Doron Sheffer (Hebrew: דורון שפר; born 12 March 1972) is an Israeli former professional basketball player. He spent most of his club career playing with Maccabi Tel Aviv. During his playing career he played at the point guard and shooting guard positions. During his playing days, his nickname was "The Iceman".[2][3][4]
_-_Doron_Sheffer.jpg) Doron Sheffer, 1993 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 March 1972[1] Ramat Efal, Israel |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | UConn (1993–1996) |
| NBA draft | 1996: 2nd round, 36th overall pick |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Clippers | |
| Playing career | 1990–2014 |
| Position | Point guard / shooting guard |
| Career history | |
| 1990–1993 | Hapoel Galil Elyon |
| 1996–2000, 2002–2003 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 2003–2005 | Hapoel Jerusalem |
| 2005–2006 | Hapoel Tel Aviv |
| 2006–2008 | Hapoel Galil Elyon |
| 2013–2014 | Elitzor Petah Tikva\Givaataim |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Early career
editSheffer first gained fame at age 21, in the Israeli Premier League, when he led Hapoel Galil Elyon to a victory in the Israeli League semifinals, over powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv, in 1993.[5]
College career
editFollowing fellow Israeli Nadav Henefeld,[6] Sheffer then played college basketball, under head coach Jim Calhoun, at the University of Connecticut, with the UConn Huskies, from 1993 to 1996. In the 1993–94 season, Sheffer was the Big East Conference Rookie of the Year. While at UConn, Sheffer formed a trio with fellow starters Ray Allen and Kevin Ollie, that won the Big East basketball championship in three straight years.[5] He is the only player from UConn with 1,000 points and 500 assists, in three varsity seasons.[7]
He was named to the school's All-20th Century team.[8]
Professional career
editSheffer was selected in the 1996 NBA draft, by the Los Angeles Clippers, with the 36th overall pick, but he chose to sign with Maccabi Tel Aviv. After four years with Maccabi, where he won four straight Israeli League championships and played in the 2000 EuroLeague Final Four, Sheffer retired suddenly, walking away from the public's eye, to travel the world, to India, South America, and Costa Rica. During this time, he had a cancerous tumor removed from his testicles.
Despite the illness, and the time away from basketball, Sheffer decided to make a comeback. After finishing his contract with Maccabi, he signed with Hapoel Jerusalem. In 2004, he won the ULEB Eurocup (EuroCup) championship with Hapoel.[7][9] Sheffer retired again in 2005, and then made another comeback in 2006. He then retired again in 2008.[5] 5 years later, in 2013, he made a final comeback to the game, before finally retiring in 2014.
National team career
editSheffer was a member of the senior Israeli national basketball team. With Israel, he played at the 1993 EuroBasket, the 1995 EuroBasket, the 1997 EuroBasket, and the 1999 EuroBasket.[10]
References
edit- ^ "Doron Sheffer | European Championship for Men (2001) | FIBA Europe". www.fibaeurope.com. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ Downey, Mike (March 17, 1996). "'Israeli Ice Man' Is the Name and a Starring Effort Is the Game". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "The Ice Man, Melting". Haaretz.
- ^ "Doron Sheffer holds court". August 13, 2014.
- ^ a b c Wertheim, Jon (8 July 2014). "Where are They Now: Former UConn star Doron Sheffer". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ Henefeld Biography uconnhooplegends.com
- ^ a b Sheffer Biography UconnHoopLegends.com
- ^ "UCONN ALL-CENTURY MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM AWARDS CELEBRATION POSTPONED". Archived from the original on 2018-05-16. Retrieved 2018-05-15.
- ^ "Game Center | EuroCup". Euroleague Basketball. October 17, 2023.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "archive.fiba.com: Players".