In New York Exhibition Game, Ejected Maccabi Coach Refused To Leave

By JTA October 20, 2009

The head coach of the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team refused to leave the court following his ejection from an exhibition game against the New York Knicks.

Pini Gershon delayed play in Madison Square Garden for 10 minutes Sunday after he would not exit following his second technical foul in the third quarter.

Security officials from the NBA and Madison Square Garden tried to lead Gershon off the floor. Rabbi Yitchak Dovid Grossman of the youth village Migdal Ohr, which was benefiting from the night’s proceeds, also tried to intercede, asking officials to let the coach stay.

Gershon eventually left under heavy security detail.

The Knicks defeated Maccabi, 106-91. The Israeli squad heads to Los Angeles for an exhibition game Tuesday night with the Clippers.

Under Gershon, Maccabi Tel Aviv has won the Euroleague Championship twice in the past decade.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO