It was a season of ups and downs for Noam Yaacov where he gained valuable experience, came up big when needed, and finished as a EuroCup champion. 

Tribute to the Champs: Noam Yaacov

It was an eventful first season in the BKT EuroCup for [Noam Yaacov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/noam-yaacov/011386/). One of the top young guards on the continent, Yaacov joined Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv over the summer from LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, where made his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut – and played in 26 games – the season before.

The expectations were for Yaacov to take on a major role with Hapoel, but the unexpected signing of Patrick Beverley changed the rotation. Then Yam Madar signed in November and then a quadriceps muscle injury in December sidelined Yaacov. He did not play at all in the EuroCup from Round 9 until the semifinals, though he returned to fitness in the Israeli League after the injury.

By the EuroCup Semifinals, things had changed. Beverley was long gone and Joe Ragland was dealing with a back injury. Yaacov was called into duty and did not disappoint. He dished 4 assists in less than 10 minutes in Game 1 of the series against Valencia Basket and tallied 3 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in 8 minutes in Game 3, running the offense effectively and giving Yam Madar just enough time to rest.

Yaacov again stepped in again to spell Madar when needed in Game 2 of the EuroCup Finals against Gran Canaria and delivered with a dish to Marcus Bingham for a slam and then a side-step three-pointer to establish a double-digit margin in the second quarter. In the end, it was a season of ups and downs for Yaacov where he gained valuable experience, came up big when needed, and finished as a EuroCup champion.

Tribute to the Champs

The youngest player on the roster, Yaacov came up big when needed for Hapoel

Antonio Blakeney is set to keep playing for Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv until the end of the 2026-27 season, the club announced Tuesday. Blakeney (1.93 meters, 28 years old) played a key role for Hapoel in the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup, averaging 13.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and a PIR of 12.2 in 17 games, to help the team lift win EuroCup trophy.

Hapoel, Blakeney agree to contract extension

[Antonio Blakeney](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/antonio-blakeney/013402/) is set to keep playing for Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv until the end of the 2026-27 season, the club announced Tuesday. Blakeney (1.93 meters, 28 years old) played a key role for Hapoel in the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup, averaging 13.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and a PIR of 12.2 in 17 games, to help the team lift win EuroCup trophy.

The first-year guard played a critical role in Hapoel's most important games. Blakeney had 32 points and 9 rebounds in Game 3 of the semifinals on the road against Valencia Basket, hitting five three-pointers in the fourth quarter to lead Hapoel to a go-ahead 92-94 win. He also shined in the 2025 EuroCup Finals against Dreamland Gran Canaria, averaging 22.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and a PIR of 23.5 in two games.

Antonio Blakeney's best plays from semifinals Game 3 against Valencia, and from the EuroCup Finals against Dreamland Gran Canaria

Blakeney shined in the final three playoff games

Blakeney started his professional career with Chicago of the NBA, and also played for Windy City and Canton of the G League, Jiangsu Nangang Dragons Nanjing and Nanjing Tongxi Monkey Kings of China, Al-Ahli Manama of Bahrein, and Hapoel Altshuler Shaham Beer Shave of Israel before joining Hapoel.

"I am very happy and grateful for the opportunity to sign with Hapoel Tel Aviv for two more seasons. I would like to thank the team's owner Ofer Yannay, the management and the professional team for their trust and support in me," Blakeney say after the agreement. "I feel at home here in Tel Aviv. I look forward to continuing to help the team reach great achievements. I am aware that there is still a lot of work ahead of us – both this season and the seasons to come – and I will give it my all, together with my teammates and the professional team. A huge thank you to all the fans for your incredible support!"

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">מועדון הכדורסל הפועל &quot;שלמה&quot; תל אביב גאה להודיע על הארכת חוזהו של הגארד אנטוניו בלייקני בשנתיים נוספות, עד לסוף עונת 2026/27.<br> <br>בלייקני הינו אחד מהשחקנים המרכזיים שהובילו את הקבוצה לזכייה ההיסטורית ביורוקאפ, ואף הצטיין במיוחד בשלבים המכריעים, כאשר קבע ממוצע של 21.6 נקודות למשחק –… <a href="https://t.co/Iac0kK7uPj">pic.twitter.com/Iac0kK7uPj</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1917163308546928649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"We are very happy, both personally and as the Hapoel Tel Aviv club, that Antonio is continuing with us. In my opinion, AB is a symbol of shared growth - both of the club and of him as a player. Antonio joined us with little experience in European basketball, and since then he has developed and become one of the team's important players - just as Hapoel Tel Aviv as a club is growing and growing among the prominent clubs in the Euroleague", Hapoel head coach Dimitris Itoudis said. "We hope that he will continue to remain healthy, determined and focused, with the goal of continuing to improve and display high and consistent ability."

