Roll Call

Ish Wainright's first season in the EuroCup would be one to remember and it finished with him holding the trophy – for the first championship of his professional career. 

Tribute to the champs: Ish Wainright

No player on the freshly-crowned BKT EuroCup champs has a greater discrepancy between his value and his stats than [Ish Wainright](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ishmail-carzell-wainright/013284/). The forward was among the Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv leaders in appearances and minutes, though he did little to stand out in the box score.

What he did, however, was play rugged defense, make clever plays at both ends, stretch the floor with his outside shooting and serve as the ultimate glue-guy on a winning team. Whenever there was a charge to be taken or a loose ball to dive for, Wainright was at the heart of the action.

For the season, Wainright averaged 5.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals over 24 games – including 20 in the starting lineup. His best offensive game came in his second appearance when Wainright totaled 13 points on 3-of-7 three-point shooting and 4 assists against Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius. In the penultimate regular-season game, Wainright posted 8 points and a season-high 8 rebounds against Trefl Sopot for a personal-best PIR of 15.

In the postseason, Wainright had a positive plus/minus rating in five of Hapoel's six games, including both games in the finals against Dreamland Gran Canaria. Wainright's first season in the EuroCup would be one to remember and it finished with him holding the trophy – for the first championship of his professional career.

Tribute to the Champs

Hapoel's glue guy won the first championship of his career

With Hapoel Tel Aviv BC having hoisted the EuroCup trophy, it’s hard to imagine the team’s championship run without the mid-season addition of Yam Madar.

Tribute to the Champs: Yam Madar

When [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) brought [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/) back to the club from [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/) in early December, the team likely had high hopes for the impact the young point guard – a former EuroLeague Rising Star winner – could make. Now, with Hapoel having hoisted the BKT EuroCup trophy, it’s hard to imagine the team’s championship run without the mid-season addition of Madar.

It didn't take long for Madar to start shining. He had a career game already in just his second appearance since returning to the club, posting career highs in scoring and index rating with 28 points and a 41 PIR during a Round 11 road loss at Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius. But the very next week Hapoel was already on a run of six wins in seven games, which propelled the team to second place in its group.

Madar averaged 14.3 points on 56.5% three-point shooting, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals in the second half of the regular season, but he might have displayed his best basketball in the best-of-three semifinal series against Valencia Basket, a series that [saw him named the Semifinals MVP](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/semifinals-mvp-yam-madar-hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/).

In the first two games of the series, Madar posted 20.5 points, 6.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals, then overcame an injury to play 29 minutes in the deciding Game 3 and help Hapoel reach the EuroCup Finals.

Madar continued playing despite a knee injury, sacrificing for a team that had the chance to make history, and in a 2-0 series sweep against Dreamland Gran Canaria he averaged 13.0 points, making a total of 6 triples on 8 attempts, while posting 5.5 assists as Hapoel climbed the throne.

The math is quite simple. Before Madar’s arrival, Hapoel scored more than 82 points in four of its nine games. With Madar in the lineup, Hapoel scored more than 82 points in 11 of its 13 games. And now, both the club and the player can proudly carry the title of being a EuroCup champion.

More Hapoel Tel Aviv News

A mid-season signing, he lifted Hapoel’s offense and played arguably the best basketball of his career

He might not receive the same acclaim as some of his teammates, but Bar Timor – one of six Israelis in coach Dimitris Itoudis’s rotation – was a key contributor in Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv’s run to the 2024–25 BKT EuroCup championship.

Tribute to the Champs: Bar Timor

He might not receive the same acclaim as some of his teammates, but [Bar Timor](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/bar-timor/004846/) – one of six Israelis in coach Dimitris Itoudis’s rotation – was a key contributor in [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/)’s run to the 2024–25 BKT EuroCup championship.

After missing Round 1, the 33-year-old Timor played in every game en route to the title, starting four times in 23 appearances and averaging 17:51 minutes per night. He posted 5.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.8 steals per game for the eventual champions.

