With one eye on its opening game in little more than a month, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv held the first Turkish Airlines EuroLeague media day of the new season at its home in Menora Mivtachim Arena on Thursday. Under the orders of head coach Oded Kattash for a second year in a row, Maccabi will look to go at least one step further than last season, when its quest for a return to the Final Four ended with a Game 5 loss in the playoffs to AS Monaco. 

 Maccabi hosts season's first media day! 

With one eye on its opening game in little more than a month, [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/games/tel/?season=2023-24) held the first Turkish Airlines EuroLeague media day of the new season at its home in Menora Mivtachim Arena on Thursday. Under the orders of head coach [Oded Kattash](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/tel/kattash-oded/?season=E2023) for a second year in a row, Maccabi will look to go at least one step further than last season, when its quest for a return to the Final Four ended with a Game 5 loss in the playoffs to AS Monaco.

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### Homecoming for Tamir Blatt

To improve upon that outcome, Maccabi tweaked its roster with four new arrivals, among them up-and-coming point guard [Tamir Blatt](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tamir-blatt/011193/), who traded the yellow of ALBA Berlin for that of his home country's most famous club over the summer. Blatt, whose father David coached Maccabi to its last EuroLeague title in 2014, proved happy to be back in Israel and wearing Maccabi's shade of yellow for the first time on Thursday.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The new signing is happy to be here 👏 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/tkXKNwNAXC">pic.twitter.com/tkXKNwNAXC</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1697213682961334502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 



### Dynamic duo in demand

One of the best backcourt duos on the Old Continent last season, [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) and [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/lorenzo-brown/009622/), were naturally in demand on media day to answer questions about their ambitions in a second season together with Maccabi. Baldwin, when asked, had no doubt what game he has marked on his EuroLeague calendar: the [season opener at home against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2023/4/#roster). "As a competitor," Baldwin said, "I can't wait to get out there and play."

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What are these two looking at? 👀 <a href="https://t.co/52qFLgsfKn">pic.twitter.com/52qFLgsfKn</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1697258277556629769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

### Cohen's special ties to EuroLeagueTV

Like all the other players, Baldwin and Brown went through their paces in photo shoots and posing for the cameras to prepare some of the best broadcasts in basketball for EuroLeague fans in the upcoming season. That includes the unique second career of center Jake Cohen, who debuted The Players View on EuroLeagueTV last season by commentating on games of other EuroLeague teams all the way to the Final Four!