The legendary Maccabist calls it a day as a former EuroLeague champion and after setting the record for games played in the Israeli league
“I am very happy and I want to congratulate Guy Pnini, who is joining us in the coaching staff”, greeted head coach Oded Kattash. “Guy is the kind of person you always want to have by your side. He understands the game at a very high level and will contribute a lot to the team. I wish him success in the new chapter he is starting in his career”.
“Guy is first and for most a Maccabist. He is a coach who grew up as a player in the youth department of the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club and has gone all the way from the little league, through the youth section to the senior team”, said Avi Even about the addition of Guy Pnini to the coaching staff.
“I really wanted to continue playing, but my legs said enough. In the end, my body made the decision for me”, Pnini added. “I feel lucky. I experienced moments of happiness and difficult moments that only shaped me as a person. I wouldn’t change any choice I made”.
“The fact that I am sitting here on the last day that I am playing basketball and wearing a Maccabi Tel Aviv shirt is not obvious,” said Guy Pnini. “I grew up with the club’s values ??of commitment and winning every game. I dreamed that one day I would be a part of this huge thing. Thank you for making my childhood dream come true”.
“We went through amazing experiences together, from championships through the State Cup and of course winning the Euroleague. To lift the trophy in Milan and celebrate in front of 100,000 people in Rabin Square these were experiences I didn’t dare dream about. I’m sure I’ll miss it”.
“When I started playing, not many believed that I would get to where I am today”, he continued. “I learned to fall and to stand back up. These experiences will stay with me. The greatest joy is my family. Thank you to my mother and father for their effort from a young age. Thank you to my brothers, you were part of this journey. Thank you to my wife for her endless patience. I know it is not easy to be by my side after losses, be sure that it will be like this in the next chapter as well. And to my children, thank you for teaching me what is really important in life. Dad loves you”.
“I have been at Maccabi for more than five decades and today I am especially excited”, revealed the chairman of the club, Shimon Mizrahi. “Guy is not another player but a symbol and example of game wisdom and loyalty to the club. Oded Kattash and his team were often helped by Guy’s experience and knowledge. In my opinion, Guy will reach greatness and will become one of the greatest coaches in Israeli basketball”.
“Guy is one of the symbols that has accompanied Israeli basketball for many years and reached his peak as a player by winning the Euroleague as captain of Maccabi”, added the sports director. “We are happy and satisfied that Guy’s transition from player to coach is happening with us. We are sure that beyond the experience and knowledge he has gained, Guy will bring with him professionalism and great added value”.
Last summer, Guy Pnini returned to Maccabi for a “Last Dance”. During the season he pass Meir Tapiro for most appearances in the Israeli league, reaching 521 games in total. He culminated it with his fifth league title, to go along with his EuroLeague win, 11 State Cups, one ABA League championship and four Winner Cup trophies.
Pnini paved his way through Maccabi’s youth system, playing a big part in the U18 team winning a championship-cup double in 2001. He began his professional career with Raanana and later played for Bnei HaSharon, Hapoel Jerusalem, FMP (Serbia) and Kravnos (Cyprus). in 2009 he made his comeback home to Yad Eliyahu, where he settled in as a true Maccabist with his winning mentality, shooting ability and defending skills. He also served as team captain.
In his first stint with Maccabi, Pnini hoisted 8 consecutive State Cups, three Israeli championships, the EuroLeague title in 2014 and the ABA League title in 2012. In 2017 he moved on to Hapoel Holon, where he gathered another cup and championship, before coming back home to Maccabi for his last campaign.
In all, Pnini’s career spanned 22 seasons. Number 10 in yellow-and-blue ranks 32nd with 4,236 regular season points in the Israeli league. In the current century, he is fourth in scoring, first in made threes, third in made free throws, ninth in rebounds, fifth in steals and seventh in assists. In the EuroLeague, he had 154 appearances in which he scored 726 points, collected 238 boards and dished 185 assists.
