David Blatt returns to Maccabi in advisor role / News - Basketnews.com

EuroLeague legend David Blatt returns to Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv as chairman of the professional committee and external consultant, per the official announcement.

3-pointers this season

36%8,2Points made:8,2Accuracy:36,0%Place in standings:14Record max:16Record min:2Most made 3FGs:Scottie WilbekinTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

The 63-year-old was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis (MS) back in 2019. Since then, one of the most brilliant minds in European basketball has been trying to make this disease more visible.

Now, he is officially back to basketball and ready to share his EuroLeague-winning experience.

Via the press release:

Maccabi has signed David Blatt as chairman of the professional committee and external consultant to the club. The legendary coach, who led the Yellows to their sixth EuroLeague title and was an important factor in the three continental championships that preceded it, will work in collaboration with the professional team and will contribute his rich experience and experties.

In addition to Blatt, the professional committee will include the following: the head coach, the sports director, and the scouting team. The committee will provide professional support to the Maccabi head coach, who will continue to be the decisive professional authority, and will also report, give its opinion and recommend to the owners on a number of professional issues.

"I am very happy to return to Maccabi Tel Aviv," David Blatt told the club's official website. "I am happy to join Nikola Vujcic, Avi Even, and the rest of the professional team and look forward to start working, even though we have already started. We will define and bring in players and people who will help Maccabi return to where it needs to be."

"I think we took a very big step forward in bringing David Blatt back to the club as chairman of the professional committee," explained club chairman Shimon Mizrahi. "David knows Maccabi Tel Aviv for a long, he won the EuroLeague in Milan in 2014, and he was a coach in the NBA.

He won many titles, was the coach of the Russian national team, and had many accomplishments with it. He knows players, he knows the structures of EuroLeague teams because he also coached them. I think his contribution will be great. He will work together with the entire professional team and lead us to many successes. He is coming back home."

David Blatt, who picked up four championships and four trophies as Pini Gershon's assistant, also won five domestic championships, six Israeli state cups, the EuroLeague title, and was crowned four times as coach of the year in the local league during his time in Maccabi.

Among his many great achievements are also winning the EuroBasket 2007 and capturing the Olympic and continental bronze medals with the Russian national team, coaching the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals and the best balance in the league the following season, and winning the EuroCup with Darussafaka (with Scottie Wilbekin and Ante Zizic).

Blatt also coached Dynamo St. Petersburg, Benetton Treviso, Efes Pilsen, Dynamo Moscow, Aris Thessaloniki, and Olympiacos.

In December 2019 he announced his retirement from coaching and then was appointed as a professional advisor to the New York Knicks.

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