Israeli Basketball Premier League Quintet

Israel's Basketball Premier League is the country's leading professional basketball competition. Its clubs have been concentrated mainly in central Israel, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Herzliya, with clubs also represented in Haifa, Ashkelon, and Ashdod.[5] Maccabi Tel Aviv has historically dominated the competition and remains its most successful club.[5]

In 2006, the league introduced a rule requiring at least two Israelis to be on the court at all times, a measure adopted in the context of efforts by other clubs to narrow the competitive gap with Maccabi Tel Aviv.[8] Attempts to enforce a salary cap had previously failed, and no other team could match Maccabi's financial resources and ability to attract top talent.[8]

The cited record does not establish when the quintet designation began. It documents editorial all-star choices by sports outlets in 2018/19 and 2022.[1][2] By 2023/24 and 2024/25, league award events were presenting official first-team quintets.[3][4] These lists therefore should not be read as products of one unchanged voting system.

2018/19 Season

Sport5's first quintet for 2018/19 comprised John DiBartolomeo of Maccabi Tel Aviv, Corey Walden of Hapoel Holon, James Feldeine of Hapoel Jerusalem, Tomer Ginat of Hapoel Tel Aviv, and Suleiman Braimoh of Hapoel Eilat.[1] DiBartolomeo was credited with a two-way contribution that included 37% three-point shooting and a career-best scoring average.[1] Walden averaged 18.5 points and 5.1 assists per game and was also named season MVP.[1] Ginat recorded 13.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game and set what was described as a historical record with a 21-rebound performance in a derby.[1] Ginat was also named outstanding Israeli player.[1]

The second quintet for that season included Scotty Wilbekin of Maccabi Tel Aviv, Elijah Bryant, Guy Pnini of Hapoel Holon, Tal Dun, and Tyshawn Thomas of Hapoel Jerusalem.[1] Maccabi's record was 24–3 with Wilbekin in the lineup and 2–3 without him.[1] Dun averaged 11.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists, while Thomas was also named defensive player of the season.[1]

2022 Season

Walla's 2022 first quintet featured Scotty Wilbekin of Maccabi Tel Aviv, Jalen Adams of Hapoel Jerusalem, Chris Johnson of Hapoel Holon, Nimrod Levi of Hapoel Galil Elyon, and Chinanu Onuaku of Bnei Herzliya.[2] Wilbekin averaged 11.2 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.1 rebounds, with his importance to Maccabi described as extending beyond his statistics.[2] Adams averaged 15.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists and was also named sixth man of the season.[2] Johnson averaged 12.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.1 steals and was additionally honored as defensive player of the season.[2]

Levi shot 34.4% from three while averaging 12.9 points and 7.4 rebounds. Onuaku averaged 15.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists, earning player of the season honors as well; his season also included a 50 efficiency rating in the State Cup final.[2] The 2022 second quintet consisted of Retin Obasohan of Hapoel Jerusalem, Michael Brisker of Hapoel Galil Elyon, Chris Babb of Bnei Herzliya, James Young of Hapoel Tel Aviv, and Ante Žižić of Maccabi Tel Aviv.[2]

2023/24 Season

The first quintet for 2023/24 comprised Roman Sorkin of Maccabi Tel Aviv, Tomer Ginat of Hapoel Tel Aviv, Roi Huber of Hapoel Galil Elyon, Levi Randolph of Hapoel Jerusalem, and Amin Stevens of Ironi Kiryat Ata.[7][3] Sorkin received a consensus in the MVP vote among players and panelists, with Bar Timor also receiving votes; both Sorkin and Timor appeared in most of the season quintets submitted.[6] Kyle Alexander received the majority of defensive player votes, and Ben Saraf was named discovery of the season.[6]

The second quintet consisted of Tamir Blatt of Maccabi Tel Aviv, Adam Ariel of Maccabi Ramat Gan, Justin Smith of Hapoel Holon, Jaylen Hoard of Hapoel Tel Aviv, and James Batemon of Ironi Kiryat Ata.[7][3] Sorkin collected both the MVP and Israeli Player of the Season awards, while Sharon Avrahami was named coach of the season.[3]

2024/25 Season

The 2024/25 first quintet — one player from each of five different clubs — comprised Jared Harper of Hapoel Jerusalem, Kendall McCollum of Maccabi Ramat Gan, Gur Lavi of Hapoel Gilboa Galil, Roman Sorkin of Maccabi Tel Aviv, and Jonathan Motley of Hapoel Tel Aviv.[4] Harper was named league MVP, and Lavi took both the Israeli Player of the Season and Most Improved Player awards.[4] McCollum did not attend the awards event.[4]

An end-of-season quintet names five players as a first-team lineup. Coverage often pairs it with a second quintet: Sport5 did so in its 2018/19 review, and Walla did the same in its 2022 selections.[1][2] The league's 2023/24 gala likewise announced official first and second teams alongside MVP, Israeli Player of the Season, Coach of the Season, and other honors.[3] The 2024/25 gala announced a first quintet and other individual awards, although the report did not list a second team.[4]

The selection process has not been uniform across seasons. For 2018/19, the lists were Sport5 writers' choices, while Walla's 2022 coverage similarly presented the outlet's own selections.[1][2] In May 2024, shortly before the playoffs, Sport5 reported that league players and quintet panelists selected their season standouts after the regular season and group stages had concluded.[6] The 2024/25 awards report did not identify who voted for the quintet.[4]

Recent league awards have been presented at gala events. The 2024/25 ceremony was held at Zappa in Herzliya, named in memory of Eric Alfasi, and streamed on ONE.[4] Harper said he was happy in Jerusalem and wished to lead the team to further achievements; Lavi said he had dreamed of such a season but had not imagined it would unfold as it did.[4]

The 2023/24 awards ceremony carried a particularly charged atmosphere. League chairman Ari Steinberg noted that the season had begun on October 6, 2023, and that the following day "the entire country turned upside down."[7] The league had considered relocating games to Cyprus before ultimately proceeding in Israel and working around security-related challenges.[7] At the ceremony, families of people killed or taken hostage on October 7 and injured soldiers presented the awards alongside league officials.[7]

Eran Ratzabi, an injured IDF soldier who used a wheelchair after being wounded in Gaza, presented Sorkin's MVP award. Yehuda Yehoshua, whose son Ido fell in the October 7 battle of the Gaza periphery, presented Huber's first-team honor, and Eli Shativi, father of hostage Idan Shativi, presented Stevens's award.[7] Stevens thanked Kiryat Ata for "dealing with me for three years" and helping him grow as a player.[7]

In May 2026, the league canceled its planned season-awards gala, which had been scheduled for May 29.[9] The league cited recent events and a need to restore trust and repair divisions within Israeli basketball, stating that it would seek a more modest time and format to present the season's awards.[9] The cancellation report said that a preceding strike by Israeli players had resulted in five games being played without senior Israeli players; it did not list quintet selections.[9]