Tribute to the Champs: Oz Blayzer

The playmaker's steady hand and cool head helped Hapoel navigate the challenging EuroCup waters

A simple peak at the 2024-25 statistics might suggest that veteran forward Oz Blayzer had a sporadic and a minimal role in Hapoel Shlomo’s Tel Aviv's BKT EuroCup-winning season. And his 16 appearances off the bench might strongly suggest so. Blayzer averaged 7:12 minutes per game this season, totaling 24 points and 19 rebounds. However, little do we know that without Blayzer, Hapoel might not have gone all the way.

Starting with Round 6, Blayzer appeared in all but one of the remaining regular-season games, and his most productive appearance was during 18 minutes in a 23-point road win against eventual EuroCup finalist Dreamland Gran Canaria. He had season highs with 5 points and 4 rebounds that night. Blayzer was a dependant role player for coach Dimitris Itoudis, happy to fill in any minutes and seconds needed.

But in a one-and-done quarterfinal tie against a dangerous Turk Telekom Ankara, Blayzer was asked to do something he has not done during the entire season – to step up in a close game. With a first-half injury to team captain Tomer Ginat, it was Blayzer’s number that was called. He spent 17 minutes on the floor, including seven minutes in the fourth quarter, and had a significant defensive contribution. It is hard to imagine how Hapoel, without the help of Blayzer, could have held Turk Telekom to just 5 points in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter, build a double-digit lead and hold on to it until the end.

Blayzer became an unsung hero, and a shining example of Hapoel’s team unity and the importance of a 12-man roster. Thanks to that, the 32-year-old Blayzer and Hapoel can call themselves EuroCup champions.