Basketball legend Mickey Berkowitz on Wednesday capped his illustrious career by becoming the first Israeli player to be selected into the International Basketball Federation Hall of Fame. Berkowitz, the second Israeli to be named to the FIBA Hall of Fame after journalist and former sports official Noah Klieger, will be inducted during a special ceremony on Sept. 30 at FIBA headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Widely considered the greatest Israeli basketball player of all time, Berkowitz won 16 Israeli championships, 13 State Cups and two European cups while playing with Maccabi Tel Aviv. He also led the Israeli national team to second place at the 1979 European Championships. Joining Berkowitz in this year's Hall of Fame class are: Shaquille O'Neal (U.S.), Toni Kukoc (Croatia), Rajiza Mujanovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Pero Cameron (New Zealand) and Valdis Valters (Latvia). Coaching great Dusan Ivkovic (Serbia) will also be inducted. They were selected from a list of more than 150 candidates. The American "Dream Team," which won the gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, will also be inducted on the 25th anniversary of its historic appearance. The Dream Team, the United States' first-ever Olympic basketball team to feature active NBA players, is widely regarded the greatest team ever assembled. The team included legends Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone and Scottie Pippen, as well as 2013 FIBA Hall of Fame Inductee David Robinson. "The 2017 Class of the FIBA Hall of Fame distinguishes itself for the impressive amount of success these personalities have experienced on the court for their respective countries," said FIBA President Horacio Muratore.
