Bnei Herzliya Basket

Two State Cup victories and a league-final appearance are among Bnei Herzliya’s major competitive achievements.[3][5] Its first cup came in the 1994–95 season, when it eliminated Maccabi Tel Aviv before defeating Hapoel Holon in the final.[1] In 2021–22, it combined another cup victory with a run to the Winner League final.[3][5]

The club’s organizational history includes the Bnei Hasharon partnership with Maccabi Ra’anana and a subsequent return to the Bnei Herzliya name.[1] Its long-standing home court has been Yovel Hall at Yovel High School, while plans announced in 2025 envisaged a larger replacement capable of hosting European games.[1][6]

Former basketball player Tal Brody and Herzliya mayor Eli Landau founded the club in 1985 as Hapoel Herzliya.[1] Its first major title arrived in 1995, when Herzliya defeated Hapoel Holon 88–77 in the State Cup final after eliminating Maccabi Tel Aviv in the semifinal.[7] Holon had reached the final by beating Hapoel Jerusalem.[8]

John Hudson, whose fitness had been uncertain before the final, contributed 24 points and 16 rebounds to Herzliya’s victory.[7] Amir Katz added a long-range three-pointer at the halftime buzzer.[7] The victory secured the club’s first State Cup in the 1994–95 season.[1]

In 2002, Herzliya faced a drop to the second division but avoided it through a merger with financially troubled Maccabi Ra’anana, creating Bnei Hasharon.[1] Before the 2011–12 season, Ra’anana’s municipality announced that it would stop funding the combined team, and the merger ended.[1] The club subsequently used the name Bnei Hasharon Herzliya before returning to Bnei Herzliya in summer 2012.[1]

During the 2013–14 season, its top-flight survival came down to a must-win game against Hapoel Eilat.[9] A difficult stretch had included late losses and several overtime defeats, but Herzliya beat Eilat to secure another season in the first division.[9] Afterward, player Burrell said, “Knowing the team will remain in the first division makes me feel really good. The looks on the faces of the fans after makes everything worth it.”[9]

A later encounter with Eilat ended differently: in May 2019, Herzliya was relegated after Jonathan Shulbrand hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer for Eilat.[10] The relegation ended a top-flight run dating from the club’s first appearance at that level in 1993.[10]

By February 2022, Herzliya had undergone a sharp turnaround from time in the Leumit League and a subsequent relegation battle to a position near the top of the domestic standings and a place in the State Cup final.[11] Oren Aharoni was in his first season as head coach after a decade in Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth department.[11]

Herzliya won its second State Cup by defeating Hapoel Tel Aviv 87–82 in the 2021–22 final.[3] It recovered from an early double-digit deficit, with Chinanu Onuaku contributing 30 points and 17 rebounds.[3] After Hapoel briefly led 79–77 late in the game, a 10–0 Herzliya run secured the victory.[3]

The same season brought a league semifinal victory over reigning champion Maccabi Tel Aviv.[2] Herzliya recovered from a 0–1 deficit to win the best-of-three series 2–1, taking the deciding game 96–74 at Yad Eliyahu.[2] Onuaku recorded 25 points, 15 rebounds and five assists, while Herzliya scored 44 points in the paint and outrebounded Maccabi 42–33.[2] Describing the team during that run, Aharoni said, “We are a team that likes to play together and the best players like to make everyone around them better.”[2]

Hapoel Holon won the opening game of the league final 78–71 on Herzliya’s court, despite the home side’s 43–35 rebounding advantage and Onuaku’s 18 points and 20 rebounds.[5] Chris Babb and Quinton Hooker combined to shoot 2-for-17 from three-point range in that game.[5]

In October 2026, Herzliya competed in Group H of the Basketball Champions League under coach Yehu Orland.[4] Its opening game ended in an 86–75 away defeat to Spain’s Joventut Badalona.[4] Herzliya missed 11 of its 22 free throws and was outrebounded 43–33; DJ Bruton led its scoring with 20 points.[4]

On October 21, 2026, Herzliya beat Ness Ziona 103–96 after double overtime.[12] Zack Bryant scored 23 points, DJ Brewton contributed 21, and Dusty Hannahs added 20.[12] Orland hoped to carry the momentum into the team’s next Basketball Champions League game.[12]

That European home fixture against Porto was played in Samokov, Bulgaria.[13] In the game reported on October 25, Herzliya lost 86–74 after trailing 47–29 at halftime.[14] A 25–12 third-quarter run led by Daeshon Francis and Brewton brought Herzliya within five points, but Porto held on to leave it 0–2 in the competition.[14] Brewton finished with 24 points, Francis with 14 and Nathan Knight with 11.[14]

Sports director and general manager Zufer Avdija assembled the roster behind the club’s 2022 turnaround, working with chairman Eldad Akunis and head coach Oren Aharoni.[11] The team emphasized balanced scoring rather than dependence on a single player, with several members of the squad capable of taking a leading offensive role.[11]

Avdija connected the decision to carry five foreign players that season with uncertainty surrounding injuries and COVID-19.[11] He also described substantial reliance on the city mayor’s support and the difficulty of retaining successful players as their salary demands increased.[11]

Yovel Hall, located at Yovel High School in Herzliya, has served as the club’s home court for several decades.[1][6] In November 2025, a foundation-stone ceremony was held for a planned replacement arena named Congress, intended to serve Bnei Herzliya.[6] The plan called for more than 4,000 seats, an expected construction period of about three years, and facilities that would allow the club to host European games.[6]

Herzliya’s competitive significance rests chiefly on two State Cup victories separated by 27 years and its 2022 league-final run. The 1995 victory gave the club its first major title, while the 2022 campaign paired a second cup with a semifinal upset of reigning champion Maccabi Tel Aviv.[3][2]

The season also illustrated the club’s capacity to rebound from recent instability: it had played in the Leumit League two seasons earlier and then battled relegation before climbing near the top of the domestic standings under Oren Aharoni and Zufer Avdija.[11]

The 1995 State Cup final was marred by disturbances in the stands and on the court, including thrown bottles, one of which struck referee Asa Kaminer.[7][8] President Ezer Weizman took the microphone and warned the crowd, “If there isn’t order within a few minutes, you can stay here by yourselves and I’ll leave.”[8] The disturbance subsequently subsided.[8] After the game, arena staff stopped allowing spectators to bring plastic drink bottles into the stands, permitting cups instead.[7]