The Israel National Team will begin its preparations for EuroBasket 2025 on July 20, and on Sunday, the full roster for the start of training was announced. Coach Ariel Beit Halachmi has called up 20 players, relying overwhelmingly on players who played throughout the qualifying campaign.
Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija will return to the national team for the first time since EuroBasket 2022, while former Indiana Pacers forward TJ Leaf has also been called up. It is currently being determined if he can be registered as a non-naturalized Israeli or not due to his status as having been born in Israel and having played for a youth national team in the past.
Roi Huber, Eitan Burg, Guy Palatin, and Gur Lavi, who played with the national team in the previous window, received the credit due to them and were included in the roster. Nimrod Levi is returning to the national team for the first time in about a year and a half after having been injured.
Maccabi Tel Aviv point guard Tamir Blatt was not included in the squad after not being present at a number of previous windows during the campaign.
Comments by the coach
“We are excited about the important summer ahead of us, especially in the complex situation our country finds itself in,” Beit Halachmi said. “Representing the country in the international arena is a great privilege, and we are committed to giving our all for the cause.
Deni Avdija, a forward for the Portland Trail Blazers. (credit: Getty Images, Canva)
Deni Avdija, a forward for the Portland Trail Blazers. (credit: Getty Images, Canva)
“We have been preparing for this championship for over two years. Each of the players who were invited and also some who, after deliberations, were left out of the squad, deserves to be in the final squad that went to the championship. The thinking is always directed towards choosing the squad that will help the national team be at its best.”
The EuroBasket tournament group stage portion will get underway at the end of August in four different cities as Israel will be playing in Katowice, Poland, in Group D along with France, Slovenia, Iceland, Belgium, and the country Poland. Group play will also take place in Limassol, Cyprus, Tampere, Finland, and in Riga, Latvia, where the top four teams from each group will advance to the knockout rounds.