Maccabi Ra'anana
Israeli basketball club with European competition history.
Maccabi Ra'anana is an Israeli professional basketball club from the city of Ra'anana. It was founded in 1980 and currently competes in the Liga Leumit, Israel’s second division.
The team won the Israeli second-division championship in the 1995–96 season, earning promotion to the top-level Israeli Super League for the first time in 1996–97. Maccabi Ra'anana reached the final of the Israeli Super League in the 1999–00 season, finishing as runner-up. That same season, the club played in the FIBA Saporta Cup, Europe’s secondary competition. The following year, they competed in the FIBA SuproLeague, one of the two top European competitions at the time, and in 2001–02 they took part in the third-tier FIBA Korac Cup.
In 2002, financial difficulties led the club to merge with Hapoel Herzliya, forming Bnei Hasharon. The merger ended in 2011, and the team returned to its original name, Maccabi Ra'anana. That season, they won the Liga Leumit championship, securing promotion back to the top division.
- founded
- 1980
- nationality
- Israeli
- league
- Liga Leumit (second tier)
- notable achievement
- Israeli Super League runner-up (2000)
- European competitions
- FIBA Saporta Cup (1999–00), FIBA SuproLeague (2000–01), FIBA Korac Cup (2001–02)
Lore & Background
Maccabi Ra'anana was founded in 1980 and won the Israeli 2nd Division championship in the 1995–96 season, earning promotion to the top-level Israeli Super League for the first time in 1996–97. The club competed in the FIBA Saporta Cup in the 1999–00 season and finished as runner-up in the Israeli Super League that same year. The following season, they played in the FIBA SuproLeague, and in 2001–02 they participated in the FIBA Korac Cup.
In 2002, due to financial problems, the club merged with Hapoel Herzliya, forming Bnei Hasharon. The merger ended in 2011, and the club resumed its original name, Maccabi Ra'anana. That season, they won the Liga Leumit championship in 2011–12, earning promotion back to the top division.
Reader's Guide
Maccabi Ra'anana represents a mid-tier Israeli club with a history of resilience, including a merger and subsequent rebirth. Their significance lies in their brief appearances in top European competitions—the FIBA Saporta Cup, SuproLeague, and Korac Cup—and their runner-up finish in the Israeli Super League in 2000. The club's two preseason tours against NBA teams in 2022 and 2023, though winless, highlight their ambition to compete internationally. Their relegation to the Liga Leumit after the 2025–26 season marks a recent downturn, but their legacy includes a 2nd Division championship, a 2nd Division Cup, and a history of producing notable players such as Dror Cohen and Austin Price. The club's story illustrates the volatility of professional basketball in Israel, including financial struggles and the impact of geopolitical events on sports.
Did You Know?
- Maccabi Ra'anana was founded in 1980.
- The club finished as runner-up in the Israeli Super League in the 1999–00 season.
- In 2002, Maccabi Ra'anana merged with Hapoel Herzliya due to financial problems, forming Bnei Hasharon.
- The club won the Liga Leumit championship in 2011–12, securing promotion to the top division.
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