Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv comes off its first Israeli League and Cup double since 2014 and is ready to battle for a spot in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs for the first time since 2015. Maccabi fans have a great appreciation for history and are always geared up for big games against longtime rivals, but also respectful of the new kids on the block, too. Here are five high-anticipated showdowns for Maccabi this season.

### ROUND 6: a game for the ages

Maccabi and Zalgiris Kaunas will always be linked together since April 8, 2004. It was a do-or-die game for both teams to reach the Final Four and Zalgiris had the win in its pocket, leading 91-94 with 2.0 seconds left and 2 free throws by Giedrius Gustas, who was 17-of-17 that season before this game. Gustas missed both attempts, Maccabi got the ball back, Derrick Sharp forced overtime with an impossible shot and the rest is history. Fans never stop talking about it when Zalgiris visits Tel Aviv. What a game that was!

### ROUND 11: a big homecoming

He made history with Olympiacos Piraeus and is in the process of doing the same with Maccabi. Coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos helped Olympiacos win back-to-back Greek League titles in 2015 and 2016 and reached the EuroLeague championship game twice (2015 and 2017). Some of the players he coached during his four seasons with the club, such as Georgios Printezis, Kostas Papanikolaou and Kostas Sloukas, are either still with the team or have since returned to Olympiacos. Expect a familiar feeling before the game and a big battle after the tip-off.

### ROUND 13: a classic showdown

It is the most repeated showdown in continental history. When Real Madrid and Maccabi meet again, it will be for the 63rd time. Appropriately, their 50th showdown was the 2014 EuroLeague championship game, in which Maccabi prevailed in overtime. Real had previously defeated Maccabi in the 1980 EuroLeague final. Maccabi has combined for 100 domestic league and cup titles and won 5 EuroLeague crowns. Real has 63 league and cup titles combined, and 10 EuroLeague trophies. Every game between these two teams is full of tradition and respect.




### ROUND 19: a 21st-century rivalry

Maccabi and Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz have faced each other over 30 times this century and in some really important games. None as big as the 2005 EuroLeague championship game, in which Maccabi beat Baskonia 90-78. Maccabi also prevailed in the 2006 semifinals and the 2011 playoffs, stealing the home-court advantage to reach the Final Four. Baskonia has won in Tel Aviv seven times and is proud to be a fierce opponent. After back-to-back losses against Maccabi last season, Baskonia should look for more at Menora Mivtachim Arena.

### ROUND 26: a battle of giants

It is always special when Maccabi faces CSKA Moscow. Some of the biggest games in Maccabi history came against the Russian powerhouse. Maccabi defeated CSKA in the EuroLeague semifinals in 2004 and 2014 and ended up lifting the trophy. CSKA bested Maccabi in the 2006 and 2008 EuroLeague championship games. It is a rivalry that goes back almost 50 years since the teams' first showdown in 1975. CSKA beat Maccabi twice last season and that should also be a factor when the teams meet at Menora Mivtachim Arena.



2021-22 Games to Watch: Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

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Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul found a new playcaller as the Turkish powerhouse on Saturday signed Sasa Djordjevic to a three-year contract as the club’s new head coach. Djordjevic, age 53, comes to Fenerbahce after coaching Virtus Segafredo Bologna the past three seasons and replaces Igor Kokoskov, who agreed to leave the club on Tuesday. Djordjevic guided Virtus to the 2020-21 7DAYS EuroCup semifinals, where the club lost to UNICS Kazan. Djordjevic returns to the EuroLeague for his third stint after coaching Olimpia Milano in 2005-06 for three games and producing a 15-12 record with Panathinaikos Athens in 2015-16, getting swept in the playoffs by Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. After a wildly successful playing career - which included the 1992 EuroLeague crown with Partizan Belgrade as well as three Korac Cup titles not to mention 1996 Olympic silver, the 1998 FIBA Basketball World Cup trophy and three golds at the FIBA EuroBasket for Yugoslavia - Djordjevic’s debut as coach came with Milan, where he served until 2007. He next coached Benetton in the EuroCup in 2011-12 before reappearing for his EuroLeague season with Panathinaikos. Djordjevic then went to FC Bayern Munich for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns, the latter which saw the club lose to Darussafaka Istanbul in the EuroCup semifinals and he shortly thereafter being fired. Djordjevic returned to Italy in March 2019 and landed at Virtus and helped the club win the Basketball Champions League title in 2019. Djordjevic also served as the Serbian national team head coach and led them to the silver medal at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014, 2016 Olympics and FIBA EuroBasket 2017.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Aleksandar Djordjevic Fenerbahçe Beko&#39;da! ✍️💛💙<br><br>👉 <a href="https://t.co/eeNnJYa5KC">https://t.co/eeNnJYa5KC</a> <a href="https://t.co/wRTlwJVj69">pic.twitter.com/wRTlwJVj69</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1421436885939916800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Fenerbahce hands reins to Djordjevic

