The Israel Men’s Under-18 National Team opened the European Championship this week in Belgrade, as Barak Peleg’s star-studded squad features a terrific mix of up-and-coming talent.
One of the most exciting players taking part in the tournament is, without a doubt, David Musis – who is not only one of the youngest on the roster but also stands at 2.10 meters (6-foot-9) – as he prepares to burst onto the continental stage.
Israel beat Bulgaria 80-67 in its opening match on Saturday, before falling 77-56 to Germany. The blue-and-white faced Italy late Monday to determine its last-16 placement.
Just prior to the start of the tournament, The Jerusalem Post spoke with Musis to get to know a diamond in the rough who, not too long ago, was an unknown underdog and an under-the-radar player – but is now one of Israel’s great hopes.
“I’m very excited to get going,” the 17-year-old Musis began at the brand-new Hadar Yosef basketball facility. “I may be young, having just had my birthday this past week, but I will have to give everything I’ve got to get minutes on the court, battle for my place, and hope to succeed in doing so.”
The team is coached by Peleg, who has led teams in both of Israel’s top divisions over the years and with whom Musis feels a strong connection.
“He’s a very, very good coach. I get along well with him, and I like the way he plays. He’s really excellent.”
As Musis noted, he will need to put up a big fight in order to get minutes, as there are a pair of Maccabi Tel Aviv youth team centers on the roster as well – in the form of Gabriel Artmenko and Tamir Gold.
“It’s going to be challenging, but I’ll have to battle for my place on the floor in order to get my minutes. I’m also a year younger than them, but I will give everything that I have.”
As a center, Musis is going to enjoy playing with a point guard like Ari Amiel, one of Hapoel Tel Aviv’s rising youth stars. Last summer, the two played together on the Under-16 team and will have some familiarity on the court.
“Ari is a terrific player. He knows how to pass and find the big men really well. He also knows how to organize the game, so it’s really fun to play with him.”
Musis, who actually began playing soccer as a youngster, grew up in Holon and moved to Herzliya a little while ago. His father encouraged him to try basketball, and he now looks to Denver Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic as a role model and the player he patterns his game after.
Having started in the Hapoel Holon youth department, Musis moved to Ramat Hasharon a couple of years ago, where he has started to see positive development.
“I’ve made significant progress. I wasn’t getting minutes beforehand, and then suddenly I’m on various national teams and an important factor on the youth team. It’s a lot of fun. I’m working hard, and because of that, I’m seeing success.”
“When I moved to Ramat Hasharon from Holon – where I hadn’t really played and wasn’t getting the experience I needed – they really invested in me, nurtured me, and I improved a lot there. That’s where I started to grow.”
Included in Israel's U16
Last summer, Musis received his first call-up to one of Israel’s junior national teams when he was included on the Under-16 team’s roster for the European Championship. The squad finished in sixth place, with Musis posting 6.9 points and 5.3 rebounds in just 13.9 minutes per game.
“It was fun, and it was my first championship,” Musis recalls. “I had to adjust a bit, as it was something new and I hadn’t really been involved in the national team beforehand. At the end of the day, it was a ton of fun, and I had a great tournament. Now I want to translate that success to this year’s tourney.”
This past season, Musis played in the Israel Youth Super League for Ramat Hasharon and opened the campaign with games of 28 and 24 points, respectively. He finished the Northern District portion of the season with averages of 15.3 points and 8 rebounds in 21 minutes. In the second portion of the season, he recorded 15 points and 7.6 rebounds in 25 minutes.
“I played well in some games, but I need to do a lot more,” Musis said about his season. “I needed to be more dominant, stand out more, score and save. Everything.”
Training under Coach Guy Kantor
During the season, Musis began training with Ramat Hasharon’s senior team under Coach Guy Kantor.
“I started practicing with them in the middle of the season, and the intensity there was so much greater. I trained against veteran center Amit Bir-Katz, and it was very difficult – but I managed.”
While traditionally big men don’t shoot many three-pointers, it has become a huge part of today’s basketball game. With that in mind, Musis knows it’s something he needs to have in his arsenal and has been working on that aspect of his game.
“It’s another thing that is part of how I play, and I need to continue to develop this skill. It’s good that I’m not just playing in the paint with my back to the basket – shooting the ball is also something very important in my game.”
Another area Musis is constantly working on is his defense in order to become an elite player. He understands that he needs to keep sharpening every aspect of his game as he sees a bright future ahead – with the first goal being the European Championship.
“First of all, I need to bring everything that I have and play as hard as I can. Everything else after that, for me, is a bonus. I want to play as much as possible and also be as dominant as I can on the court to help the team.”
Going forward, Musis has high hopes for his career. He admits that the recent trend of Israeli players heading to US colleges is something that intrigues him, but from there, the sky’s the limit – with the ultimate goal of playing in the greatest league in the world.
“College basketball can actually help me develop, but long-term I’m thinking about reaching the NBA – aiming as high as I can. Those are the goals. That’s my dream.”