Ligat HaAl (, lit., Supreme League or Premier League), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL (Basketball Super League) or ISBL (Israeli Basketball Super League). For sponsorship reasons, the league is also referred to as Ligat Winner Sal (), lit. Winner Basket League, with "Winner" being the name of a game operated by the league's primary sponsor, Toto Winner.
The league is run by the Israeli Basketball Super League Administration Ltd.The Basketball Super League Administration for Men (archive) basket.co.il
Overview Ligat HaAl comprises the top 14 basketball clubs in Israel, and was founded in 1954.
The league itself is most known in Europe, due to the success of the Israeli teams in European-wide competitions, such as the EuroLeague, EuroCup (formerly called the ULEB Cup), and FIBA's EuroChallenge (formerly called the FIBA EuroCup). Many undrafted and free agent players from Europe and the NBA play in the Israeli league, as an alternative to NBA competition.
The league is the first division in Israeli basketball: the team that finishes last in a season is relegated to the Second Division, while the Second Division's top eight teams compete in a play-off system right after the end of the regular season, with the team that reaches the finals series being promoted to the Premier League for the following season.
Format There are 14 teams in the league, and they play against each other three times a season. The top eight teams advance to the five-game series Quarter-finals. The winners of the Quarter-finals advance to the Final Four.
Records On 9 October 1994, J.J. Eubanks, of Maccabi Ramat-Gan scored 101 points against Beitar Ramat-Gan, a record in the first league.Basketball Players who have scored 100 Points in one game - luckyshow.org During the 1993-94 season, Kevin Bradshaw, of Givaat Shmuel scored 100 pts against Maccabi Tverya, a record in the second league.
Links with the NBA In the 1980s and the early 1990s, the Israeli League stars played in Israel against the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, and Los Angeles Lakers.
In October 2005, Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated the Toronto Raptors 105–103 in an exhibition game played in Toronto, Canada; this was the first victory for any European or Israeli team over an NBA team on its home court.
Over the years, many of its players joined the NBA. In 2009, Omri Casspi became the first Israeli-born NBA player with the Sacramento Kings. Prior to that, three players were drafted: Doron Sheffer (who played U.S. college basketball at Connecticut), Yotam Halperin and Lior Eliyahu. Oded Kattash agreed to play with the New York Knicks, but he never played in the NBA because of the 1998–99 NBA lockout that started on July 1, 1998.
In the 2009 NBA draft, Omri Casspi was selected 23rd overall by the Sacramento Kings, and Gal Mekel followed in 2013 by signing with Dallas Mavericks. In 2016, Dragan Bender became the highest selection from the Israeli Basketball Premier League to be selected in an NBA draft with the Phoenix Suns taking him at 4th overall. Other players who have moved from the league to the NBA include: Will Bynum, Anthony Parker, Joe Ingles, Roger Mason Jr., P. J. Tucker, Eugene "Pooh" Jeter, Elijah Bryant, Carlos Arroyo, and Nate Robinson.
In 2016, Amar'e Stoudemire retired from the NBA. Then, on August 1, 2016, he signed a two-year deal with Hapoel Jerusalem, a team he co-owns. On October 1, 2016, he helped Hapoel Jerusalem win the 2016 Israeli Basketball League Cup. He also played for Maccabi Tel Aviv during the 2019–20 season, helping them win the 2019–20 Israeli Basketball Premier League championship. He was named MVP of the championship game.
In 2020, two players declared for the NBA draft. The first being Deni Avdija from Maccabi Tel Aviv and the second being Yam Madar from Hapoel Tel Aviv. Avdija was selected in the first round, 9th overall, by the Washington Wizards, and Madar was taken in the second round with the 47th pick of the draft by the Boston Celtics.
High-profile American Jewish recruits In 2011, the league imposed a limit of four non-Israelis per team. However, as all Jews are immediately eligible for Israeli citizenship under Israel's Law of Return, non-Israeli Jewish basketball players are able to join a team in the league without using up one of the few roster spots available for non-Israeli players.
Examples of Jewish Americans joining teams in the league include Jon Scheyer, Jordan Farmar, Sylven Landesberg, David Blu, Amar'e Stoudemire, and Dan Grunfeld.
