Israeli Basketball Premier League Finals MVP

Israel's professional basketball league comprises eleven teams, based predominantly in central Israeli cities, with additional clubs in Haifa, Ashkelon, and Ashdod.[1] Maccabi Tel Aviv is historically the league's most successful franchise.[1]

Reports identify an outstanding player following the championship game or series, but terminology varies between “MVP of the final,” “Finals MVP,” and “MVP of the final series.”[2][3] The available sources do not describe a single formal selection process or set of criteria. This article therefore treats players as confirmed recipients only when a report explicitly identifies them as the MVP of the final, finals, or full championship series.

The reviewed sources do not establish a formal creation date for the award, but they document it no later than the 2019/20 season. That championship was decided through a Final Four, with Amar'e Stoudemire named MVP of the single title game after Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Maccabi Rishon LeZion 86–81.[2]

Sport 1 reported that the league would leave the Final Four format and move to playoff series the following season.[2] The change expanded the potential scope of the honor from one championship game to a multi-game final series.

2019/20 — Amar'e Stoudemire: Stoudemire was named MVP of the final after Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Maccabi Rishon LeZion 86–81 in the Final Four championship game at Yad Eliyahu.[4][2] He finished with 18 points on 8-for-11 shooting and seven rebounds.[2] In the closing stretch, with Maccabi holding only a one-point lead, Stoudemire drew Darryl Monroe's fifth foul and converted two free throws to help seal the victory.[2] He was also described as Maccabi's playoff MVP that season.[4] Stoudemire, who received Israeli citizenship in 2019, won two Israeli league championships during his tenure and was named an All-Star twice.[5]

2020/21 — Scottie Wilbekin: Wilbekin was named finals MVP after Maccabi Tel Aviv claimed its 55th league title and fourth consecutive championship, defeating Hapoel Gilboa Galil 73–67 in the deciding Game 3 of a 2–1 series.[6][3] Wilbekin scored 19 points in the clincher, including 16 in the first half, and was described as taking control from the opening stages.[3] He helped Maccabi build a 42–29 halftime advantage on the way to the title.[6]

2021/22 — Joe Ragland: Ragland earned series MVP honors when Hapoel Holon defeated Bnei Herzliya 2–0 to win the 2022 championship, clinching the title with a 90–74 victory.[7][8] Across the two finals games, Ragland recorded 18 points and nine assists in the opener and 23 points and seven assists in the clincher.[8] The title was Holon's second Israeli championship and its first since 2008.[8] A subsequent report also associated the series MVP honor with Ragland's 2021–2023 tenure at Hapoel Holon.[9]

2022/23 — Wade Baldwin: Baldwin was named MVP of the 2023 final series after Maccabi Tel Aviv beat Hapoel Tel Aviv 94–90 in Game 3 to win the finals 2–1 and capture its 56th league championship.[10][11] Maccabi had been routed 112–74 in Game 2 and then surrendered a 15-point fourth-quarter lead in Game 3 before recovering to win.[11] Baldwin scored 22 points and added eight assists in the clincher; teammate Lorenzo Brown also scored 22 points.[10] Baldwin said the team had regained its calm and increased its energy before the deciding game.[12]

2023/24 — Roman Sorkin: Sorkin was named MVP of the 2023/24 final series as Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Tel Aviv 2–1, winning the deciding game 82–74 to claim its 57th title and second consecutive championship.[13] In the clinching game, he scored 19 points and collected nine rebounds.[13] Sorkin had also been named the league's regular-season MVP that season.[13]

The 2024/25 season concluded without a champion being named. Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem were tied 1–1 in the best-of-three finals when the scheduled deciding game could not be played amid hostilities with Iran.[14] The league administration unanimously ended the season without declaring a champion, and the report did not identify a finals or series MVP.[14]

The source record uses related but not identical labels. Sport 1 called Stoudemire the “MVP of the final” following the single-game 2020 Final Four championship, while a Jerusalem Post profile described him as both Finals MVP and Maccabi's playoff MVP.[4][2] Sport 1 identified Wilbekin as MVP of the 2021 final series.[3] Ynet subsequently called Ragland the MVP of the 2022 final, Baldwin the MVP of the 2023 final series, and Sorkin the MVP of the 2024 series.[8][12][13]

Because the available reports do not describe a common voting body, ballot, or formal criteria, each designation must be read according to its stated scope.[2] A single-game MVP reference does not by itself establish a full-series award, whereas an explicit “series MVP” or “Finals MVP” designation supports inclusion in the documented recipient list.

The award record highlights players who delivered pivotal championship performances. Stoudemire, a six-time NBA All-Star, contributed 18 points and seven rebounds in the 2020 final, including decisive late free throws.[4][2] Wilbekin scored 19 points in the 2021 clincher, while Ragland combined scoring and playmaking across both games of Holon's 2022 championship sweep.[3][8]

Baldwin recorded 22 points and eight assists in the 2023 deciding game, and Sorkin followed with 19 points and nine rebounds in the 2024 clincher.[10][13] The recipients provide a record of influential individual performances across both single-game and series-based championship formats.

The principal ambiguity concerns the scope of particular MVP designations. In 2024, The Jerusalem Post called Sorkin the MVP of Game 3 and separately identified him as the regular-season league MVP; it did not call him the series MVP.[15] Ynet explicitly named him MVP of the series, supporting his inclusion among the confirmed recipients.[13]

For the 2025/26 championship, The Jerusalem Post reported that Iffe Lundberg earned Most Valuable Player honors in Game 4 and scored 21 points as Maccabi Tel Aviv won 83–79 to complete a 3–1 series victory.[16] The report did not explicitly call him the Finals or series MVP, so he is not listed as a confirmed full-series recipient. The preceding 2024/25 season produced no comparable designation because the finals ended without a champion.[14]