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FC Bayern Munich has signed point guard Corey Walden for the next two seasons, the club announced Friday. Walden (1.88 meters, 28 years old) made his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut last season with Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade. He averaged 10.5 points on 39.0% three-point shooting and 2.3 assists in 30 EuroLeague games last season as a part-time starter. At Bayern he will be reunited with Coach Andrea Trinchieri, who coached Walden at Partizan NIS Belgrade in 2019-20, when they helped the team clinch home-court advantage throughout the 7DAYS EuroCup playoffs before the season was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Walden was the 2018-19 MVP of the Israeli League regular season after putting up 18.4 points, 5.0 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while leading Hapoel Holon into the playoffs. That was his second year with Holon; he led the team to the Israeli Cup and an appearance in the championship game the season before. Walden began his professional career with Maine in the D-League in 2015. He helped Telenet Oostende to the Belgian League and Cup double in 2016-17, his first season in Europe.



<div style="display: grid; place-items: center;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">𝑺𝑬𝑹𝑽𝑼𝑺 𝑪𝑶𝑹𝑬𝒀 👋<br><br>Welcome to the Bayern Family, Corey Walden!<br><br>🔗 Mehr zu <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Walden2023?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Walden2023</a>: <a href="https://t.co/GaZYVWHovY">https://t.co/GaZYVWHovY</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBB2023?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBB2023</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CoreyWalden?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CoreyWalden</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1421045956032798722?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Bayern reunites Walden with Coach Trinchieri

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Zalgiris Kaunas on Thursday landed a veteran floor general still in the prime of his career by signing guard Janis Strelnieks for the next Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season. Strelnieks (1.91 meters, 31 years old) arrives from CSKA Moscow, where he played the previous two seasons. He helped CSKA reach the last Final Four with 4.4 points and 1.6 assists per game in a reserve role of 14 minutes on average.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="lt" dir="ltr">Janis Strelnieks joins Zalgiris on 1 year deal. Welcome to Kaunas, Braliukas! 🇱🇻<br><br>📰 <a href="https://t.co/hXYktUCjsJ">https://t.co/hXYktUCjsJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ayf5GQTfLi">pic.twitter.com/Ayf5GQTfLi</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1420765174932197387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Before that, Strelnieks played two EuroLeague seasons each with Olympiacos Piraeus and Brose Bamberg after having debuted in the competition with Budivelnik Kiev in 2013-14. Through 157 EuroLeague games over seven seasons, Strelnieks has averaged 8.1 points, 2.4 assists and 1.6 rebounds. He also has parts of six EuroCup seasons under his belt -- for Bamberg, Kiev, Spartak St Petersburg and Ventspils in his native Latvia -- for slightly higher averages of 8.3 points, 3.0 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 66 games.

Zalgiris lands veteran Strelnieks

AS Monaco added size and Turkish Airlines EuroLeague experience to its backcourt by inking playmaker Leo Westermann to a one-year deal, the club announced Thursday.

Monaco adds experienced guard Westermann

Westermann (1.98 meters, 29 years old) arrives from FC Barcelona, where he averaged 2.7 points in 15 EuroLeague games last season. He helped Barcelona win the Spanish double - league and cup titles - and reach the EuroLeague Championship Game. Westermann started the 2020-21 season with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, averaging 4.8 points and 2.0 assists in 24 EuroLeague games before joining Barcelona. He started his career with Centre Federal du Basket-Ball and LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne of France, and also played for Partizan NIS Belgrade of Serbia, Limoges CSP also of France, Zalgiris Kaunas of Lithuania, and CSKA Moscow of Russia before joining Fenerbahce in 2019.

