Maccabi Tel Aviv inked guard Yam Madar to a 3-year deal that runs through the end of the 2028/29 season. The Israeli National Team floor general (1.90m, 25), who grew up as a yellow-and-Blue fan, will join the roster of the League and State Cup Champions under Head Coach Oded Katash.

After having secured the continuing services of John DiBartolomeo, Jaylen Hoard, Jimmy Clark, Will Rayman, Oshae Brissett along with the return of Bonzie Colson, Madar joined the ranks as well. Having already played under Katash on the Israeli National Team, Madar is very familiar with his new teammates and brings exceptional scoring, playmaking and defensive capabilities. Despite his young age, he has already accumulated extensive high-level experience both in the Israeli League and in Europe (89 EuroLeague games).

“I’m happy and excited to open a new chapter and join Maccabi Tel Aviv,” Madar told the official website. “I’m already looking forward to meeting the fans, my teammates and the staff and I promise to give everything I have in every practice and every game to help the club achieve its goals. I want to thank the coaching staff, the management and the owners for their trust and I look forward to giving back on the court. Yalla Maccabi!.”

Katash also spoke about Madar coming on board, “I’m very happy that Yam is joining us. His qualities are obvious to everyone, especially after the recent playoffs and we envision a significant role for him on the team. He arrives at Maccabi at the right age and with a massive upside. I want to thank the owners for their tremendous efforts in making this signing happen.”

Regarding the fans of the club, the coach added, “The secret of Maccabi’s magic stems from the connection between the fans, the team and the players. I am certain that with Yam, this is the beginning of a wonderful relationship with a natural connection that will only grow deeper.”

Club Chairman Shimon Mizrahi delivered the following welcoming message, “Yam, you are welcomed with tremendous amount of love and joy as another Israeli player joining the anchor of our team, Maccabi Tel Aviv. We wish you great success.”

Yam Madar was born on December 21, 2001 and grew up in Beit Dagan a small community near Rishon Le’Zion. He began playing for the local youth club and later moved to the Hapoel Tel Aviv youth academy. In the summer of 2018, he signed with the senior team and by the following season, he was already crowned the Israeli League’s Most Improved Player.

He starred for the youth national team, was called up by Oded Katash to the senior national team in 2019, and that same year won the FIBA U20 European Championship with the Under-20 national team in a tournament held in Israel, where he was also selected to the All-Tournament Team. Over the years, he became a leading pillar for the senior national team and in their recent game against Germany, he poured in a career-high 31 points in the blue-and-white jersey.

In November 2020, he declared for the NBA Draft alongside his friend Deni Avdija and was selected 47th overall by the Boston Celtics. In the summer of 2021, he was signed by Zeljko Obradovic’s Partizan Belgrade and at the end of his second season there, he was voted the EuroLeague Rising Star (2022/23). In the summer of 2023, he signed with Fenerbahce and won the Turkish League championship while also featuring in the Euroleague’s Final Four. At the end of that season, he moved to Bayern Munich before returning to Israel in November 2024 to re-sign with Hapoel.

During the 2024/25 season, he was one of the driving forces leading the city rivals to a EuroCup title and helped the club secure a coveted ticket to the EuroLeague. In the final regular-season Derby, he caught fire, shooting 9-of-10 from 3-point range to finish with 41 points. Madar also starred in the recent league playoffs (shooting 45.8% from deep) and across the four games of the Finals series, he provided his team with an average of 19.2 points, 8 assists and 1.5 steals per game, though he ultimately watched Maccabi capture the championship once again. Now, he officially crosses over to the yellow-and-blue side of the city.