With leadership in mind, Aharoni has his family to call on

TEL AVIV (FIBA U16 European Championship 2018) - Israel will be aiming to stay in Division A at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2018 and a big key to that will be Amit Aharoni's past experience and his family's basketball knowledge.

Aharoni was the only 2002-born member of Israel's team that finished 11th at last year's U16 tournament. The point guard is now looking to use the lessons he learned last summer to help lead Israel in Novi Sad from August 10-18.

"I learned that to play in such a high level tournament you have to prepare yourself to compete every day," said Aharoni, who averaged 6.7 points, 4.2 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals last summer. "I want to share my experience from last year with my teammates to help them as much as I can."

"SINCE I WAS A YOUNG BOY IT WAS MY DREAM TO REPRESENT MY COUNTRY AND HAVE MY NAME ON THE NATIONAL TEAM JERSEY."Aharoni

 This is the first time that Israel are in Division A at the U16 level in back-to-back years since 2010, which was the end of a Division A run that started in 2001.

"It is very important for Israeli basketball to stay in Division A so that the next generation can play at a high level too," Aharoni said. "We believe that we have very good Israeli players that can and need to play in Division A."

Avoiding relegation is Aharoni and the team's primary goal in Novi Sad, where they were drawn in Group A with Lithuania, Montenegro and Slovenia.

"IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ISRAELI BASKETBALL TO STAY IN DIVISION A SO THAT THE NEXT GENERATION CAN PLAY AT A HIGH LEVEL TOO."Aharoni

 "Our first target is to stay in Division A. We will give it our all and do our best to win games, and of course we need to see how the tournament will develop," Aharoni said.

The 6ft 1in (1.85m) point guard not only has his experience from last summer to call upon but also the decades of elite European club competition and national team knowledge spread throughout his family.

Aharoni's father Oren Aharoni played 16 years in the Israeli Premier League and also represented Israel at FIBA EuroBasket 1997. 

"I saw my father playing when I was young. Growing up I wanted to play like him, with the same desire for the game," Amit Aharoni said about his father, who retired from the game in 2007 and currently serves as a coach in the Maccabi Tel Aviv system. He was also the Israel coach at last summer's FIBA U16 European Championship.

Oren Aharoni coached his son Amit Aharoni at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2017.

But there are plenty more chances to talk basketball in the family. Aharoni's uncle is Gur Shelef, who was the captain of the Israeli national team and Maccabi Tel Aviv for many years. Shelef's brother Uli Shelef played and coached the game and their father is Uli Shelef, who played for the Israeli national team and Maccabi as well.

After hearing hours and hours of those national team stories, it should no surprise that young Amit also wanted to wear the white and blue of Israel.

"Since I was a young boy it was my dream to represent my country and have my name on the national team jersey," Aharoni said.

If Aharoni can continue to develop, it seems there is a good chance he can tell his own share of national team memories - including helping the Israeli national team stay in Division A at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2018.

FIBA