The Israel Basketball League held their annual awards ceremony on Monday as they handed out the 2025/26 MVP trophy along with the top Israeli and Coach of the Season as well as for other categories just ahead of the finals series between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv that tips-off on Tuesday.

Most Valuable Player – Player of the Season – Jared Harper
Jared Harper earned the MVP award for the second straight season and enjoyed an outstanding individual season with Hapoel Jerusalem in domestic competition. The American point guard averaged an impressive 18.2 points per game as his scoring ability and dominance placed him third on the league’s scoring list this season, behind Elijah Stewart, who led the league and Kyler Edwards.

Israeli MVP – Roman Sorkin
The Israeli forward-center won the prestigious award as the league’s top Israeli player after averaging 12 points per game this season. Sorkin, 29, won the award for the second time in three seasons has enjoyed an excellent campaign and hopes to lead Maccabi Tel Aviv to another championship.

Coach of the Season – Oded Katash
Oded Katash continued to strengthen his standing on the sidelines of Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Winner League, in a season that combined professional success with the challenges of a complex security situation. Under his leadership, Maccabi finished the regular season in first place with a dominant record of 24 wins and only 2 losses. Katash now faces his most important task of the season as he attempts to secure another league title.

Most Improved Player – Yoav Vitlem
The Hapoel Beer Sheva guard had a successful season, averaging 12.2 points per game. He also set a new personal scoring record this season with 24 points against Elitzur Netanya.

Breakthrough Player (Rookie/Discovery of the Season) – Yuval Hochstadter
The 22-year-old forward enjoyed a breakout season with Kiryat Ata, averaging 7.6 points per game. He particularly stood out in an early-season game against Bnei Herzliya, where he scored 16 points and set a new career high.