The return of the MKK? Apparently the great Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball player, certainly the greatest of its Israelis, is close to returning to the club where he grew up – this time, to the management. At 68, Mickey Berkowitz is looking for a way back – and today he was interviewed by “5 in the Air” and explained for the first time the essence of his new role in the emerging system at the Yellow Club.
When asked about the new role, Berkowitz replied: “I’m involved in the youth aspect, I’m not involved in the professional issue at all. I come to be a part of the club, to look at things from above, not to express an opinion. “I hope, along the way, to find the right place and time and decide together. At the moment, everything is still in the air. I am in good contact with Udi Recanati and Shimon Mizrahi, we talk and meet a lot.”
Beyond his personal role, Berkowitz also addressed current affairs at the yellow club – the return of Guy Pnini to Maccabi, as published today. “It is a great honor for a player who started his career and retires at the club, respectable and beautiful for all parties. He understands that he will not play 30 or 20 minutes, but he can contribute at critical minutes. He also did not play much at Hapoel Holon, but in important moments he knows the right decision. “. On Scotty Wilbkin’s expected release, he said: “It’s a good change that has been made, it’s hard to be both the team’s coordinator and the scorer. He has been released in a way that is good for all parties.”
Berkowitz has played for Maccabi Tel Aviv for 17 years, since the first time he played in the media, when he was 17. Together with Maccabi he won 16 championships, 13 state cups, twice the European Champions Cup (1977 and 1981) and also once the intercontinental cup . After leaving Maccabi, he also continued to play for Maccabi Rishon Lezion, Hapoel Jerusalem – and ended his career in 1995, specifically in the media of the great rival Hapoel Tel Aviv. He also has a silver medal at the 1979 European Championships and a gold medal at the 1974 Asian Games with the Israeli team.
After his retirement, Berkowitz moved mainly to the business world, and made a brief foray into the world of basketball in 2006 when he managed the AS team. Ramat Hasharon. Later, he also worked for Nahariya as a team manager. Over the years, he has won a variety of personal awards: entered the FIBA Hall of Fame, was named the best Maccabi Tel Aviv player of all time, lit a beacon on Independence Day in 2004 (alongside the late Ralph Klein) and last March also received the Lifetime Achievement Award From the Ministry of Culture and Sports.