Miki is the greatest athlete we ever had. For me, he is also a friend

A veteran sports writer shares personal memories of Miki Berkovich, Israel's greatest basketball player, who is battling Alzheimer's disease. The article describes Berkovich's illustrious career, the long friendship between the writer and Berkovich, and the last interview he conducted with him about two years ago, when signs of the disease were already apparent. The writer bids farewell with pain and appreciation.

A veteran sports writer describes the long friendship between himself and Miki Berkovich, Israel's greatest basketball player, which began when the writer was at the start of his career and Berkovich was already a star. The writer recounts the documentary he made about Berkovich ahead of his retirement, 'Jersey Number 9', and the last interview he conducted with him about two years ago, when signs of Alzheimer's disease were already apparent. The writer notes that Berkovich receives immense appreciation, including from Aryeh Leibowitz, and describes his illustrious career in Europe with many titles and championships. He also remarks that Berkovich missed the NBA for an unclear reason, but in his opinion, the NBA missed out. The writer bids farewell with pain and appreciation, thanking Berkovich for the friendship.