Israel's basketball king Meir Tapiro still has a never-say-die approach.
By ROEE FARKASHTapiro 224.88(photo credit: Asaf Kliger)
For years rival players, coaches and basketball fans have been trying to comprehend the phenomenon that is Meir Tapiro.
He lacks in athleticism and has never been the fastest guy on the court. His defensive skills are below par and his decision-making will always make his coach miss a heartbeat.
Yet, despite all this, Tapiro has grown quite naturally to become the undisputed go-to-guy, regardless if it is for club or country.
"What can I say? I love playing basketball for the national team," Tapiro tells The Jerusalem Post while waiting in Ben-Gurion Airport on his way to Bosnia and Herzegovina for Israel's second game in the EuroBasket qualifying round.
"I enjoy the spirit of the rest of the guys. I truly feel as though we are all living the dream playing for our country."
While each summer brings the squad together, there are always those who try to get out of the Zionist mission.
But not Tapiro. Six months after celebrating his 33rd birthday the veteran point guard has shown once again that his age is not about to slow him down.
In fact, in recent years the Bnei Hasharon player has become more of an unstoppable threat, also gaining the deserved recognition from rival coaches who try to think up new ways for their team will handle him.
"It isn't easy to work so hard during the regular season for your club and then instead of using the time in the summer to rest and work on your body, invest it all in the national squad's campaign," he says.
"I come here for a reaso, though, it is where I want to be and I obviously do the best that I can, in games and during training.
Tapiro's performance in Wednesday night's dramatic overtime win over Great Britain illustrated just how important he has become for the national team.
He scored a team-leading 27 points and more often than not took responsibility for the play on his shoulders, sometimes in what turned out to be a stretch too far.
The most obvious example came with 28 seconds to go in the fourth quarter and Great Britain leading 84-83.
The ball was passed to Tapiro who dribbled down the court with the serenity of one whose team had already won. With seven seconds left in the game he faked, pulled back and then elevated to take a wild three-point shot. The ball went nowhere near the basket, nor the rim for that matter.
Luckily for Tapiro he was soon fouled and managed to score both shots to send the game into overtime, but the incident showed the frailty of the team's reliance on him.
"I don't feel as though the team entirely depends on me and I have no doubt that once I will retire there are plenty of guys who are more than capable of carrying the team," Tapiro argues.
"In addition to the great energy this team possesses, I actually think our depth is what makes this team so unique. For example in the game against Great Britain it was the replacements who made the difference. The starting five struggled but we were able to make some adjustments and get back in the game.
"On a different day it will be different players who will be called upon, everyone who contributes to this team is a highly talented player all the way to the bottom of the bench. Limonad, Roth and Ohayon are great point guards and could all replace me when the day comes."
The Israeli squad struggled to qualify for the past two EuroBasket Championships, each time only making through the last chance tournament.
While the goal was achieved the general opinion was that it shouldn't be that difficult and Israel should progress from the qualifying round.
"People don't seem to remember the state of things last time where there had been a war here and we were forced to play all of our home games in Bulgaria," Tapiro says of the qualifying campaign two years ago.
"I don't need to tell you on what a difference it is to play in front of your home crowd which pushes you forward the entire game. And besides this some of the players, myself included, had been carrying injuries.
"This summer everything is almost perfect and we are all very confident that we will do what is expected of us."
Tapiro may be one of the most significant Israeli basketball players in recent years but he has never made it into the big time in Europe.
While his rivals on European squads play earn several hundred thousand euros, and Maccabi Tel Aviv players such as Yotam Halperin earn almost ten times what he earns each season at Bnei Hasharon, Tapiro stays focused on himself.
"This is something I try not to think about," he says. "It isn't that I don't believe I could do well if I played for a Euroleague team, it's just that the opportunity never really came along. I've played abroad before but it didn't turn out too well in my favor, but who knows, at the end of this season I will finish my Bnei Hasharon contract, and if the right offer comes along I will gladly take it. My family would be happy to spend a year or two in a different country."
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