Cover Credit: Yehuda Halickman

Maor Sela is the next big thing in Israeli basketball. Period.

Born October 2010, the 15-year-old big man, who played for both Maccabi Tel Aviv’s U16 and U18 teams last season, stands at 6’8” and can do absolutely incredible things with the basketball. He possesses unbelievable dribbling skills, has the passing vision of a top-tier point guard, a high-level 3-point shot, impressive athleticism and above all he’s got that special “swag” in his game and a passion that is second to none.

At a time when Portland Trail Blazers star Deni Avdija became the first Israeli to feature in the NBA All-Star Game, Sela is emerging as the country’s next real deal. Set to represent Israel’s U16 National Team at the EuroBasket tournament starting Friday in Oradea, Romania, Sela was already selected by FIBA’s Ignacio Rissotto as one of ten elite prospects that will be a shining star in the tournament. Adding to his momentum, Sela recently signed with Avdija’s agent, Matan Siman-Tov from 2Talent Sports.

 

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Sela first popped up onto the radar screen this past January during a successful international tournament in Berlin, Germany, when he was ranked 29th among 2010-born European prospects by NBA Draft Point. Then came the ANGT Next Gen EuroLeague Tournament in Belgrade in March.

Showcasing his skills for Maccabi’s U18 team, Sela averaged 10.2 points (shooting 65% from 2-point range, 40% from three, and 75% from the free-throw line), 5.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists (with 1.5 turnovers), 1.2 steals, 1.5 blocks, and a 12.8 Performance Index Rating (PIR) in 24:33 minutes per game.

Perhaps Sela’s biggest game came in a Tel Aviv derby victory over Hapoel where he recorded 15 points (a perfect 6-for-6 from two-point range, 1-for-2 from deep), 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 turnovers, 2 steals, 4 blocks, a 27 PIR, and a game-high +13 plus-minus in over 23 minutes before suffering an injury while blocking a shot.

15 year old (2010) Israeli prospect Maor Sela in Maccabi Tel Aviv’s U18 win vs Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Euroleague ANGT 🇮🇱🌟

15 PTS
8 REB
4 BLK
2 STL

6-6 for 2
1-2 for three
27 PIR
23 MIN@mobluelion pic.twitter.com/aCfkAMSlW5

— Sports Rabbi (@thesportsrabbi) March 22, 2026

During the past season in Israel’s U16 league, Sela averaged over 21.5 points per game in the Southern Conference as Maccabi finished in first place with an undefeated record. However, the injury from the ANGT tournament impacted the remainder of his season.

Despite doing everything he could to return for the State Cup final against Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi fell short and missing Sela during parts of the Championship Playoff league games, also resulted in defeats. In the best-of-two league semifinal against Hapoel Emek Hefer, monster performances by Sela of 29 and 31 points, weren’t enough for Maccabi, who lost both contests that ended what was going to be a promising season into one that finished without a title.

“Maor is a very talented player,” said Roi Sasson, who coached Sela on Maccabi’s U16 team, in an interview with Sportsrabbi.com in November 2025 after a derby win against Hapoel Tel Aviv. “He also knows that he is talented and plays for both the U16 and U18 teams, so it’s not easy for a player to be on two teams with different players and different plays. Maor is a player that I think can get very, very far if he continues to work hard and won’t rest on his laurels or be satisfied with his current play, allowing that to be enough for him. He has a lot to work on, he can put the ball on the floor at his height and also shoot. Of course, he has to improve each and every aspect of his game but I really enjoy working with him. I think the sky’s the limit as they say and I really hope he’ll get as far as he can.”

קבוצת נערים א׳ לאומית של מכבי תל אביב ניצחה בבית 71:73 את הפועל כפר סבא בתום דרמה אדירה. מאור סלע קלע 18 נקודות כולל סל ניצחון 7.7 שניות לסיום, עידו זיו 16, עידו וינשטיין וליאם דניאלי 12 כ״א. מנגד, 21 לריף בקר, 15 לאדם נאור ו-10 לגיא רוזנברג. הסרטון באדיבות פיקסלוט-איגוד הכדורסל pic.twitter.com/baYBAaD59v

— Moshe Halickman משה הליקמן (@mobluelion) February 25, 2026

Sela himself, when interviewed in November, shared his feelings about playing under Sasson, “He’s a great coach that emphasizes defense and that’s what we need this year, that’s what I need this year. Slowly but surely things will continue to connect more and more and we will be able to do some great things this season.”

