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.

Tribute to the Champs

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

Tribute to the Champs: Antonio Blakeney 

By leading Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv to the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup championship, Coach Dimitris Itoudis became the fourth man to ever guide clubs to glory in both the EuroCup and the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Dimitris Itoudis has joined a select club of coaches

By leading Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv to the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup championship, Coach Dimitris Itoudis became the fourth man to ever guide clubs to glory in both the EuroCup and the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

It was an unusual campaign for Itoudis. When he took the coaching reins at Hapoel from his former assistant coach Stefanos Dedas in November, it marked the first time in his coaching career that Itoudis had joined a team midseason. And then he led Hapoel to 12 wins in its final 15 games.

Itoudis helped Hapoel finish second in Regular Season Group B before the team skipped past Turk Telekom Ankara, Valencia Basket and Dreamland Gran Canaria - going 5-1 in the playoffs - to lift the trophy. He joined Dusan Ivkovic, David Blatt and Ergin Ataman as the only coaches to win both the EuroLeague and EuroCup.

Itoudis had previously won EuroLeague titles as head coach of CSKA Moscow in 2016 and 2019. He has five more EuroLeague crowns as Zeljko Obradovic's top assistant coach with Panathinaikos Athens (2000, 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011).

"I was surprised I didn't know about that. That's another blessing. The fans know my relation with the late Dusan, "Duda" and his family, Nena \[Ivkovic's wife\], Petar and Pavle \[his sons\]. And being among also great coaches like David and also Ergin, it's a blessing," Ivkovic said after the last game of the finals on Friday. "I'm proud to be among this great group of coaches: Dusan, Ergin and David."

The late Ivkovic was the first coach to win both titles. In 1997, he led Olympiacos to the EuroLeague crown by downing FC Barcelona 73-58 in the championship game. Almost a decade later, Ivkovic helped Dynamo Moscow become one of the first champions in EuroCup history. Dynamo defeated Aris Thessaloniki 73-60 in the 2006 EuroCup final. Ivkovic went on to lift the EuroLeague trophy for the second time with Olympiacos in 2012.

David Blatt was the second coach to join this club. He led Maccabi Tel Aviv to the 2014 EuroLeague championship, beating Real Madrid 86-98 in overtime in the championship game behind an outstanding effort from Final Four MVP Tyrese Rice. Coach Blatt went on to lift the EuroCup with Darussafaka Istanbul in 2018, defeating heavy favorite and previously undefeated Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar 0-2 in the best-of-three finals. Rice is also a EuroLeague and EuroCup champion as a player: in 2015, he led Khimki Moscow Region to EuroCup glory as the season and Final Four MVP.

By the time Coach Blatt joined the club, Ergin Ataman was already a EuroCup champion. He claimed the EuroCup with Galatasaray Istanbul after beating Strasbourg in the two-game total-points finals in 2016. Ataman then won back-to-back EuroLeague crowns with Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 2021 and 2022 and again celebrated by winning the trophy with Panathinaikos last season.

Ataman, Blatt and Ivkovic also won other European competitions in which Itoudis has never coached or been a part of as head coach. Ivkovic won Korac Cup titles with Partizan Belgrade in 1979 and PAOK Thessaloniki in 1994 and a Cup Winners' Cup with AEK Athens in 2000. Blatt lifted the EuroChallenge trophy with Dynamo St. Petersburg in 2005. Ataman led Mens Sana Siena to the Saporta Cup in 2002 and also won the EuroChallenge with Besiktas in 2012.

By leading Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv to the BKT EuroCup crown, Coach Itoudis reached a new milestone in his career

After being named as the EuroCup Finals MVP, Hapoel Tel Aviv BC star Johnathan Motley reflected on what felt like an "out of body" experience.

Johnathan Motley lived 'out of body' experience as EuroCup Finals MVP

Athletes envision themselves performing their craft beforehand so that when the moment comes they are able to remain calm under all the pressure. [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/) did exactly that before the BKT EuroCup Finals and it was the reason why the [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) center was so relaxed after being named the Finals MVP. 

Motley was outstanding in both games of the Finals and was the logical choice as MVP, especially after he scored 26 points to go with 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal for a PIR of 28 in [Hapoel’s 94-103 win over Dreamland Gran Canaria in Game 2](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-sweeps-gran-canaria-for-first-eurocup-title-and-ticket-to-euroleague/). The big man tied a EuroCup Finals record of 12 free throws made and set a new best mark with 16 free throws attempted. 

“I am just happy we got it done,” said Motley, who tallied 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in the Game 1 win. 

“I was very confident in my team. We work really hard. We have a great locker room. Everybody trusts each other."

Motley added after the trophy ceremony: “Right now, I am surprisingly calm … I envisioned myself doing the trophy thing all week. It’s just crazy that I am in it right now. It’s kind of out of body right now.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">MVP 👹 <a href="https://t.co/WSG3dQLFBX">pic.twitter.com/WSG3dQLFBX</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1910828496416284934?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The great showing in the Finals was not a surprise as Motley has shined all season, grabbing a spot on the 2024-25 BKT All-EuroCup First Team. 

“It was a difficult season, every game was away. But the fans came out. And we have a great locker room. We all love each other. We all don’t care who does what. We all instill confidence in each other. That's what made us get to this point,” said Motley. 

The 29-year-old played two seasons in the EuroLeague with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. Now he can start envisaging himself playing at that level again. 

Game News

The big man showed all season why he is one of the best players in the competition

Johnathan Motley lived 'out of body' experience as EuroCup Finals MVP 

Dreamland Gran Canaria v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2025-04-11T19:00:00.000Z)