Basketball Sphere

is a well-known name in European basketball. As the key figure at AEK, he won the FIBA Champions League and signed players like , , , , and many other stars. He simply knows how to work with big names, which made the decision to join Hapoel Tel Aviv a year ago a natural progression.

What followed was a major rise. Investments don’t always guarantee results, but in this case, the Israeli club managed to achieve its set goal — to win the EuroCup and thus qualify for the EuroLeague, in a field of increasingly ambitious competitors. Of course, it all happened step by step, even though it was within a single season. There were ups and downs, and extremely challenging situations.

George Hinas told Basketball Sphere.

He couldn’t pass up the opportunity — not only did he accept it, but he made the most of it. A few weeks ago, he signed a new contract through the 2027/28 season.

The turning point turned out to be the arrival of coach , which came after serious turbulence. Probably the best player on the team was on the verge of leaving, went to the U.S., and it was said he had agreed to terms with another team.

said George Hinas.

He then turned to the crucial detail — his very interesting discussions with the former Fenerbahce and CSKA coach.

The general manager also explained what makes Hapoel Tel Aviv special to many.

Due to the war situation in Israel, it seems that Hapoel Tel Aviv must overpay players to sign them.

It’s still unknown where Hapoel Tel Aviv will host EuroLeague opponents.

They are also negotiating with the ABA League, a competition the Israeli club is considering joining. A decision is expected soon.

A hot topic in recent months has been the connection between and Hapoel Tel Aviv, which neither the player nor the club has denied. Recently, reports suggested the Serbian guard turned down the EuroLeague newcomer due to the war, which George Hinas denied.

Given Ofer Yannay’s ambition, many high-profile names have been linked to Hapoel Tel Aviv. One of them is , with reports suggesting the club was ready to offer a historic contract.

Hapoel Tel Aviv will likely keep the core of its team for next season, including . His message to fans caused confusion and was interpreted by many as a farewell.

Even though Hapoel Tel Aviv has high ambitions and wants to invest heavily in the team, it will have to adapt to the EuroLeague’s new financial regulations and the salary cap — something prominent agent Misko Raznatović called “suicidal” for European basketball.

It’s clear that European basketball is changing. With its expansion, the EuroLeague has added two strong teams — Dubai and Valencia — and rejected the first wave of NBA Europe, which Hinas believes will soon establish its own competition.

George Hinas also commented on the situation at AEK, the club where he left a strong legacy. Even after his departure, the organization has continued to operate successfully.

“A great season, considering that in Greece, you can’t really finish higher than third place because of Panathinaikos and Olympiacos. Of course, the team exceeded expectations in the FIBA Champions League — not just by organizing the Final Four, but getting there in the first place is no easy feat. I hope next season will be at the same level.”

A few years ago, the Greek executive played a key role in bringing Kevin Punter to AEK, which proved to be Punter’s first major step toward breaking out on the European scene.

“It was a very unique moment. We were in a tough situation — early February — looking for a shooting guard, and we had the Greek Cup Final against Olympiacos coming up in seven days. We weren’t in a good spot in the FIBA Champions League either. We were choosing between Jordan Crawford and Punter. When I spoke with Kevin, I realized he was on the rise. I talked to Antwerp and Lavrio and got confirmation that he was a quality person, a great guy, and a hard worker.

For me, motivation is everything, and he had the motivation to prove he was one of the best players in Europe and that he could succeed with AEK. I spoke with the owner and coach Dragan Sakota. Maybe most people would have gone with an NBA name at that moment, but we chose Kevin. Things turned out positively for both sides. He deserved everything that happened in his career afterward,” concluded George Hinas to Basketball Sphere.