Blakeney penned a new deal until the end of the 2026-27 season

Dimitris Itoudis: 'We kept believing we can do it'

In this exclusive interview that took place minutes after lifting the trophy at Gran Canaria Arena, Dimitris Itoudis spoke about many topics, including the challenges him and his team overcame an route to claiming a historic BKT EuroCup trophy, and securing a ticket for the 2025-26 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

By leading Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv to this title, Itoudis joined Dusan Ivkovic, David Blatt and Ergin Ataman as the only coaches to win both the EuroLeague and EuroCup.

Yam Madar: 'To bring Hapoel to the EuroLeague is a special feeling'

Yam Madar was the driving force for Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in the latest stages of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup Finals. Despite playing in pain for the playoffs due to a knee injury, Madar was still able to deliver. 

He was named the EuroCup Semifinals MVP after Hapoel knocked off Valencia Basket without the home-court advantage and had 16 points and 6 assists in Game 2 of the Finals against Dreamland Gran Canaria. 

In this exclusive interview that took place minutes after lifting the trophy at Gran Canaria Arena, Madar spoke about his commitment, what it meant for him to lead Hapoel to a European title and the importance of winning the EuroCup. 

 

Ish Wainright's first season in the EuroCup would be one to remember and it finished with him holding the trophy – for the first championship of his professional career. 

Tribute to the champs: Ish Wainright

No player on the freshly-crowned BKT EuroCup champs has a greater discrepancy between his value and his stats than [Ish Wainright](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ishmail-carzell-wainright/013284/). The forward was among the Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv leaders in appearances and minutes, though he did little to stand out in the box score.

What he did, however, was play rugged defense, make clever plays at both ends, stretch the floor with his outside shooting and serve as the ultimate glue-guy on a winning team. Whenever there was a charge to be taken or a loose ball to dive for, Wainright was at the heart of the action.

For the season, Wainright averaged 5.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals over 24 games – including 20 in the starting lineup. His best offensive game came in his second appearance when Wainright totaled 13 points on 3-of-7 three-point shooting and 4 assists against Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius. In the penultimate regular-season game, Wainright posted 8 points and a season-high 8 rebounds against Trefl Sopot for a personal-best PIR of 15.

In the postseason, Wainright had a positive plus/minus rating in five of Hapoel's six games, including both games in the finals against Dreamland Gran Canaria. Wainright's first season in the EuroCup would be one to remember and it finished with him holding the trophy – for the first championship of his professional career.

Hapoel's glue guy won the first championship of his career

With Hapoel Tel Aviv BC having hoisted the EuroCup trophy, it’s hard to imagine the team’s championship run without the mid-season addition of Yam Madar.

Tribute to the Champs: Yam Madar

When [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) brought [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/) back to the club from [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/) in early December, the team likely had high hopes for the impact the young point guard – a former EuroLeague Rising Star winner – could make. Now, with Hapoel having hoisted the BKT EuroCup trophy, it’s hard to imagine the team’s championship run without the mid-season addition of Madar.

It didn't take long for Madar to start shining. He had a career game already in just his second appearance since returning to the club, posting career highs in scoring and index rating with 28 points and a 41 PIR during a Round 11 road loss at Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius. But the very next week Hapoel was already on a run of six wins in seven games, which propelled the team to second place in its group.

Madar averaged 14.3 points on 56.5% three-point shooting, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals in the second half of the regular season, but he might have displayed his best basketball in the best-of-three semifinal series against Valencia Basket, a series that [saw him named the Semifinals MVP](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/semifinals-mvp-yam-madar-hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/).

In the first two games of the series, Madar posted 20.5 points, 6.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals, then overcame an injury to play 29 minutes in the deciding Game 3 and help Hapoel reach the EuroCup Finals.

Madar continued playing despite a knee injury, sacrificing for a team that had the chance to make history, and in a 2-0 series sweep against Dreamland Gran Canaria he averaged 13.0 points, making a total of 6 triples on 8 attempts, while posting 5.5 assists as Hapoel climbed the throne.

The math is quite simple. Before Madar’s arrival, Hapoel scored more than 82 points in four of its nine games. With Madar in the lineup, Hapoel scored more than 82 points in 11 of its 13 games. And now, both the club and the player can proudly carry the title of being a EuroCup champion.

More Hapoel Tel Aviv News

A mid-season signing, he lifted Hapoel’s offense and played arguably the best basketball of his career

He might not receive the same acclaim as some of his teammates, but Bar Timor – one of six Israelis in coach Dimitris Itoudis’s rotation – was a key contributor in Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv’s run to the 2024–25 BKT EuroCup championship.

