Maccabi Haifa B.C.

מ.כ. מכבי חיפה
Maccabi Haifa B.C.

Leagues

Ligat HaAl
Israeli Cup

Founded

1953

History

1953–present

Arena

Romema Arena

Capacity

5,000

Location

Haifa, Israel

Team colors

Green, White

President

Jeff Rosen

Team manager

Ido Kozikaro

Head coach

Offer Rahimi

Team captain

Oz Blayzer

Ownership

Jeff Rosen

Championships

1 Israeli League

Website

mhbasket.co.il

Uniforms

Home

Away

Active departments of Maccabi Haifa

Football (Men's)	Football JT (Men's)	Football (Women's)

Basketball (Men's)	Weightlifting	Swimming

Handball	Tennis	Volleyball

Table tennis	Chess	Water polo

Maccabi Haifa Basketball Club (Hebrew: מכבי חיפה‎‎) is a professional Israeli basketball club that belongs to the Maccabi Haifa association. They play in Ligat HaAl, the top division of Israeli basketball. The club won their first championship in 2013, beating perennial champions Maccabi Tel Aviv in the final Game.

Maccabi Haifa is one of the oldest basketball teams in Israel and is one of the original eight teams that formed the top division in 1953. In 1971 and 1985, the club qualified for the State Cup finals losing to Maccabi Tel Aviv in both years.

The club was relegated to the second division in 1993, and dropped into the third tier in 1995. They returned to the top tier, Ligat HaAl, in 1999. Despite their recent success, in 2000, Haifa mayor Amram Mitzna merged the club with Hapoel Haifa to form BC Haifa.

Although the club qualified for the playoffs twice, they began to experience financial difficulties. Upon relegation the club folded and sold its rights to Bnei HaSharon. In 2004 Maccabi Haifa officials changed the name of the second team under its control, Maccabi Bat Galim, to Maccabi Haifa in an effort to restore the club's glory days.

The following season, the club was promoted to the northern division. In 2007 they were promoted to Liga Leumit under the leadership of the coach Tobi Slilat. After the club was promoted, Avi Ashkenazi (who had coached the team in 1995) was reappointed.

Prior to the 2007-08 season, in July 2007, the team was purchased by Jeffrey Rosen.

Rosen pledged that the club would be promoted to Ligat HaAl in his first year of ownership. In order to accomplish this, Deon Thomas, a former player at Maccabi Tel Aviv, was signed to play for the club. Additionally Rosen changed the team changed its name to Maccabi Haifa Heat from Maccabi Bat Galim.

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Wikipedia