Timor scored in double digits four times during the regular season, peaking with 15 points in Round 3 against Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul. His best performance by index rating came in Round 13 at Dreamland Gran Canaria, where he tallied 14 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and a PIR of 19.

Crucially, Timor brought experience to a revamped Hapoel squad, having been with the club since 2020 and part of its EuroCup journey since 2022. He also provided valuable minutes to help rest key players such as Yam Madar, Antonio Blakeney, Marcus Foster, and, earlier in the season, Joe Ragland. In fact, only Timor and Tomer Ginat remain from the 2022–23 roster — Hapoel’s first season in the EuroCup.

While his stats dipped in the postseason, Timor remained a steady presence when called upon — helping guide Hapoel to the 2024–25 EuroCup title, the first continental trophy in the club’s history.

The veteran guard played an important role off the bench for Hapoel this season

Marcus Bingham's meteoric rise was interrupted this season and his role dwindled by the end of the playoffs, but the promising big man was nonetheless a factor in Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv's march to the BKT EuroCup crown

Tribute to the Champs: Marcus Bingham

[Marcus Bingham](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marcus-bingham/013506/)'s meteoric rise was interrupted this season and his role dwindled by the end of the playoffs, but the promising big man was nonetheless a factor in Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv's march to the BKT EuroCup crown and is considered a building block for the future. 

Faced with a shortage of frontcourt players in November, Hapoel pried Bingham away from fellow Israeli club Hapoel Holon, with which the 24-year-old was putting up monster numbers. By his second game, Bingham scored [11 points in 16 minutes against Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-overpowers-joventut-95-70/) and he followed that with [12 points in 13 minutes against Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/wolves-bounce-back-to-down-hapoel-104-100/). 

However, he soon had [a bout of pericarditis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoels-marcus-bingham-to-miss-time/), which is the inflammation of the tissue around the heart, and missed the rest of the regular season.

Even when he returned, Bingham played limited minutes in the postseason, but he made the most of every play. Had he featured in enough games to qualify, Bingham would have been the runaway EuroCup leader in blocks on a per-minute basis and ranked eighth in steals with 4.6 and 2.8, respectively, prorated over 40 minutes. He finished the season averaging 4.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 1.1 blocks over 9:34 minutes in nine appearances. 

Bingham saw action in all six of Hapoel's postseason games and used his length and athleticism to be a disruptor at both ends, whether throwing down slams or shutting down the opponents' attack. And now he has a EuroCup crown to show for his efforts.

The midseason addition made the most of every play in his first EuroCup campaign  

Tribute to the Champs: Marcus Bingham  

Antonio Blakeney ranked second in the EuroCup in scoring on a per-minute basis with an average of 26.7 points over 40 minutes. And now, for the first time in his professional career, Blakeney is a champion, too. 

Tribute to the Champs: Antonio Blakeney

Some say that "timing is everything". For [Antonio Blakeney](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/antonio-blakeney/013402/) in the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup, that was certainly the case. 

The guard had his best stretch of the season when it mattered most, playing a decisive role for Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in the semifinals and the finals to lead the club to glory. Blakeney had three of his four best-scoring games all season in the final stretch with 22 points in Game 2 of the semifinals, 32 in Game 3 and 27 in the deciding game of the finals. He tied for the finals lead in scoring (22.0 ppg.), steals (1.5 spg.) and PIR (23.5). 

Scoring in bunches is what Blakeney does best and that is exactly what he did for Hapoel in the finals. In the series opener, he scored 10 of his 17 points in the first quarter and then in Game 2 he erupted for 18 points in the third quarter.

Blakeney was a mid-season addition, who debuted in the EuroCup in Round 7. He found his rhythm during a stretch between Rounds 10 and 14 when he averaged 16.2 points on 52.2% three-point shooting, but then cooled off and did not score at all in three of his next four appearances. However, Coach Dimitris Itoudis encouraged him to work harder and when the playoffs arrived, Blakeney was ready for primetime. He finished the season averaging 13.4 points per game and ranked [second in the EuroCup in scoring on a per-minute basis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2024&statisticMode=perMinute&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=score) with an average of 26.7 points over 40 minutes. And now, for the first time in his professional career, Blakeney is a champion, too.

