Israeli basketball legend Mickey Berkowitz’s severe dementia diagnosis revealed in documentary
Berkowitz has been living in a care facility away from his home in recent months, and the film documents his family’s efforts to cope with his condition.
Israeli basketball legend Mickey Berkowitz, widely regarded as the country's greatest athlete, is suffering from severe dementia, it was officially revealed during the Channel 12 documentary "Mickey Berkowitz’s Last Shot". The Berkowitz family, after keeping the illness a secret for over two years, agreed to disclose the news shortly before Berkowitz received the Israel Prize for Outstanding Sports Achievement.
The documentary, directed by Niv Raskin, shows the Berkowitz family dealing with their beloved sports icon's condition. Berkowitz, whose parents emigrated from Romania, began his basketball journey with Maccabi Tel Aviv's youth team at 11, quickly rising through the ranks. He led Israel's youth national team to a fourth-place finish at the European Championship at 18.
Berkowitz's professional career blossomed at Maccabi Tel Aviv, where he won a record 16 Israeli league championships and 13 State Cups. He led the club to its first European Cup title in 1977, and the following year, helped the Israeli national team secure a silver medal at the 1979 European Championship. He was named tournament MVP after the competition.
Despite offers from the New Jersey Nets, Berkowitz remained loyal to Maccabi Tel Aviv, winning another European Cup title in 1981 and reaching four more European finals with the team. He spent 16 seasons with Maccabi Tel Aviv, becoming the second-highest scorer in the Israeli Premier Basketball League. Berkowitz also had stints with Maccabi Rishon Lezion, Hapoel Jerusalem, and Hapoel Tel Aviv before retiring.
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