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Miron Ruina

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01In brief

Miron Ruina is a Finnish-born basketball center who has represented Israel’s youth national teams and played for several Israeli clubs. He scored 14 points and collected 14 rebounds in the final of the 2018 Under-20 European Championship, helping Israel defeat Croatia 80–66 and win its first title in the competition. He developed at Hapoel Jerusalem and later played for Hapoel Eilat, Gilboa Galil, Hapoel Galil Elyon and Hapoel Tel Aviv, where he spent the 2024–25 season.

02Early Life

Ruina was born in Finland and grew up in Moshav Neve Ilan.[2] He developed at Hapoel Jerusalem.[4] By 2018, he was known primarily for his defensive presence, while also making substantial offensive progress and becoming an effective finisher near the basket for Israel’s under-20 national team.[4]

03Career

Ruina represented Israel at youth level and was a member of the under-20 team that won the European Championship in July 2018 in Chemnitz, Germany.[1][3] Israel lost its opening game to Germany before winning six consecutive games to secure the championship.[3] Ruina averaged 9.3 points per game during the tournament, contributing to a distributed scoring effort in which several teammates averaged double figures.[5]

In the final against Croatia, Ruina recorded 14 points and 14 rebounds as Israel won 80–66.[3] His contributions included finishing a basket after an assist from Michael Brisker, making a block and scoring on a put-back after his own missed shot.[3] He also scored in the fourth quarter as Israel maintained its lead.[3]

Ruina was among Hapoel Eilat’s emerging players ahead of the 2020–21 Israeli basketball season.[6] In a 2020 Winner Cup quarterfinal against Hapoel Jerusalem, he scored three points in Eilat’s 93–80 defeat, including an early basket that tied the game in the first quarter.[7] During the season preceding June 2022, he appeared in 19 games, averaging 3.7 points in 15.2 minutes per game and shooting 46.7 percent on two-point attempts.[8] His contract negotiations with Eilat were close to breaking down in June 2022.[8]

His professional career also included Gilboa Galil and Hapoel Galil Elyon.[1] In Galil Elyon’s first victory of the 2023–24 campaign, Ruina scored 12 points and collected 12 rebounds in an 88–71 win over Hapoel Haifa.[9] Galil Elyon pulled away after Haifa had reduced the halftime margin to one point.[9] Across the season before his move to Hapoel Tel Aviv, he averaged 5.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in nearly 20 minutes per game for Galil Elyon.[2]

Ruina signed for Hapoel Tel Aviv in 2024 at the age of 26.[2] During the 2024–25 league season, he appeared in eight games and averaged 2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.3 assists in 5.8 minutes per game.[1] He left after one season with the club, during which Hapoel Tel Aviv won the EuroCup.[1]

04Legacy

Ruina’s 14-point, 14-rebound performance formed part of Israel’s first Under-20 European Championship victory.[3] After the championship, he declared: “There is Israeli basketball; it’s not just foreigners.”[5] On his departure from Hapoel Tel Aviv in August 2025, the club thanked him for his “heart, sacrifice and energy” on the court.[1]

Sources

  1. 1Sport5, Hapoel Tel Aviv parted ways with Miron Ruina, accessed on November 11, 2026.
  2. 2The Jerusalem Post, Hapoel Tel Aviv set on redemption this offseason, accessed on November 11, 2026.
  3. 3Ynet, Historic achievement: the Under-20 national team are European champions, accessed on November 11, 2026.
  4. 4Walla! Sport, Etched forever: the 12 remarkable players behind a historic moment in Israeli basketball, accessed on November 11, 2026.
  5. 5Walla! Sport, Versatile, team-oriented and dominant: the numbers that brought the Under-20 team the European Championship, accessed on November 11, 2026.
  6. 6The Jerusalem Post, Examining Israel's basketball teams and new players before season start, accessed on November 11, 2026.
  7. 7ONE, With ease: Hapoel Jerusalem cruised to an 80–93 win over Eilat, accessed on November 11, 2026.
  8. 8ONE, Due to the demand for Israelis: Eilat may sign 5 foreign players, accessed on November 11, 2026.
  9. 9The Jerusalem Post, Hapoel Jerusalem seals 1st place in group, accessed on November 11, 2026.

IsraelPedia Question & Answers

  • Who is Miron Ruina?

    Miron Ruina is a Finnish-born basketball center who represented Israel’s youth national teams and played for several Israeli clubs. He developed at Hapoel Jerusalem and later played for Hapoel Eilat, Gilboa Galil, Hapoel Galil Elyon and Hapoel Tel Aviv.

  • What did Miron Ruina do in the 2018 Under-20 European Championship final?

    Miron Ruina scored 14 points and collected 14 rebounds in Israel’s 80–66 win over Croatia in the 2018 Under-20 European Championship final. Israel won its first title in the competition.

  • How did Israel reach the 2018 Under-20 European Championship title?

    Israel lost its opening game to Germany before winning six consecutive games to secure the 2018 Under-20 European Championship. Miron Ruina averaged 9.3 points per game during the tournament, contributing to a team effort in which several teammates averaged double figures.

  • What were Miron Ruina’s statistics at Hapoel Galil Elyon?

    Before moving to Hapoel Tel Aviv, Miron Ruina averaged 5.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in nearly 20 minutes per game for Hapoel Galil Elyon. In the team’s first victory of the 2023–24 campaign, he scored 12 points and collected 12 rebounds in an 88–71 win over Hapoel Haifa.

  • How did Miron Ruina perform for Hapoel Tel Aviv?

    Miron Ruina appeared in eight league games for Hapoel Tel Aviv during the 2024–25 season, averaging 2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.3 assists in 5.8 minutes per game. He left after one season with the club, during which Hapoel Tel Aviv won the EuroCup.

  • What did Miron Ruina say after Israel won the 2018 Under-20 European Championship?

    After Israel won the 2018 Under-20 European Championship, Miron Ruina said, “There is Israeli basketball; it’s not just foreigners.”