The instant-offense guard was at his best in the biggest games of the season

Tribute to the Champs: Antonio Blakeney 

By leading Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv to the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup championship, Coach Dimitris Itoudis became the fourth man to ever guide clubs to glory in both the EuroCup and the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Dimitris Itoudis has joined a select club of coaches

By leading Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv to the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup championship, Coach Dimitris Itoudis became the fourth man to ever guide clubs to glory in both the EuroCup and the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

It was an unusual campaign for Itoudis. When he took the coaching reins at Hapoel from his former assistant coach Stefanos Dedas in November, it marked the first time in his coaching career that Itoudis had joined a team midseason. And then he led Hapoel to 12 wins in its final 15 games.

Itoudis helped Hapoel finish second in Regular Season Group B before the team skipped past Turk Telekom Ankara, Valencia Basket and Dreamland Gran Canaria - going 5-1 in the playoffs - to lift the trophy. He joined Dusan Ivkovic, David Blatt and Ergin Ataman as the only coaches to win both the EuroLeague and EuroCup.

Itoudis had previously won EuroLeague titles as head coach of CSKA Moscow in 2016 and 2019. He has five more EuroLeague crowns as Zeljko Obradovic's top assistant coach with Panathinaikos Athens (2000, 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011).

"I was surprised I didn't know about that. That's another blessing. The fans know my relation with the late Dusan, "Duda" and his family, Nena \[Ivkovic's wife\], Petar and Pavle \[his sons\]. And being among also great coaches like David and also Ergin, it's a blessing," Ivkovic said after the last game of the finals on Friday. "I'm proud to be among this great group of coaches: Dusan, Ergin and David."

The late Ivkovic was the first coach to win both titles. In 1997, he led Olympiacos to the EuroLeague crown by downing FC Barcelona 73-58 in the championship game. Almost a decade later, Ivkovic helped Dynamo Moscow become one of the first champions in EuroCup history. Dynamo defeated Aris Thessaloniki 73-60 in the 2006 EuroCup final. Ivkovic went on to lift the EuroLeague trophy for the second time with Olympiacos in 2012.

David Blatt was the second coach to join this club. He led Maccabi Tel Aviv to the 2014 EuroLeague championship, beating Real Madrid 86-98 in overtime in the championship game behind an outstanding effort from Final Four MVP Tyrese Rice. Coach Blatt went on to lift the EuroCup with Darussafaka Istanbul in 2018, defeating heavy favorite and previously undefeated Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar 0-2 in the best-of-three finals. Rice is also a EuroLeague and EuroCup champion as a player: in 2015, he led Khimki Moscow Region to EuroCup glory as the season and Final Four MVP.

By the time Coach Blatt joined the club, Ergin Ataman was already a EuroCup champion. He claimed the EuroCup with Galatasaray Istanbul after beating Strasbourg in the two-game total-points finals in 2016. Ataman then won back-to-back EuroLeague crowns with Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 2021 and 2022 and again celebrated by winning the trophy with Panathinaikos last season.

Ataman, Blatt and Ivkovic also won other European competitions in which Itoudis has never coached or been a part of as head coach. Ivkovic won Korac Cup titles with Partizan Belgrade in 1979 and PAOK Thessaloniki in 1994 and a Cup Winners' Cup with AEK Athens in 2000. Blatt lifted the EuroChallenge trophy with Dynamo St. Petersburg in 2005. Ataman led Mens Sana Siena to the Saporta Cup in 2002 and also won the EuroChallenge with Besiktas in 2012.

By leading Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv to the BKT EuroCup crown, Coach Itoudis reached a new milestone in his career

After being named as the EuroCup Finals MVP, Hapoel Tel Aviv BC star Johnathan Motley reflected on what felt like an "out of body" experience.

