Maccabi Tel Aviv and Bnei Herzliya will take the court tonight (Thursday, 9:00 PM) at Yad Eliyahu for the State Cup Final. On paper, Maccabi are the clear favorites, but Herzliya have a tradition in the competition, having won it twice, most recently in 2022.

The man behind that triumph was head coach Oren Aharoni, who guided his team to a 87-82 victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv at Yad Eliyahu — a relatively surprising result at the time. Just before the final and now serving as the professional director of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth department (a role he also held before coaching Herzliya), the 52-year old granted a special interview to “The Sports Rabbi” at the old Hadar Yosef Hall prior to the title game.

Aharoni looked back at a myriad of topics from the special memories of the title run, Chinanu Onuaku, the experience awaiting current Herzliya coach Yehu Orland, Gur Lavy and of course the balance of power in the current final and its impact on the rest of the season.

“First of all, incredible memories,” Aharoni began. “It’s an emotional event, definitely at the very top of my coaching career. The atmosphere with 11,000 fans and a great game, truly a big and moving moment.”

The player most remembered for helping Herzliya capture the cup is Chinanu Onuaku. The center, who was the Israeli League MVP in 2021/22, was also the MVP of that cup final, delivered an unforgettable performance against Hapoel Tel Aviv with 30 points, 17 rebounds and a 50 efficiency rating. Onuaku is the only remaining player on Herzliya’s roster from that game, despite having played for other teams since including Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Today as well, Onuaku is the centerpiece and the main reason Herzliya have a chance to win. In the semifinal against Hapoel Gilboa Galil, he led a dramatic 92-90 comeback win, energizing the crowd with leadership, scoring 27 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and above all hitting the game-winning shot in the closing seconds.

Aharoni is convinced Onuaku has the goods to win another cup, “I’m sure he has what it takes because to his credit, he shows up in big games. In the semifinal against Gilboa and in our semifinal back then against Holon, he stepped up in those big moments. You could see him the other night pushing the crowd and his teammates, directing and talking, he’s truly a big-game player. He gave an unforgettable performance back then and to his credit, he’s built for these moments.”

Asked about the secret to winning a cup final, Aharoni said, “It’s hard to point to one secret. I remember we didn’t start well, there was excitement and our guards, Quintin Hooker and Chris Babb, didn’t hit from outside, but we managed to hold on defensively. In the second half we gained confidence, shots started falling and we built momentum. There isn’t one secret, there are many small details you have to execute very well to win a game like this.”

In the past, though not in the cup, Aharoni managed to defeat Maccabi Tel Aviv in a decisive game at Yad Eliyahu, winning Game 3 of the playoff semifinals 96-74. Herzliya came back from 1–0 down in the series to win 2-1 and advance to the finals, where they came up short and were swept 2-0 by Hapoel Holon.

Aharoni believes Herzliya definitely have a chance in the final against Maccabi, “Even then, Maccabi had a different frontcourt lineup, but there was a significant advantage with Chinanu. I think even now Maccabi will have to make major adjustments against him. It’s a cup final, two teams in very, very good form. I think the game is open to both sides.”

Like Aharoni in 2022, current Herzliya head coach Yehu Orland is reaching the biggest moment of his coaching career so far. He too is making his breakthrough on the sidelines with the Sharon-based club and looks like a leading candidate for Coach of the Year. Aharoni, who won that honor in 2021/22, described what is awaiting Orland.

“First of all, it’s an experience. The semifinal and final are among the peak events of our basketball. It’s an incredible experience. The whole week is intense and emotional. It’s hard to say you enjoy it because you’re under pressure preparing for the game. Only after it’s over do you look back and realize it was one of the most amazing experiences.”

The key player in Maccabi’s semifinal win over Hapoel Jerusalem was Gur Lavy. The Israeli forward, who was named the league’s Outstanding Israeli Player last season with Gilboa/Galil, has broken out recently for Maccabi, peaking in the cup semifinal. Lavy entered late in the third quarter when his team was in trouble and helped lead a huge comeback against Jerusalem.

Aharoni, who coached Lavy briefly at Hapoel Haifa at the start of the 2023/24 season, praised him, “First of all, Gur is someone who keeps progressing, with crazy passion to improve. It’s great to see him succeeding at Maccabi Tel Aviv. He really deserves it and is an example to young players, someone who came from the bottom, went through the entire path, constantly trains, improves and strengthens his weaker areas. I’m truly happy for him.”

Aharoni’s 2021/22 Herzliya team managed to stay consistent after winning the cup and surprised many by reaching the league finals as well, even being considered slight favorites against Holon. In the current season, with the financial power of Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem, it’s unclear whether Herzliya can repeat that feat. Still, they are on a strong winning streak and are viewed as a team capable of reaching the semifinals.

“It’s hard to know,” Aharoni said regarding their league chances. “There’s still half a season left, so it’s difficult to assess. But they’re a very good and talented team.”

Finally, Aharoni shared a special story from the cup-winning season, “The most special memory is that before we played Hapoel Holon, Onuaku came to me and said he didn’t understand why the final had to be at Maccabi’s home arena. I kept telling him, ‘Let’s focus on Holon,’ and he said, ‘We’ll beat Holon, I don’t understand why we have to play at Maccabi’s home.’”