The oldest son of Adi and Idan, Sela started his journey in Ironi Ness Ziona’s youth department, “It was the basketball school and I went with all of my friends. People began to see that I had potential from a young age and from there my skills began to develop. Here I am now playing with Maccabi Tel Aviv and enjoying what I am doing; that’s the most important thing. I have an amazing team with the U16 and also with the U18; I have amazing coaches and at the end of the day that is the most fun.”

In the summer of 2024, a 13-year-old Sela trained with Israel’s U14 National Team. Rafi Bogatin spotted his potential and after an excellent start to the 2024/25 season, Sela moved to Maccabi. He went on to win the MVP award in the U15 finals series, leading Maccabi to a comeback victory in a three-game thriller against Hapoel Emek Hefer, including a 23-point performance in the decisive game on the opponent’s home court.

Sela spoke humbly about his successful transition to Maccabi, “Surprising, because when I was at Ness Ziona I wasn’t a player that someone would say, ‘Wow’. But Maccabi came and made me who I am now, not that I’m such a great player, but slowly and surely we’re building up my abilities together.” On winning the championship and the MVP award, he added, “It’s like a dream that comes true, because we didn’t start the season really well, especially not in the first half of the season when I moved to the team. To be a team that competes for the championship and at the end of the season wins it along with being the most valuable player, it was an amazing moment.”

This past year, Sela was in 10th grade at Tichon Hadash High School in Tel Aviv, which reached the national high school championship finals before losing to Ramot Yam Emek Hefer. Sela describes himself as a “pretty good student” and regularly receives support from his peers, “I have friends that support me to the fullest extent of the word. It doesn’t matter if it’s people who support me from my home, Ness Ziona or if it’s teammates, friends from the U18 team, they are really amazing friends. I’m now at Maccabi and I have great teammates and people around me so I’m really having fun.”

Noam Yoffe, a teammate of Sela on the U18 team, offered high praise for the big man, “I think he’s a talent of the highest level. He’s a 6’8 that plays like a guard and that’s something really great. In addition, he’s a very good friend; I really respect him.”

Sela plays with a lot of passion and consistently executes highlight-reel plays. Sharing his secret, he said, “At the end of the day, when you do what you enjoy and play with a smile, you’ll be the best version of yourself. That’s what you need to do. To have teammates and a professional staff that supports you is also key to success. I have the trust to be one of the leaders on this team and I’m happy that this is the case. What you see is the result of that.”

Sela looks up to some of the game’s modern icons, “I love Jokic, Giannis and all the 5’s that play as 4’s and vice versa, that know how to get to the rim, score from the outside and can see the game very well. That’s what I love seeing the most.”

Many top basketball figures surround Sela at Maccabi. At the time of the interview, in addition to Sasson, there is the Youth Department Manager Alon Ben Zaken, former General Manager Oren Aharoni (with whom Sela conducted individual workouts), and U18 Head Coach Yotam Halperin.

“We speak about him a lot, because once again, he is a project, a prospect and a player that the club really wants to promote,” Sasson said. “He came to Maccabi and lives in an apartment here, which for a kid at that age says a lot about his character as it’s also not that simple to have a bit of a distance from his family. We try to always see what the best situation is for him when combining his time between the U16 and U18 teams and we work on certain aspects that are still in conversation.

“To my delight, Oren (Aharoni) is also like a mentor for him. With his experience and willingness to do the best he possibly can and also share that responsibility with everyone along with Yotam (Halperin) who is amazing in his own right is just incredible. There is always an open and respectful conversation about how and what we can do for the best of both the player and the club. I really hope we’ll succeed to bring him the highest level that we can.”