Johnathan Motley lived 'out of body' experience as EuroCup Finals MVP

Athletes envision themselves performing their craft beforehand so that when the moment comes they are able to remain calm under all the pressure. [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/) did exactly that before the BKT EuroCup Finals and it was the reason why the [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) center was so relaxed after being named the Finals MVP. 

Motley was outstanding in both games of the Finals and was the logical choice as MVP, especially after he scored 26 points to go with 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal for a PIR of 28 in [Hapoel’s 94-103 win over Dreamland Gran Canaria in Game 2](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-sweeps-gran-canaria-for-first-eurocup-title-and-ticket-to-euroleague/). The big man tied a EuroCup Finals record of 12 free throws made and set a new best mark with 16 free throws attempted. 

“I am just happy we got it done,” said Motley, who tallied 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in the Game 1 win. 

“I was very confident in my team. We work really hard. We have a great locker room. Everybody trusts each other."

Motley added after the trophy ceremony: “Right now, I am surprisingly calm … I envisioned myself doing the trophy thing all week. It’s just crazy that I am in it right now. It’s kind of out of body right now.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">MVP 👹 <a href="https://t.co/WSG3dQLFBX">pic.twitter.com/WSG3dQLFBX</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1910828496416284934?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The great showing in the Finals was not a surprise as Motley has shined all season, grabbing a spot on the 2024-25 BKT All-EuroCup First Team. 

“It was a difficult season, every game was away. But the fans came out. And we have a great locker room. We all love each other. We all don’t care who does what. We all instill confidence in each other. That's what made us get to this point,” said Motley. 

The 29-year-old played two seasons in the EuroLeague with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. Now he can start envisaging himself playing at that level again. 

Game News

The big man showed all season why he is one of the best players in the competition

Johnathan Motley lived 'out of body' experience as EuroCup Finals MVP 

Dreamland Gran Canaria v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2025-04-11T19:00:00.000Z)

Congratulations to Yonatan Deutsch, our 25th and final winner in the 2024-25 EuroCup Fantasy Challenge! Yonatan's team, 'hapoel 76ers', posted a score of 182.80.

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge: Finals Game 2 winner

Congratulations to Yonatan Deutsch, our 25th and final winner in the 2024-25 EuroCup Fantasy Challenge! Yonatan's team, 'hapoel 76ers', posted a score of 182.80.

Yonatan had the following starting lineup: Johnathan Motley of Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv as team captain, then his teammates Antonio Blakeney, Yam Madar and Tomer Ginat, as well as Nico Brussino of Dreamland Gran Canaria. George Conditt of Gran Canaria was the sixth man.

The head coach of Nikolaos's team was Hapoel's Dimitris Itoudis, and the four bench players were all from Gran Canaria: John Shurna, Andrew Albicy and Joe Thomasson of Gran Canaria, as well as Noam Yaacov of Hapoel.

The prize for finishing first in the 24th round of the EuroCup Fantasy Challenge is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Yonatan!

The winner of the overall standings is Milos Mihajlovic and his squad, 'BallIsLife', which has a total of 4,023.35 points.

During its series-clinching win in the EuroCup Finals, Hapoel Tel Aviv set a number of records.

Hapoel Tel Aviv broke EuroCup Finals records for most points, most triples 

[Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) made history in some style as [its Game 2 victory over Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-sweeps-gran-canaria-for-first-eurocup-title-and-ticket-to-euroleague/) to clinch the BKT EuroCup title set two major records – the most points scored and most three-pointers made in a Finals game – and a number of other marks were eclipsed or nearly broken.

Hapoel poured on the offensive firepower in sweeping Gran Canaria for its first EuroCup trophy with a 94-103 victory. Those 103 points topped the previous high of 95 points scored by ALBA Berlin against Valencia Basket in Game 2 of the 2019 Finals. Gran Canaria, which had not scored more than 66 points in any of the games against Hapoel this season, also came close to matching the previous record. 

Hapoel drained 15 three-pointers on 26 attempts in the victory for a blistering hot 57.7% to break the record of 14 triples made by Valencia in Game 2 against ALBA in the 2019 Finals. The 57.7% was just off the best three-point shooting percentage of 60.0% by Valencia against Krka Novo Mesto in Game 2 of the 2003 Finals.   

