Maccabi Rishon LeZion (basketball)
| Maccabi Rishon LeZion | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Leagues | Ligat HaAl Champions League | ||
| Founded | 1976 | ||
| Arena | Beit Maccabi | ||
| Capacity | 2,200 | ||
| Location | Rishon LeZion, Israel | ||
| Team colors | Orange and White | ||
| President | Itzhak Perry | ||
| Head coach | Arik Shivek | ||
| Championships | 1 Israeli Championship | ||
| Website | www.maccabirishon.co.il | ||
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Maccabi Rishon LeZion (Hebrew: מכבי ראשון לציון) is a basketball club based in Rishon LeZion, Israel. The club plays in Ligat HaAl, the top division of Israeli basketball. In 2016, the team won its first Israeli national championship.
History
The club was founded in 1976 by Isack Perry and reached the top division, where they have remained since, in 1988. Although they have never won a title, the club has finishished in the top four on four occasions. In 1991 they lost the play-off final series to Maccabi Tel Aviv. The following year they lost at the semi-final to Hapoel Tel Aviv. In 2006 the team lost a one-game semi-final to Hapoel Jerusalem and in 2011 a one-game semi-final against Maccabi Tel-Aviv.
In 1992 the club reached the final of the State Cup, but lost to Hapoel Galil Elyon. In 2012 they reached the Cup final again, and lost to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Champions after fairytale season (2015–16)
The 2015–16 season was a unbelievable one for Rishon LeZion. Arik Shivek was attracted as the new coach, and some high-quality players like Darryl Monroe and Mark Lyons arrived. The team finished in sixth place in the regular season. After Rishon LeZion beat the higher ranked Maccabi Haifa in the Playoffs, the team would face Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Semi-final. The team stunned the powerhouse team from Tel Aviv, winning 71–69. Because of the win, Rishon LeZion would play in the Israeli League Final for the first time since 1991.[1] On June 9th, 2016, the club won their first championship after beating Hapoel Jerusalem 83–77 in the Final, in front of 11,600 spectators at Jerusalem's home arena.[2] Darryl Monroe was named Final Four MVP, after scoring 20 points against Tel Aviv and 29 points against Jerusalem.[3]
Honours
- Champions (1): 2015–16
Fans
The team has a fan base called Gush D., the name is a reference to the old stadium of the team. The Gush has been founded in 2001 and has a lot of impact on the club, this fan base supports the team in games in home and away games.
Arena
The venue of the team is the Beit Maccabi hall with a capacity of 2,200 seats in its basketball configuration.
Players
Current roster
Template:Maccabi Rishon LeZion roster
Notable players
References
- ^ "Maccabi Rishon In Israeli Final After 25 Years | FIBA Europe Cup". Fibaeurope.com. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- ^ For the first time in its history: Maccabi Rishon LeTsiyon state champion (in Israeli)
- ^ "Winner League: historical night for Maccabi Rishon, first Israeli title". Sportando.com. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- ^ Titles history - Basket.co.il