Graphic: Mārtiņš Zaļūksnis
Hapoel Beer Sheva-Dimona is the second club from Israel which will play in the European North Basketball league.
Winner league has established itself as a Top 10 league in Europe, while more and more Israeli clubs are playing in European competitions.
Maccabi Tel Aviv is a Euroleague powerhouse since its first triumph in 1977.
Hapoel Jerusalem won EuroCup in 2004, after beating Real Madrid in the final at Spiroudome in Charleroi, Belgium.
Ironi Ness Ziona conquered the FIBA Europe Cup in 2021, prevailing over BM Stal Ostrów.
There will be at least seven Israeli clubs across European competitions in the upcoming season.
Hapoel Tel Aviv will play in the EuroCup.
Hapoel Jerusalem and Hapoel Holon have entered the Basketball Champions League, while Hapoel Galil Elyon and Bnei Herzlia have applied for the FIBA Europe Cup.
The future is bright – Israel U20 national team has reached the European final in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2023.
Israel recently co-hosted Women`s EuroBasket 2023 and four teams competed in the EuroCup Women.
Hapoel Beer Sheva-Dimona tested the new waters, playing in the Balkan International basketball league (BIBL).
The league included teams from Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania and Israel.
Hapoel Gilboa Galil won the Balkan league in 2012 and 2013.
Three more Israeli teams outplayed competition in recent years – Hapoel Holon in 2021, Hapoel Galil Elyon in 2022 and Hapoel Beer Sheva-Dimona in 2023.
Hapoel Beer Sheva-Dimona was founded in 1954.
It faced a long road to the elite, finally joining the Premier league in 2018.
Negev team posted a 16-17 record in its debut season and qualified for the playoffs.
Beer Sheva lost a quarterfinal series against the third seed, Hapoel Jerusalem, 0-3.
Last season Beer Sheva returned to the playoffs to suffer a 0-3 defeat at the hands of Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Beer Sheva-Dimona play its home games at the Conch Arena, opened in 2014 (capacity 3000).
Beer Sheva is one of the fastest growing cities in Israel.
It is located 110 kilometres southeast of Tel Aviv – around 100 kilometres from David Ben Gurion international airport.
Beer Sheva`s neighbouring town, Dimona, is a home to Israeli nuclear research program.
Team`s head coach is a former National team player, star point guard Lior Lubin.
Lubin entered coaching business in 2008, as an assistant at Hapoel Gilboa Galil.
He was the head coach of Hapoel Gilboa Galil twice (2010-2013, 2019-2021).
Lubin was an assistant to a Latvian coach Ainars Bagatskis at the Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2016-2017 and coached the legendary club in several games.