Tribute to the Champs: Bar Timor

He might not receive the same acclaim as some of his teammates, but [Bar Timor](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/bar-timor/004846/) – one of six Israelis in coach Dimitris Itoudis’s rotation – was a key contributor in [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/)’s run to the 2024–25 BKT EuroCup championship.

After missing Round 1, the 33-year-old Timor played in every game en route to the title, starting four times in 23 appearances and averaging 17:51 minutes per night. He posted 5.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.8 steals per game for the eventual champions.

Timor scored in double digits four times during the regular season, peaking with 15 points in Round 3 against Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul. His best performance by index rating came in Round 13 at Dreamland Gran Canaria, where he tallied 14 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and a PIR of 19.

Crucially, Timor brought experience to a revamped Hapoel squad, having been with the club since 2020 and part of its EuroCup journey since 2022. He also provided valuable minutes to help rest key players such as Yam Madar, Antonio Blakeney, Marcus Foster, and, earlier in the season, Joe Ragland. In fact, only Timor and Tomer Ginat remain from the 2022–23 roster — Hapoel’s first season in the EuroCup.

While his stats dipped in the postseason, Timor remained a steady presence when called upon — helping guide Hapoel to the 2024–25 EuroCup title, the first continental trophy in the club’s history.

The veteran guard played an important role off the bench for Hapoel this season

Marcus Bingham's meteoric rise was interrupted this season and his role dwindled by the end of the playoffs, but the promising big man was nonetheless a factor in Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv's march to the BKT EuroCup crown

Tribute to the Champs: Marcus Bingham

[Marcus Bingham](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marcus-bingham/013506/)'s meteoric rise was interrupted this season and his role dwindled by the end of the playoffs, but the promising big man was nonetheless a factor in Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv's march to the BKT EuroCup crown and is considered a building block for the future. 

Faced with a shortage of frontcourt players in November, Hapoel pried Bingham away from fellow Israeli club Hapoel Holon, with which the 24-year-old was putting up monster numbers. By his second game, Bingham scored [11 points in 16 minutes against Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-overpowers-joventut-95-70/) and he followed that with [12 points in 13 minutes against Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/wolves-bounce-back-to-down-hapoel-104-100/). 

However, he soon had [a bout of pericarditis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoels-marcus-bingham-to-miss-time/), which is the inflammation of the tissue around the heart, and missed the rest of the regular season.

Even when he returned, Bingham played limited minutes in the postseason, but he made the most of every play. Had he featured in enough games to qualify, Bingham would have been the runaway EuroCup leader in blocks on a per-minute basis and ranked eighth in steals with 4.6 and 2.8, respectively, prorated over 40 minutes. He finished the season averaging 4.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 1.1 blocks over 9:34 minutes in nine appearances. 

Bingham saw action in all six of Hapoel's postseason games and used his length and athleticism to be a disruptor at both ends, whether throwing down slams or shutting down the opponents' attack. And now he has a EuroCup crown to show for his efforts.

The midseason addition made the most of every play in his first EuroCup campaign  

Tribute to the Champs: Marcus Bingham  

Antonio Blakeney ranked second in the EuroCup in scoring on a per-minute basis with an average of 26.7 points over 40 minutes. And now, for the first time in his professional career, Blakeney is a champion, too. 

Tribute to the Champs: Antonio Blakeney

Some say that "timing is everything". For [Antonio Blakeney](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/antonio-blakeney/013402/) in the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup, that was certainly the case. 

The guard had his best stretch of the season when it mattered most, playing a decisive role for Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in the semifinals and the finals to lead the club to glory. Blakeney had three of his four best-scoring games all season in the final stretch with 22 points in Game 2 of the semifinals, 32 in Game 3 and 27 in the deciding game of the finals. He tied for the finals lead in scoring (22.0 ppg.), steals (1.5 spg.) and PIR (23.5). 

Scoring in bunches is what Blakeney does best and that is exactly what he did for Hapoel in the finals. In the series opener, he scored 10 of his 17 points in the first quarter and then in Game 2 he erupted for 18 points in the third quarter.

Blakeney was a mid-season addition, who debuted in the EuroCup in Round 7. He found his rhythm during a stretch between Rounds 10 and 14 when he averaged 16.2 points on 52.2% three-point shooting, but then cooled off and did not score at all in three of his next four appearances. However, Coach Dimitris Itoudis encouraged him to work harder and when the playoffs arrived, Blakeney was ready for primetime. He finished the season averaging 13.4 points per game and ranked [second in the EuroCup in scoring on a per-minute basis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2024&statisticMode=perMinute&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=score) with an average of 26.7 points over 40 minutes. And now, for the first time in his professional career, Blakeney is a champion, too.

The instant-offense guard was at his best in the biggest games of the season