Idan Zalmanson ( he, עידן זלמנסון; born April 18, 1995) is an Israeli basketball player for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He was named the

Israeli Basketball Super League Most Improved Player The Israeli Basketball Premier League Most Improved Player, or Israeli Basketball Super League Most Improved Player, is an award given to the Most Improved Player of each season of the Israeli Basketball Premier League, which is the top-tier level ...

in 2017.

Early life

Zalmonson was born in

Be'er Ya'akov Be'er Ya'akov ( he, בְּאֵר יַעֲקֹב, ''lit.'' Jacob's Well) is a city in central Israel, near Ness Ziona and Rishon Lezion. The town has an area of 8,580 dunams (~8.6 km²), and had a population of 30,338 in 2022. History Be'e ...

. At the age of 3 his family moved to Rishon LeZion. He played for Maccabi Rishon LeZion and

Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv ( he, מכבי תל אביב) is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such ...

youth teams.

Professional career

Early years (2011–2015)

In 2011, Zalmanson started his professional career with

. He was part of the roster that won the 2012 Israeli League championship, the 2012 Adriatic League championship and the

Israeli State Cup The Israel State Cup ( he, גביע המדינה, ''Gvia HaMedina''), is a knockout cup competition in Israeli football, run by the Israel Football Association (IFA). The State Cup was first held in 1928 as the People's Cup. Because it involv ...

both in 2012 and 2013. On August 6, 2013, Zalmanson signed a four-year deal with Bnei Herzliya.

Maccabi Rishon LeZion (2015–2018)

On July 20, 2015, Zalmanson parted ways with Bnei Herzliya to join Maccabi Rishon LeZion, signing a three-year deal. In his first season with Rishon LeZion, he helped them to win the 2016 Israeli League championship as a backup center for

Darryl Monroe Darryl Monroe Jr. (born January 30, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for Anyang KGC of the Korean Basketball League. A power forward/center, he played college basketball for Central Florida CC and George Mason University before ...

. On May 12, 2017, Zalmanson recorded a career-high 24 points, shooting 9-of-11 from the field, along with 7 rebounds and 2 steals in a 79–91 loss to

Hapoel Holon Hapoel Holon Basketball Club ( he, מועדון הכדורסל הפועל חולון), known for sponsorship reasons as Hapoel Atsmon Playgrounds Holon (), is a professional basketball club based in Holon, Israel. The team plays in the Israeli ...

. Zalmanson finished his second season with Rishon LeZion averaging 7.8 points and 4 rebounds per game. On June 6, 2017, Zalmanson was named co-

Israeli Basketball Premier League Most Improved Player The Israeli Basketball Premier League Most Improved Player, or Israeli Basketball Super League Most Improved Player, is an award given to the Most Improved Player of each season of the Israeli Basketball Premier League, which is the top-tier level ...

, alongside

Rafi Menco Rafael "Rafi" Menco ( he, רפי מנקו; born March 5, 1994) is an Israeli professional basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroLeague. He was named the Israeli Basketball Premier League Most ...

Hapoel Eilat (2018–2019)

On July 13, 2018, Zalmanson signed with Hapoel Eilat for the 2018–19 season. In 38 games played for Eilat, he averaged 8.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Zalmanson helped Eilat reach the 2019 Israeli League Final Four, where they eventually lost to

Hapoel Jerusalem (2019–2021)

On July 14, 2019, Zalmanson signed a two-year deal with

Hapoel Jerusalem Hapoel Jerusalem is a sport organization in Jerusalem as a local branch of the Hapoel movement. The branch was established in the 1920s and represents the city in more sports than any other sport organization in Jerusalem. Today, the club's leadi ...

Hapoel Tel Aviv (2021-present)

On July 19, 2021, Zalmanson signed a two-year deal with Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Israel national team

Zalmanson played for the Israeli national team at the 2017 Eurobasket tournament. Zalmanson was also a member of the Israeli Under-16, Under-18 and Under-20 national teams.

References

External links

RealGM profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zalmanson, Idan 1995 births Living people Bnei Hertzeliya basketball players Centers (basketball) Competitors at the 2019 Summer Universiade Hapoel Eilat basketball players Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. players Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C. players Israeli Basketball Premier League players Israeli men's basketball players Maccabi Rishon LeZion basketball players Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. players Sportspeople from Rishon LeZion Power forwards (basketball)