Uri Kokia


Uri Kokia is an Israeli professional basketball coach and a former professional basketball player. He is the current head coach for Ironi Ramat Gan of the Liga Artzit. Kokia played as a center/power forward position and was a member of the Israel national basketball team. In November 2017, Kokia publicly came out as gay.

Basketball career

Uri Kokia began playing basketball with sport clubs Elitzur Yavneh and Maccabi Rehovot. At 21 years of age, Kokia entered the Premier League, playing for Hapoel Galil Elyon.
He played five seasons for Ironi Nahariya, and has also played for Bnei Hasharon, Maccabi Haifa, Hapoel Holon, and Hapoel Jerusalem.
In 2010, at the age of 29, Kokia was slated to make his Israel national team debut for the start of the 2011 EuroBasket qualifying campaign. In November 2010, he suffered a torn tendon in his shoulder.
On June 19, 2018, Kokia joined his former team Elitzur Yavne of the Liga Leumit. However, on January 20, 2019, Kokia parted ways with Yavne and joined Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim for the rest of the season.

Coaching career

In the 2014/2015 Premier League season he was named Hapoel Jerusalem assistant head coach, he won the team's first championship.
On August 8, 2019, Kokia was named Ironi Ramat Gan new head coach for the 2019–20 season.

Personal life

On November 28, 2017, Kokia came out as gay, becoming the first male professional basketball player in Israel to publicly do so.