[Antonio Blakeney](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/antonio-blakeney/013402/) hit 5 three-pointers en route to 27 points for Hapoel – both stats were just off tying Finals records. Four players have scored 28 points in a Finals game while three players have knocked down 6 triples in a game. 

“It was great. This is what we play for – to win titles. This is my first title as a professional. Words cannot explain how happy I am,” said Blakeney. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">לקואץ׳ יש משהו להגיד לכם 🗣️ <a href="https://t.co/F4HdY9IoLK">pic.twitter.com/F4HdY9IoLK</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1910809531388428407?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

There was an individual three-point record set as Hapoel’s [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/) connected on 4 of 4 from long range and finished with 16 points. It was the most three-pointers made without a miss – the previous best being 2 of 2, which was done three times. 

Hapoel big man [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/), who took home the Finals MVP award, tied one record and set another from the free-throw line. He beat the mark for most foul shots attempted with 16 –  the previous record being 13 by TJ Shorts of Paris Basketball in Game 2 in 2024. And Motley made 12 shots from the charity stripe, evening the record with Bojan Popovic of Dynamo Moscow in 2006. 

All told, Hapoel registered a team performance index rating of 114, which was just 2 off the record of Valencia’s 116 against ALBA in Game 3 in 2019. 

Hapoel also joined Unicaja Malaga as the second team to win the EuroCup title after being down 1-0 in a best-of-three series. The Israel side won the final two games against Valencia Basket in the semifinals to reach its first Finals. 

Other team and individual marks were set, while others were close to being broken

Check out what the Hapoel Tel Aviv BC players had to say after winning the 2025 EuroCup championship.

Champions' quotes: Hapoel Tel Aviv

### Ish Wainright, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv forward

"This is the first title in my collegiate or professional career. I won with Mot \[Johnathan Motley\] and we said, 'We finally got one together'. This is an unbelievable feeling. We broke records!? Wow, I didn't know about that. That was a hell of a game. Hell of a team. Much respect for that team, Gran Canaria is a great team. This is unbelievable. Our chemistry is amazing. We don't care who scores, we don't care who brings the ball up, we locked in on defense. We had a slip-up every now and then, but we were locked in."

### Bruno Caboclo, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv center

"It's been amazing. Our team went through ups and downs, a lot of changes, but we managed to keep the locker room healthy. Every playoff game was a big battle. I'm so relieved to be able to win the championship. We have great players, a great coach as well. Great staff, great medical team. I think everybody was part of this. The fans as well. Everything helped us to get to here. \[Going to the EuroLeague\] is a big thing for the history of the club, so I'm very happy to be part of this and to keep going with this story."

### Yam Madar, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv guard

"For sure, that was the goal from the beginning when I arrived at Hapoel: to make it to the EuroLeague. The road was very difficult. We've been through a lot. We didn't play so good at the beginning. To see how everything and how the journey summed up to a point where we actually made it after 2-0, playing great basketball, being together, everyone happy for each other. Behind us is an unbelievable community that was waiting for a title for 52 years. To bring them a title after 52 years is something unbelievable. You see the guys over here and we have so many others in Israel watching us. We're just happy for them. I just tried to do whatever I can to bring this team to the EuroLeague. It is 100% \[special\]. I know that by playing I'm risking my career, my knee. But it was a no-brainer for me to come and just to do whatever I can just to try to help this team win. I am just happy, a lot of teammates came over here tonight and played great. It's a really special group."

### Antonio Blakeney, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv guard

"It feels great. Obviously winning is the main thing, but we won this way and it feels great. We stayed together. We've got a team right now where everyone likes each other, everyone knows each other's game, so it's easy to play well like that. I'm always a confident guy, but definitely that boosted my confidence \[his big quarter against Valencia\], and my teammates really keep me confident. Whether I'm missing or making, they always motivate me."