On the U18 team, Sela plays under Yotam Halperin, one of Israel’s all-time legendary players. “Maor has intangibles that you can’t teach or learn. He needs experience, more time and also grow physically, but for sure what he has in his head is very hard to teach as a coach cause he’s already there. However, he needs his time to acquire more assets to help his game, especially on the level of intensity and in order to fulfill his potential he’ll have to continue working very hard because the journey to the top is still a very long one.”

Sela himself still marvels at playing under Halperin, “To play under one of the greatest players that was developed in Israel is another dream. When I was a young kid and saw him play, I never believed in my wildest dreams that I would play under him.”

It’s hard not to notice the similarities between the career paths of Deni Avdija and Sela. Like Avdija, Sela moved to Maccabi’s youth system after starting at a smaller club (Avdija began with Bnei Herzliya), and both attended the same high school.

Sela draws inspiration from the forward’s success, “For sure, to see an Israeli that is at the level that Avdija is at is really amazing and is not something that can be taken for granted. An Israeli that averages 25 points per game in the greatest league in the world and does so with incredible effectiveness, is just something phenomenal to see.”

Sela, who travelled to see Avdija’s Israel National Team during the last EuroBasket in Poland, also met several global superstars while attending the tournament, “I met Luka Doncic during the championship and we also were at the hotel where Poland and Iceland were staying and I met Jordan Loyd and spoke to his father.”

An important question surrounding Sela’s development is what will his future height be and what will ultimately be the position he plays on the court, particularly for a player who seamlessly fits modern basketball.

“I have already learnt in the past that making predictions on someone’s height is something good to write down on a piece of paper for the various types of doctors, but it doesn’t really indicate anything,” Sasson claimed. “I think we’re trying to make some type of combination here with Maor so that he won’t be a classic big man that plays just as a ‘5’, even though in today’s game of modern basketball everybody does everything. I really don’t know what height he’ll grow to.”

“We’re also working on him putting the ball on the floor and taking a shot,” Sasson continued. “In the U16 league, which is more small-guard-oriented and has a lot of agile players, it’s not easy to put the ball on the floor. I think he’ll continue to develop all of the time while he takes each step in his career. We are working with him in the morning and he also works on things during regular practices. I don’t want to put a ceiling on him because I think the sky’s really the limit and I hope he’ll be able to reach the furthest that he can and do whatever he wants to.”

“We haven’t checked my expected height,” Sela reacted regarding his positional future. “But as a position, I love what I do now, playing as a 4 and, God willing, hopefully in the future maybe even as a 3 that I can also play as a 5 which would be great. But at the end of the day, any position that I would be asked to play, I’ll do the maximum that I can.”

In the summer of 2025, Sela was called up to the Israel U16 National Team training camp and was on the verge of making the final roster for the European Championship but was the last cut. Practicing at the national team’s home court at Hadar Yosef at every opportunity, Sela hoped to represent his country this summer where he is expected to be a primary contributor is now a dream that is coming true.

“Perhaps the biggest goal that I have is to represent the country overseas,” Sela said. “This is something that I haven’t experienced yet, not with the U14 or the U15 when there was supposed to be a Maccabiah, or with the U16 up until now. To represent the country with the squad would be the biggest honor and would also be a dream come true.”

When asked in an interview this summer with Yehuda Halickman how excited he was to see this dream come to fruition, Sela answered, “A lot. This is the first time this group of players are going on a European campaign and I’m really excited about it.”

Sela has set clear goals, “As a team, the goal obviously is to go as far as possible and personally it’s doing my best for the national team, hoping to feed off the team’s flow and that the game runs a lot through me.”

Guy Kaplan is the coach of the U16 National Team and is someone that Sela is excited to be working under especially after successfully leading Maccabi Rishon LeZ’ion to the playoffs where they met Hapoel Tel Aviv and even stole the first game of their over the EuroLeague club.

“Amazing work,” Sela commented. “He’s a special coach who teaches you so many things that you didn’t know; he changes a lot of things you didn’t even realize you had and that’s exciting and fun. He’s a senior-level coach at the end of the day and treats us like a senior team and that’s great.”

