Israeli Basketball League (Winner League) History

League status

The Premier League is the first-tier professional basketball league in Israel. Premier League was established in 1953.
The Winner League sits above the National League which effectively forms the second-tier of Israeli basketball.
At the end of regular season, top 8 teams qualify to the play-offs.
The bottom 1 teams are relegated to National League.
Limits of non-Israeli players per team: 5 import players (non-Europeans), 5 Bosman players (with European passport) . Total number of allowed imports and Bosmans is 5.
Available Job Openings in Winner League.

League name history

1953-2006: Premier League  1953-1954 1954-1955 1955-1956 1956-1957 1957-1958 1958-1959 1959-1960 1960-1961 1961-1962 1962-1963 1963-1964 1964-1965 1965-1966 1966-1967 1967-1968 1968-1969 1969-1970 1970-1971 1971-1972 1972-1973 1973-1974 1974-1975 1975-1976 1976-1977 1977-1978 1978-1979 1979-1980 1980-1981 1981-1982 1982-1983 1983-1984 1984-1985 1985-1986 1986-1987 1987-1988 1988-1989 1989-1990 1990-1991 1991-1992 1992-1993 1993-1994 1994-1995 1995-1996 1996-1997 1997-1998 1998-1999 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006
2006 until now: Winner League  2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025
Until 1989
1989-2006
2006-2010
2010-2013
Since 2013

Title holders

Championships by club

TitlesClubYears
28M.Tel-Aviv 1976-77, 1980-81, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2013-14, 2011-12, 2000-01, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1996-97, 1997-98, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2013-14, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2022-23, 2023-24
4H.Jerusalem 1998-99, 2010-11, 2014-15, 2016-17
4H.Holon 2020-21, 2007-08, 2011-12, 2021-22
4H.Gilboa Galil 2011-12, 2012-13, 2009-10, 2023-24
2M.Rishon 2015-16, 2024-25
2M.Haifa 2012-13, 2024-25

Finals year-by-year

SeasonWinnerResultFinalistRegular Season Champion
1985-86Maccabi Elite Tel-AvivHapoel HolonMaccabi Elite Tel-Aviv
1986-87Maccabi Elite Tel-AvivHapoel HolonMaccabi Elite Tel-Aviv
1987-88Maccabi Elite Tel-AvivHapoel SP Tel AvivMaccabi Elite Tel-Aviv
1988-89Maccabi Elite Tel-AvivHapoel SP Tel AvivMaccabi Elite Tel-Aviv
1989-96Not held [+]
1996-97Maccabi Elite Tel-AvivMaccabi RaananaMaccabi Elite Tel-Aviv
1997-98Maccabi Elite Tel-AvivMaccabi RaananaMaccabi Elite Tel-Aviv
1998-99Hapoel JerusalemMaccabi Elite Tel-AvivHapoel Jerusalem
1999-00Not held [+]
2000-01Maccabi Elite Tel-AvivHapoel Galil ElyonMaccabi Elite Tel-Aviv
2001-02Maccabi Elite Tel-AvivMaccabi Ironi Ramat GanMaccabi Elite Tel-Aviv
2002-03Maccabi Elite Tel-AvivHapoel Galil ElyonMaccabi Elite Tel-Aviv
2003-04Maccabi Elite Tel-AvivHapoel SP Tel AvivMaccabi Elite Tel-Aviv
2004-05Maccabi Elite Tel-AvivHapoel Galil ElyonMaccabi Elite Tel-Aviv
2005-06Maccabi Elite Tel-AvivHapoel JerusalemMaccabi Elite Tel-Aviv
2006-07Maccabi Elite Tel-AvivHapoel JerusalemMaccabi Elite Tel-Aviv
2007-08Hapoel HolonHapoel Holon
2008-09Maccabi Electra Tel-Aviv85-72Maccabi Haifa Heat
2009-10Altshuler Saham Galil Gilboa90-77Maccabi Electra Tel-AvivMaccabi Electra Tel-Aviv
2010-11Hapoel Jerusalem94-74Maccabi Offici Rishon Le-ZionMaccabi Electra Tel-Aviv
2011-12Hapoel Holon72-67Maccabi Offici Rishon Le-ZionMaccabi Electra Tel-Aviv
2012-13Maccabi Bazan Haifa86-79Maccabi Electra Tel-AvivMaccabi Electra Tel-Aviv
2013-14Maccabi Electra Tel-Aviv81-77,82-84Maccabi Bazan HaifaMaccabi Electra Tel-Aviv
2014-15Hapoel Jerusalem80-65,88-68Hapoel EilatMaccabi Electra Tel-Aviv
2015-16Maccabi Rand Media Rishon Le-Zion83-77Hapoel JerusalemHapoel Jerusalem
2016-17Hapoel Jerusalem83-76Maccabi Hunter Haifa
2017-18Maccabi Fox Tel-Aviv95-75Hapoel Unet Holon
2018-19Maccabi Fox Tel-Aviv89-75Maccabi Mitcham 1000 Rishon Le-Zion
2019-20Maccabi Fox Tel-Aviv86-81Maccabi Winner Rishon Le-Zion
2020-21Maccabi Playtika Tel-Aviv2-1Hapoel Gilboa Galil
2021-22Hapoel Holon78-71,90-74Bnei Ofek Dist Hertzeliya
2022-23Maccabi Playtika Tel-Aviv74-112,90-79,94-90Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel AvivMaccabi Playtika Tel-Aviv
2023-24Maccabi Playtika Tel-Aviv82-74Hapoel Shlomo Tel AvivMaccabi Playtika Tel-Aviv
2024-26Not held

Finals participants

ClubWLTotal
M.Tel-Aviv21324
H.Jerusalem437
H.Gilboa Galil145
H.Tel-Aviv055
M.Rishon145
H.Holon235
M.Haifa134
M.Raanana022
M.Ramat Gan011
Bnei Hertzeliya011
H.Eilat011

Final Four participants

Club1st2nd3rd4th
M.Tel-Aviv20351
H.Jerusalem43102
H.Holon2321
H.Gilboa Galil1426
M.Rishon1412
M.Haifa1302
H.Tel-Aviv0402
M.Raanana0200
H.Eilat0134
Bnei Hertzeliya0111
M.Ramat Gan0101
I.Nahariya0021
E.Netanya0011
Kiryat Ata0011
Ashkelon0010
H.Haifa0001
Habikaa0001
Victoria0001
M.Ashdod0001

Players with the most appearances in the Israeli Finals

PlayerFinals AppearancesYears
Derrick Sharp121997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010
Omri Casspi102006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
Tal Burstein92001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010
David Blu92003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014
Yotam Halperin82002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2015, 2016, 2017
Regev Fanan72001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Yaniv Green72004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015
Lior Eliyahu72005, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017
John DiBartolomeo72017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024
Amit Ben David61997, 1998, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012

Players with the most Israeli titles

PlayerCountYears Won
Tal Burstein162001, 2001, 2002, 2002, 2003, 2003, 2004, 2004, 2005, 2005, 2006, 2006, 2007, 2007, 2009, 2009
Derrick Sharp101997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Regev Fanan92001, 2001, 2002, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
David Blu92003, 2003, 2004, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2014
Omri Casspi92006, 2007, 2009, 2009, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
Yotam Halperin72002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2015, 2017
Nikola Vujcic62002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
John DiBartolomeo62018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024
Anthony Parker52001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006
Gur Shelef52001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005