Mike Mitchell, one of the best foreign athletes to play for the club, has died at the age of 55 after battling cancer for two years. Mitchell played for Maccabi during the 1991 – 1992 season, and averaged 20.4 points per game in the Israeli League.
By Amy Samin
The management of Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv mourns the passing of former Maccabi player Mike Mitchell, who died at the age of 55 after a battle with cancer. Although Mitchell only played one season for Maccabi, he left behind a deep impression and is remembered by all for being one of the top players for Maccabi specifically and in Israel in general, as well as for his captivating personality.
The club’s masters’ team, Maccabi Ralph Klein Tel Aviv, also feels the loss of Mitchell. The team’s manager, Doron Jamchy, who played for Maccabi with Mitchell, said, “Mike will always be remembered as professional and magnanimous, a good friend and a role model.”
During his season with Maccabi, Mitchell won the Israeli championship and reached the quarterfinal of the championship in Europe, which at the time was called the European Champions Cup for Men’s Clubs. That was the first season in which qualifying playoffs for the Final Four were held. Maccabi won their first game against Estudiantes on a game-winning basket by Mitchell, but went on to lose the next two games in Spain, and lost the series 2 games to 1.
Before coming to Maccabi, Mitchell played for ten seasons in the N.B.A. and was particularly successful with the San Antonio Spurs. Mitchell wrapped up his N.B.A. career with averages of 19.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. During his tenure with the Spurs, Mitchell scored 9,799 points, enough to earn him sixth place in the team’s list of the highest scorers of all time. After leaving the N.B.A., Mitchell played for many years in Europe (particularly in Italy), retiring at age 46 after 22 years of playing professional basketball. He devoted the last years of his life to working with at-risk youth in San Antonio, Texas.
