Local Hoops: Vujcic to leave Maccabi Tel Aviv

"Maccabi Tel Aviv sees in Vujcic one of its greatest players, on and off the court," team's announcement reads.

By ALLON SINAI
Vujcic 224.88 (photo credit: AP [file])
Vujcic 224.88
(photo credit: AP [file])
After establishing himself as one of the greatest players in Maccabi Tel Aviv's history over the last six seasons, the yellow-and-blue announced on Friday that Nikola Vujcic will be leaving the club after his contract expires this month. "Maccabi Tel Aviv sees in Vujcic one of its greatest players, on and off the court," the announcement read. "Vujcic is loved by all at the club and we thank him deeply for everything that he has given Maccabi." Vujcic was first signed by Tel Aviv in 2001, but was loaned out to French club Villeurbanne for the 2001/02 season and helped the club to the championship. The following season he returned to Maccabi and played a significant role in the team's 2004 and 2005 Euroleague triumphs. The Croatian was the first to record a triple-double in Euroleague play and was widely regarded as one of Europe's finest centers of the last decade. Vujcic scored Maccabi Tel Aviv's final basket of the BSL Final Four with 6.5 seconds to play in the game against Hapoel Holon on Thursday night, but Malik Dixon's two points seconds later denied him one last winning shot.