Gal Mekel announces retirement / News - Basketnews.com

Gal Mekel, 34, announced his retirement from basketball.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

2-time Israeli League champion and MVP and former NBA player Gal Mekel announced his retirement from basketball.

The 34-year-old competed in EuroBasket 2022 with Israel's national team and played for Andora MorraBanc last season.

"There is a lot of satisfaction and gratitude in this moment, but also sadness because I decided to end a chapter that is the love of my life, which is to play basketball," Mekel said in the special press conference. "I have not separated from the game for a moment since I was 3 years old. Basketball brought me moments of happiness, recognition, and glory."

"It gave me a living and introduced me to people who became a family. From a career perspective, I can say that I love and appreciate every moment. I love and appreciate every training session, every game, and even every injury," Mekel added.

In recent seasons, Mekel was battling injuries. As he admitted himself, it wasn't an easy period.

"For the past two years, I have been in an exhausting pursuit to be eligible. My biggest drive was the national team. Knowing that I am finishing [my career] as the captain of the Israeli national team is one of the most exciting things. All these moments, the good and the not so good completed a journey that made me the person I am today," said Mekel.

Mekel won 2 Israeli League championships with Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2010) and Maccabi Haifa (2013). He was also named the Israeli League MVP in 2011 and 2013.

He also won the Israeli Cup twice (2016 and 2017), becoming the MVP on both occasions.

After winning the Israeli league title with Maccabi Haifa, Mekel signed for the Dallas Mavericks. In the 2014-15 season, he played four games for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Overall, Mekel made 35 appearances in the NBA, averaging 2.3 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.

Gal Mekel's career in short

2008-09: Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (on loan to Hapoel Gilboa Galil) 2009-10: Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and Hapoel Gilboa Galil (on loan) 2010-11: Hapoel Gilboa Galil 2011-12: Benetton Treviso 2012-13: Maccabi Haifa 2013-14: Dallas Mavericks 2014: New Orleans Pelicans (left in December 2014) 2015: Nizhny Novgorod (until the end of 2014-15 season) 2015: Crvena Zvezda (left on December 2015) 2016: Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 2016-17: Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 2017-18: Gran Canaria 2018-19: Zenit St. Petersburg 2019-20: Pallacanestro Reggiana 2020-21: Unicaja Malaga 2021-22: Andorra MoraBan Thank you for reading us! Help us even more.