<div style="display: grid; place-items: center;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">✍️ 𝗟𝗲́𝗼 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗻 s’engage avec l’AS Monaco Basket ! 🔥 Meneur de jeu français référencé <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> (1,98 m, 29 ans), Léo arrive avec toute son expérience sur le Rocher 🙌<br>👋 𝘽𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙪𝙚 <a href="https://twitter.com/westermann_leo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Westermann_Leo</a> 🇲🇨 <a href="https://t.co/BeOzordEUq">pic.twitter.com/BeOzordEUq</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1420685571043758080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Westermann helped Partizan win the Serbian League and the Adriatic League titles in 2013. He lifted the French League trophy with Limoges in 2015, won two Lithuanian League titles with Zalgiris in 2017 and 2019, added a Lithuanian Cup trophy with that team in 2017, and also claimed the VTB League crown with CSKA in 2018. He has been domestic league champion in five different countries and with as many different teams. In 154 EuroLeague career games with Partizan, Limoges, Zalgiris, CSKA, Fenerbahce and Barcelona, Westermann amassed 965 points (6.3 ppg.) and 494 assists (3.2 apg.).

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FC Barcelona continued to strengthen its backcourt by inking experienced point guard Nicolas Laprovittola to a two-year deal, the club announced on Wednesday. Laprovittola (1.90 meters, 31 years old) arrives from Real Madrid, where he averaged 6.8 points and 3.8 assists in 34 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games last season. That was his second EuroLeague season with Real after he had debuted in the competition with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in the 2016-17 season. All told, Laprovittola has 71 career EuroLeague games with averages of 5.4 points and 3.2 assists. He has also played twice in the 7DAYS EuroCup, with Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius in 2015-16 and Zenit St Petersburg in 2017-18, putting up 10.8 points and 4.7 assists over 17 games total.

Laprovittola started his professional basketball career with Lanus Buenos Aires of his native Argentina and has played, too, for Flamengo of Brazil, Estudiantes and Joventut Badalona of Spain, and San Antonio of the NBA. He was the 2018-19 Spanish League MVP while playing for Joventut, for whom he averaged 17.1 points and 6.4 assists in 36 domestic games. Laprovittola is a regular on Argentina's national team, with whom he won a silver medal at the 2019 World Cup. He is now competing with Argentina at the Olympics in Tokyo.



<div style="display: grid; place-items: center;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">✅ <a href="https://twitter.com/nicolapro7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nicolapro7</a>, nuevo jugador del Barça para las dos próximas temporadas. ¡Bienvenido, Nico!<br><br>👉El acuerdo, pendiente de la revisión médica: <a href="https://t.co/ibV57mLpEZ">https://t.co/ibV57mLpEZ</a><br><br>🔵🔴<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/For%C3%A7aBar%C3%A7a?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForçaBarça</a>! <a href="https://t.co/UCF34w73By">pic.twitter.com/UCF34w73By</a></p>&mdash; 🏆 Barça Basket 🏆 (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1420308896577687552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Barcelona inks guard Laprovittola through 2023

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Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Tadas Sedekerskis agreed to extend their deal until the end of the 2023-24 season, the club announced Tuesday

Baskonia extends forward Sedekerskis

Sedekerskis (2.00 meters, 23 years old) averaged 3.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 32 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games last season, his third in the competition. He started his career with Neringos kursiai and Laivite Klaipeda of his native Lithuania, joining Baskonia's youth teams structure in 2013. Sedekerskis has been an on-and-off Baskonia players, combining full seasons with its first team with seasons on loan to several squads, such as Araberri Basket Club, San Pablo Burgos and Peñas Huesca of Spain, as well as Nevezis Kedaniai and Neptunas Klaipeda of Lithuania. He helped Baskonia win the Spanish League title in 2020, and has been a member of the Lithuanian national team.

<div style="display: grid; place-items: center;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">✍️🏽 <a href="https://twitter.com/Sedekerskis_11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sedekerskis_11</a>, baskonista hasta 2⃣0⃣2⃣4⃣<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tadas2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tadas2024</a> 🔵🔴</p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1419936861443792921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Tadas Sedekerskis agreed to extend their deal until the end of the 2023-24 season, the club announced Tuesday.

