Hapoel Tel Aviv adds Sternberg, Rabinowitz

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv and Gal Sternberg are together again. The power forward, a product of the Hapoel youth system, has returned home for the coming season. Sternberg (2.06 meters, 24 years old) arrives from Elitzur Shomron with which he averaged 7.2 points and 4.7 rebounds last season in Israel’s second division. After making his professional debut with Hapoel during the 2017-18 season, he also played a stint with the club during 2019-20. The other clubs Sternberg has suited up for are Elitzur Netanya, Hapoel Ramat Gan/Givataim and Ironi Ra’anana.

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv has a familiar face back on its roster with the return of point guard Yonatan Rabinowitz on a one-year deal the club announced Thursday. Rabinowitz (1.88 meters, 25 years old) split time with Flyers Wels and Dukes Klostenburg, both of Austria last season. He averaged 3.9 points, 2.2 assists and 1.8 rebounds over 26 combined Austrian League appearances.

Rabinowitz now returns to the club where he grew up, and was a captain of its youth category teams. He made his professional debut there in the 2015-16 season as a 17-year old. Since then, he also played for Ramat Hasharon, Hapoel Saba/Shalom, Maccabi Hod Hasharon, Elitzur Kiryat Ata and Maccabi Ma’ale Adumim, all Israeli lower division teams, before moving to play in Austria last season.