Sela also values competing alongside former rivals from the Israeli U16 league, “Honestly, it’s amazing. We have here Yanai (Lachmanovich, Hapoel Tel Aviv’s star) who beat us in the cup final and suddenly it’s fun to join forces with him. We have Benda (Rotem Ben David, the national team captain and point guard of Hapoel Emek Hefer), guys who beat you in the semifinals and now you’re playing alongside them both, guys you already know from your club, others you’ve never met before and friends from back home who now play alongside you. It’s just a lot of fun.”

Reflecting on his primary advantage on the floor today, Sela stated, “I think the things I can do according to my size are something we don’t have much of in the country and I can showcase those abilities internationally and in the games we’ll play in Europe. Regardless, we’re a special team; we have that fighting spirit, intensity and that togetherness that not many teams in Europe have from what we’ve seen.”

From an early stage during the past season, Sela was excited about the prospect of participating in the NextGen EuroLeague tournament, “No one spoke with me about it yet, but if it’s something that would happen, it would be very big in my opinion.”

As it turned out, Sela did participate in the NextGen tournament and enjoyed tremendous success including a victory over Maccabi’s arch-rivals, Hapoel.

“Honestly, it was really a dream, to play against guys who are two or three years older than me, against the best teams in the world and in Europe. You’re facing players who are ranked as high as No. 3 among the 2009-born NBA Draft prospects. It’s a dream and it was really fun. As for my performance in the derby, you play for your club against a team that beat you by 30 in the league derby and then suddenly you beat them. I really enjoyed being a key player in that game.”

Reflecting on the disappointing conclusion to Maccabi’s U16 season, Sela remains focused on his upcoming national team duties, “What happened during the season was a real missed opportunity. At the beginning of the year, if you asked any player, any coach, or anyone who understands youth basketball just a bit, they would have told you, ‘Maccabi Tel Aviv is the favorite to win every title’. But at the end of the day we didn’t win anything and that was a bit disappointing and frustrating. But when you don’t win anything, you become hungry to succeed elsewhere. Next season, we’ll go as far as we possibly can and at the European Championship we’ll aim for the top; the worst case is that we fall short.”

Known for his explosive dynamic plays, Sela was asked about his dunking ability earlier in the season, “There will be a lot of dunks this season. In the warm-up and in practices it brings you into zone and creates that hype. God willing I can jump, that’s the most important thing.”

Sela showed impressive maturity when asked about his rising popularity, “At the end of the day, you don’t need to let it influence you too much; it’s not something we need to deal with as players. We need to stay with our feet on the ground, play good and humble basketball and that’s what makes you into a player. If you get too busy with all of the other things around you, it will hurt you. Everything that one does needs to be measured. You can do other things but it must be limited in order for one to reach their ultimate goal.”

Israeli basketball is experiencing a historic era that features three players in the NBA, Avdija alongside the Brooklyn Nets duo of Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf.

Looking ahead to next season, Nadav Zilberstein, Maccabi’s Youth Department General Manager and Head Coach of Israel’s U18 National Team has high expectations for the young prospect.

“Maor is undoubtedly an exceptional talent, especially considering the skill set he brings for someone of his size. I need to sit down with him, talk to him and analyze who he is as a player and what he’s all about, so I can help him take his career as far as possible and maximize his potential.

“I have a certain vision for him, but it’s something I need to discuss with both him and Yotam (Halperin). Our goal is to help him in every way we can so that, ultimately, he develops to the highest level possible. That means not only physically, which is just as important and we have an excellent strength and conditioning staff here in the youth department, but also in terms of his basketball development. We want to help him become the next big thing.”

In recent months, Sela began training with Maccabi’s senior team athletic trainer, Regev Fanan, who shared on Instagram, “When developing young players, start from the ground up. Basics of body control, core muscles, foot stability and overall better function of muscular system. Here we have Maor Sela, our 16 year old forward starting his process. Teach them to love of the wooden floor and going from the ground up is the way to create an ideal athlete.”

 

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Sela highly appreciates the support system around him at Maccabi, including Fanan, “Amazing staff, they take care of everything that I need and want. I feel at home here and comfortable and God willing, we’ll go as far as we can.”

When asked if there is a player he would compare Sela to, Coach Sasson offered the ideal response, “No. He will be Maor Sela. Later on, people will compare (players) to Maor Sela.”