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Panathinaikos OPAP Athens announced that swingman Leonidas Kaselakis is set to keep playing for his current team next season. Kaselakis (2.00 meters, 31 years old) averaged 2.2 points on 41.4% three-point shooting and 1.5 rebounds in 28 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games last season, his first in the competition. He helped Panathinaikos win the Greek double - league and cup titles - this year. Kaselakis started his career with Ikysiakos Athens, and has played for several other Greek squads such as PAOK Thessaloniki, AEK Athens, Nea Kifisia Dimoulas Athens and Promitheas Patras, as well as for Astana on Kazakhstan. He helped Astana win back-to-back Kazakhstan League titles in 2017 and 2018, and also lifted the Kazakhstan Cup trophy in 2018. Kaselakis has also been a member of the Greek national team. He helped Greece win respective gold medals at the 2008 U18 European Championships and the 2009 U20 European Championships, also getting a silver medal at the 2010 U20 European Championships.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="el" dir="ltr">Η ΚΑΕ Παναθηναϊκός ΟΠΑΠ ανακοινώνει την ανανέωση της συνεργασίας της με τον Λεωνίδα Κασελάκη για έναν ακόμη χρόνο.☘️✍️<br><br>Διάβασε περισσότερα εδώ: <a href="https://t.co/HzwwBTAnE2">https://t.co/HzwwBTAnE2</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paobc?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paobc</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/panathinaikosbcopap?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#panathinaikosbcopap</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheGreens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheGreens</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/panathinaikos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#panathinaikos</a> <a href="https://t.co/qpFZmnyyVA">pic.twitter.com/qpFZmnyyVA</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/paobcgr/status/1419936508010766351?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Panathinaikos keeps swingman Kaselakis

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Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul has reached an agreement with head coach Igor Kokoskov to terminate his contract, the club announced Tuesday. Kokoskov, age 49, joined Fenerbahce at the start of the 2020-21 season, helping it reach the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs, where it lost to CSKA Moscow. Kokoskov had a 20-16 record in the EuroLeague and went 22-8 in the Turkish League regular season before his team got swept by newly-crowned EuroLeague champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the domestic finals. Kokoskov joined Fenerbahce from Sacramento of the NBA, where he served as an assistant in the 2019-20 season. He had been part of NBA coaching staffs since 2000, when he joined the Los Angeles Clippers to become the league's first full-time non-American assistant. He held the same role with Detroit as that team won the 2004 NBA title, then with Phoenix, Cleveland, Orlando and Utah. In 2018, Kokoskov took over the bench in Phoenix, making him the first head coach in NBA history who was not born in North America. Kokoskov has also coached the Georgian, Slovenian and Serbian national teams. He made history in 2017, leading the Slovenian national team to the gold medal at the 2017 EuroBasket, a first for that country. 

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Bilgilendirme<br><br>🔗 <a href="https://t.co/g4zxH3F4UR">https://t.co/g4zxH3F4UR</a> <a href="https://t.co/QwBBAxkxnc">pic.twitter.com/QwBBAxkxnc</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1419977874732371971?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </center>

Fenerbahce issued the following statement:

We have parted our ways with Igor Kokoskov, who has worked as the head coach of Fenerbahçe Beko for the 2020-21 season.

Our team has started to build the roster very early this season, completing several important signings and having our roster ready for the new season before the end of June.

All the roster manoeuvres our club has made this off-season have been made in accordance with the requests of Igor Kokoskov, who was under contract until the end of the 2022-23 season, in addition to the all the other preparations for the new season, including arrangements made for our camp schedule and our friendly games.

As reported in the media recently, our club has been notified of the intention of the NBA team Dallas Mavericks to acquire our coach to add him to their staff.

Our coach has stated that he would like to accept this offer due to family reasons and his desire to go back to the USA to work in the NBA.

Our club has respected and accepted Igor Kokoskov's decision to leave at this point.

We thank Igor Kokoskov for his contributions to our club and we wish him success in the new chapter of his career.

As one of the biggest brands in men's basketball, Fenerbahçe Beko will continue to make the necessary moves to achieve its goals in the 2021-22 season, and our new technical staff will be shared with our fans as soon as possible.