"The Euroleague title is going to Tel Aviv!!". Nobody can ignore the famous words that accompanied that amazing night in Beograd back in 1977. Tonight (22:00, Live on Channel 1), 29 years later, Maccabi will play in the same arena against the local Partizan in the second week of the Euroleague season.
Chairman Mizrahi: "It takes me almost 30 years back, to our first trophy. It was one great and extreme expereince. I remember everything. Lou Silver's basket, riding on the river in, the drive to London on Saturday morning after winning the cup. It's like a closing circle for us."
The two Croats of Maccabi - Coach Spahija and centre Nikola Vujcic, will be awarded a hostile welcome from the local Serbs. Niko isn't worried: "The fans in Beograd are crazy. They try to take us out of focus for years now but fail all the time."
Partizan, as usual, is based on players that grew up in the club, and have only one US player on the roster. Vonteego Cummings, who played for the Golden State Warriors and Philiadelphi 76ers. Partizan's top scorer, Dejan Milojevic, left the club this summer, but Partizan signed the veteran local inside player Predrag Drobnjak (2.13m), with a 4 season history in the NBA. Partizan is the tallest team in the Euroleague, and in addition to Drobnjak they have Kosta Perovic (2.17m), and Nikola Pekovic (2.10m).
On the first week of the Euroleague Partizan lost on the road to Roma 65-60.
Maccabi returns to Pioneer arena
29 years after its first european trophy, Maccabi plays tonight at mithological Pioneer arena against Partizan
02/11/2006