Birth Date:
08.10.1939
Seasons on Team:
16
Nationality:
ישראל
Tanhum "Tani" Cohen Mintz
Position: C
Height: 2.04 M 6ft 8.5 in
Years in yellow and blue: 16
1957-1972
Titles:
9 Israeli championships (1957-1959, 1962-1964, 1967, 1968, 1970)
9 State cups (1958, 1959, 1961-1966, 1970)
Maccabi H.O.F Class of 2013
Tanhum, a.k.a the first tall Israeli basketball player. Standing at 2.04 meters tall, Tani was called "The tall one" from a young age. Mintz was originally a tennis player, and a good one at that, winning the Israeli youth championship at the age of 15. While playing Tennis, Tani was spotted and then convinced by Maccabi's legendary coach Yehoshua Rozin to switch sports and from there as they say- the rest is history.
Considered as one of the best pivot players of his time in the old continent, it didn't take Tani long to become a beloved and an extremely effective player and in 1964 he was selected to Europe's all-selection team in their exhibition game versus Real Madrid. "The tall one" wore the yellow and blue uniform for 16 years (1957-1972) and in his time with Maccabi, the first ever tall legend won 9 domestic championships, 9 Israeli state cups while scoring an astounding 5,220 points. Cohen Mintz was one of the architects of the Badalona Miracle alongside Tal Brody and also to the 1967 amazing season where Maccabi made it to its first ever European championship game. Tani also won a gold medal with the Israeli national team in the 1966 Asian games in Bangkok. A true and beloved symbol of Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Israeli national team.
