Lior Eliyahu

Eliyahu was born in Ramat Gan, Israel, and grew up playing in the youth system of Maccabi Ironi Ramat Gan.[1][5] In an interview, he recalled that he had not been selected for Israel’s cadet or youth teams. He said he began to recognize his potential after Adah Ben Yaakov, then manager of the under-20 national team, told him that he was an important starting-five player; his development accelerated soon afterward.[3]

Coach Hanoch Mintz took Eliyahu to Hapoel Galil Elyon for the 2003–04 season, where he developed over three seasons and played well for Israel’s under-20 team.[5] He won a silver medal with the under-20 team in 2005.[6] By 2006, he was listed as a 2.06-meter forward who had spent the preceding three seasons with the Galil club.[7]

In the 2005–06 season, Eliyahu averaged 15.9 points and 5.9 rebounds, was named The Jerusalem Post’s BSL Young Player of the Year, and was selected for the FIBA EuroCup All-Star Game.[8] At age 20, he also had one year of military service remaining, as reported at the time.[7]

The Orlando Magic selected Eliyahu 44th overall in the second round of the 2006 NBA draft and transferred his rights to the Houston Rockets for cash considerations. Houston viewed him as a long-term prospect expected to continue developing in Europe. Watching the draft from his home in Israel, Eliyahu called the selection “the start of my lifelong goal” and said he needed to work to make it come true.[2] He never played in the NBA, and his rights later passed to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors.[1]

Eliyahu joined Maccabi Tel Aviv for the 2006–07 season. He received substantial playing time and averaged 10.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per EuroLeague game.[5] His role diminished the following season under coaches Oded Katash and Zvika Sherf, but he later returned to a more central role, averaging 14 points and 6.6 rebounds per EuroLeague game and 13.2 points and 4.7 rebounds in the Israeli league.[5] He played for Maccabi in the EuroLeague in 2008.[1]

In 2009, Eliyahu left Maccabi for Spanish club Caja Laboral Vitoria on a reported four-year contract.[9] He played one season in Spain and helped the team win the national championship, scoring 18 points in the final against Barcelona.[9] He later described the move as difficult, saying he felt isolated and that the experience left him with a psychological scar.[3]

Eliyahu returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2010 on a five-year contract.[9][5] The Jewish Virtual Library credits him with helping the club win four championships and three Israeli National Cups during his career there.[1] He was selected for the Israeli All-Star Game in 2011 and 2012 and named its MVP in 2011.[1] A 2017 report noted that he had appeared in seven consecutive Israeli Basketball Super League All-Star games and was then the only player to have participated in every edition since the event’s renewal in 2011.[10]

After leaving Maccabi, Eliyahu spent two months without a team before signing with Hapoel Jerusalem in 2013.[9] He played there for six seasons, helping the club win its first league championship in 2015 and another in 2017; he captained the team in his final season.[11] He was named league MVP in 2015.[4] Eliyahu later said that the Jerusalem championship brought him the greatest joy of his career, although he considered the Spanish title his greatest sporting achievement.[3] He also helped Jerusalem win the State Cup in February 2019.[11]

Eliyahu signed with Maccabi Ashdod in 2019 after his Jerusalem contract ended.[11] A finger injury in February 2020, the shutdown of league play during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the prospect of playing without spectators contributed to his decision to stop playing.[12] He said he had mentally reached the end of his career, though the formal announcement came later at a league ceremony.[12]

Eliyahu represented Israel at several international tournaments. He was part of the national-team roster for EuroBasket 2007 and scored 15 points against Spain.[13] He later said he had played in six consecutive European Championships.[9]

At EuroBasket 2015, Eliyahu scored 22 points, added six assists and five rebounds in Israel’s 79–66 win over Finland, and scored 10 important fourth-quarter points in the team’s 76–73 opening-game victory over Russia.[14] He retired from Israel’s senior national team in 2018, having played 160 games and scored 1,686 points.[6]

Eliyahu’s career honors include the Spanish championship with Caja Laboral and league and cup titles with Israeli clubs.[1][9] His most prominent individual recognition came in 2015, when he was named Israeli league MVP after helping Hapoel Jerusalem win its first championship.[4] He was also named Israeli league player of the season in 2012 and was identified as the league’s Israeli MVP in 2016.[11][15]

His performances for Hapoel Jerusalem included a 16-point, 12-rebound effort in a 2016 semifinal victory over Hapoel Eilat.[15]

Eliyahu played professional basketball for 17 years.[3] Looking back, he distinguished between the Spanish title as his greatest sporting achievement and the Jerusalem championship as the accomplishment that gave him the greatest happiness.[3] After his playing career, he joined his family’s real-estate business and opened a small woodworking shop in central Tel Aviv, which he described as a hobby; the family business remained his main source of income.[3]

Two public disputes punctuated Eliyahu’s career. In July 2008, after initially saying he would not play for Israel while Tzvika Sherf coached the national team, he agreed to rejoin the team’s preparations.[16] In April 2017, he was suspended from one Hapoel Jerusalem training session after a clash with the coaching staff, then returned to the lineup as Jerusalem defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv.[17][10]