### Marcus Foster, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv guard

"It feels so amazing. There's ups and downs throughout the season. Sometimes you feel like you might not even get to this point, and we got here, we did it, so it feels amazing. I think just our focus and off the court, our relationship with each other, and just understanding each other that we're going to have problems but we've got to figure out how to get through them. And defensively, we stepped up. They made runs and we figured out a way to still win. I mean, when you look down the line, you've got Antonio Blakeney, Yam Madar, Ish Wainright, me. This is the talented team we've got. With the Israelis, anything can happen for us, man. We're just an amazing team, and that's why we're so hard to beat because we have so much talent."

Check out what the Hapoel players had to say after winning the 2025 EuroCup championship

Champions' quotes, Hapoel Tel Aviv: 'The fans were waiting for a title for 52 years'

A truly dominant showing in the BKT EuroCup Finals has seen Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv big man Johnathan Motley become the EuroCup Finals MVP, with the 29-year-old playing an integral role in guiding his team to a 2-0 series win over Dreamland Gran Canaria.

EuroCup Finals MVP: Johnathan Motley, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv

A truly dominant showing in the BKT EuroCup Finals has seen [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) big man [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/) become the EuroCup Finals MVP, with the 29-year-old playing an integral role in guiding his team to a 2-0 series win over [Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/can/).

Motley had the joint highest PIR of any player in the series with a 23.5 average index rating across the two games, together with teammate [Antonio Blakeney](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/antonio-blakeney/013402/). His 19 PIR in Game 1 was the highest of any player that took to the floor, while he followed that up with a 28 PIR – his fourth-highest index rating of the season – in Game 2. He was also tied with Blakeney as the highest scoring player in the series with an average of 22.0 points in the EuroCup Finals.

After spending two years in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, Motley returned to the EuroCup – where he first debuted with Lokomotiv Kuban in the 2021-22 campaign – with one thing in mind: leading Hapoel to a championship. In the EuroCup Finals, Motley showed his EuroLeague-level talent by starring in all facets of the game, particularly on offense.

In Game 1, Motley had 18 points on 7-of-14 two-pointers and 4-of-5 free throws, as well as 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and a 19 PIR. He followed that up with 26 points on 7-of-12 two-pointers and 12-of-16 free throws, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and a 28 PIR in Game 2.

Motley had 14 points in the first half of Game 2 to help his team take a 44-53 lead into the break, then another 7 points in the third and 5 in the fourth as Hapoel’s offense showed no sign of slowing down until the final buzzer sounded.

This EuroCup title is the first continental trophy of Motley’s career, and he got to lift the trophy alongside a college teammate of his, [Ish Wainright](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ishmail-carzell-wainright/013284/), who also joined Hapoel last summer.

“I was very confident in my team,” Motley told EuroLeague TV afterward. “We worked real hard, we have a great locker room, everybody trusts each other, so right now I’m calm. I’m just glad we got it done. I envisaged myself doing the trophy thing all week. It’s just crazy that I’m in it right now. I’m just out of body right now, to be honest.”

Game 2 News

He dominated as the Israeli team swept its series against Gran Canaria


BKT EuroCup Finals MVP: Johnathan Motley, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2025-04-08T17:00:00.000Z)

The 2024-25 BKT EuroCup champion is now known as Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv defeated Dreamland Gran Canaria 2-0 in their best-of-three finals series.

After winning 74-65 in Game 1 in Samokov, Bulgaria, Hapoel triumphed 94-103 in Gran Canaria behind 27 points from Antonio Blakeney and 26 points from Johnathan Motley. Yam Madar also added 16 points in Game 2, while Tomer Ginat had 10 points.

Dimitris Itoudis, the Hapoel play-caller, has become the fourth coach to win the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and EuroCup, joining the late Dusan Ivkovic, David Blatt and Ergin Ataman.

In Game 2, Hapoel set a pair of EuroCup Finals records: for the most points scored and for the most threes made.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">הפועל תל אביב. <a href="https://t.co/Hy5I0UFFW6">pic.twitter.com/Hy5I0UFFW6</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1910800959267099030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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