Current clubs
TeamCityColorBnei HerzliyaHerzliya Hapoel Be'er ShevaBe'er Sheva Hapoel Galil ElyonUpper Galilee Hapoel HaEmekGan Ner, Gilboa Regional Council Hapoel HolonHolon Hapoel Ironi Eilat Eilat Hapoel JerusalemJerusalem Hapoel Tel AvivTel Aviv Ironi Kiryat AtaKiryat Ata Ironi Nes ZionaNess Ziona Maccabi AshdodAshdod Maccabi Ironi Ramat GanRamat Gan Maccabi Rishon LeZionRishon LeZion Maccabi Tel AvivTel Aviv
Titles by team
TeamChampionsRunner-UpMaccabi Tel Aviv587Hapoel Tel Aviv523Hapoel Jerusalem26Hapoel Holon23Maccabi Haifa13Hapoel Galil Elyon12Maccabi Rishon LeZion12Hapoel Gilboa Galil11Hapoel Ramat Gan06Ironi Ramat Gan03Hapoel Gvat/Yagur03Hapoel Haifa02Hapoel Eilat02Bnei Herzliya01Elitzur Netanya01Maccabi Ironi Ra'anana01Ironi Nahariya01Maccabi Ashdod01
Title holders
1953–54 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1954–55 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1955–56 Not held due to Suez Crisis 1956–57 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1957–58 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1958–59 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1959–60 Hapoel Tel Aviv 1960–61 Hapoel Tel Aviv 1961–62 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1962–63 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1963–64 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1964–65 Hapoel Tel Aviv 1965–66 Hapoel Tel Aviv 1966–67 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1967–68 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1968–69 Hapoel Tel Aviv 1969–70 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1970–71 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1971–72 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1972–73 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1973–74 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1974–75 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1975–76 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1976–77 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1977–78 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1978–79 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1979–80 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1980–81 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1981–82 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1982–83 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1983–84 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1984–85 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1985–86 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1986–87 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1987–88 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1988–89 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1989–90 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1990–91 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1991–92 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1992–93 Hapoel Galil Elyon 1993–94 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1994–95 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1995–96 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1996–97 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1997–98 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1998–99 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1999–00 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2000–01 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2001–02 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2002–03 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2003–04 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2004–05 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2005–06 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2006–07 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2007–08 Hapoel Holon 2008–09 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2009–10 Hapoel Gilboa Galil 2010–11 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2011–12 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2012–13 Maccabi Haifa 2013–14 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2014–15 Hapoel Jerusalem 2015–16 Maccabi Rishon LeZion 2016–17 Hapoel Jerusalem 2017–18 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2018–19 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2019–20 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2020–21 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2021–22 Hapoel Holon 2022–23 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2023–24 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2024–25 No Title Holder due to Twelve-Day War 2025–26 Maccabi Tel Aviv
Finals SeasonChampionRunner-upScoreFormat 1953–54 Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Holon Regular season only 1954–55 1955–56 Cancelled due to war 1956–57 Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Tel Aviv Regular season only 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 Hapoel Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv 1960–61 1961–62 Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Haifa 1962–63 Hapoel Tel Aviv 1963–64 1964–65 Hapoel Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv 1965–66 1966–67 Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Tel Aviv 1967–68 1968–69 Hapoel Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv 1969–70 Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Tel Aviv 1970–71 1971–72 Hapoel Gvat/Yagur 1972–73 Ironi Ramat Gan 1973–74 1974–75 Hapoel Ramat Gan 1975–76 Hapoel Gvat/Yagur 1976–77 Hapoel Ramat Gan 1977–78 Hapoel Gvat/Yagur Mini-league of top six teams from regular season 1978–79 Hapoel Tel Aviv 2:0 Best of 3 series 1979–80 Regular season only 1980–81 Hapoel Ramat Gan 1981–82 Mini-league of top three teams from regular season 1982–83 2:0 Best of 3 series 1983–84 2:0 1984–85 Hapoel Tel Aviv 2:1 1985–86 Maccabi Elitzur Netanya 2:0 1986–87 Hapoel Tel Aviv 2:1 1987–88 2:1 1988–89 2:0 1989–90 Hapoel Galil Elyon 3:0 Best of 5 series 1990–91 Maccabi Rishon LeZion 3:1 1991–92 Hapoel Tel Aviv 3:2 1992–93 Hapoel Galil Elyon 3:1 1993–94 Maccabi Tel Aviv 3:0 1994–95 Hapoel Galil Elyon 3:0 1995–96 Hapoel Jerusalem 3:0 1996–97 3:0 1997–98 Hapoel Eilat 3:0 1998–99 Hapoel Jerusalem 3:1 1999–00 Maccabi Ra'anana 3:1 2000–01 Hapoel Jerusalem 3:0 2001–02 Ironi Ramat Gan 3:0 2002–03 Ironi Naharia 3:0 2003–04 Hapoel Tel Aviv 3:0 2004–05 3:0 2005–06 Hapoel Jerusalem 96–66 Final Four format 2006–07 80–78 2007–08 Hapoel Holon Maccabi Tel Aviv 73–72 2008–09 Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Haifa 85–72 2009–10 Gilboa/Galil Maccabi Tel Aviv 90–77 2010–11 Maccabi Tel Aviv Gilboa/Galil 91–64 2011–12 Maccabi Ashdod 83–63 2012–13 Maccabi Haifa Maccabi Tel Aviv 86–79 Single game format 2013–14 Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Haifa 81–77; 82–84 OT Home and Away format 2014–15 Hapoel Jerusalem Hapoel Eilat 80–65; 88–68 2015–16 Maccabi Rishon LeZion Hapoel Jerusalem 83–77 Final Four format 2016–17 Hapoel Jerusalem Maccabi Haifa 83–76 2017–18 Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Holon 95–75 2018–19 Maccabi Rishon LeZion 89–75 2019–20 86–81 2020–21 Hapoel Gilboa Galil 2:1 Best of 3 series 2021–22 Hapoel Holon Bnei Herzliya 2:0 2022–23 Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Tel Aviv 2:1 2023–24 2:1 2024–25 Cancelled due to war 2025–26 Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Tel Aviv 3:1 Best of 5 series
Awards
Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP Israeli Basketball Premier League Finals MVP Israeli Basketball Premier League Quintet Israeli Basketball Premier League Defensive Player of the Year Israeli Basketball Premier League 6th Man of the Year Israeli Basketball Premier League Most Improved Player Israeli Basketball Premier League Discovery of the Year Israeli Basketball Premier League Coach of the Year
Statistical leaders
See also Israel Basketball Association Israeli Basketball State Cup League Cup Liga Leumit Basketball in Israel
Notes and references
External links Eurobasket.com League Page Official website