Hapoel Jerusalem, veteran guard Tapiro together again

Jul 11, 2012 by Eurocupbasketball.com Print

Hapoel Jerusalem and point guard Meir Tapiro are together again for the third time. Tapiro (1.92 meters, 37 years old) arrives from Maccabi Ashdod, which he led to the Israeli League finals last season. He averaged 9 points, 4.6 rebounds and was second in the league with 7.4 assists in 24 games. The veteran playmaker has excelled in the Eurocup before in two seasons with Jerusalem and one with fellow Israeli side Bnei Hasharon. He ranks third all-time with 4.2 assists per game in the Eurocup and accomplished the rare feat of a triple-double in an elimination round game. Tapiro went for 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a quarterfinal win over FMP in February 2007.

Tapiro made his professional debut with Hapoel Tel Aviv back in 1994, but enjoyed his breakout with Hapoel Eilat. After two strong seasons with Maccabi Haifa, Tapiro first came to Jerusalem in 2000 and played with the club in the first season of the modern Euroleague. He played three years in the Israeli capital before moving to Bnei Hasharon for one year and then in 2004-05, spending his only season abroad with SLUC Nancy in France. Tapiro then came back to Jerusalem for two more seasons, during which he helped the team win the 2007 Israeli Cup. In the years since he has played two more seasons with Bnei Hasharon, one with Maccabi Rishon Lezion and two with Ashdod. To date Tapiro ranks 20th on the all-time list of scorers in the Israeli League with 4,660 points. At Jerusalem he will also reunite with forward Josh Duncan, with whom he played last season in Ashdod.

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