately by each newsroom. Open a few to compare what each emphasizes — and what they leave out.

Now 14Right · HebrewJun 16, 2026
Maccabi Tel Aviv Leaves Lonnie Walker Off Final Roster After Row Over Playoff Absences
WallaCenter · HebrewJun 16, 2026
Lonnie Walker Says Coach Made the Call on His Absence, Not Him

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