The Jewish people have added an unlikely new member to the team — a pro basketball player whose journey took him from Catholic prep school to a cameo stint with the New York Knicks to Israel. Chris Smith, the younger brother of Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith, converted to Judaism earlier this year, and made…
NEW YORK (JTA) — Chris Watson played four standout years of basketball at Niagara University, where he became one of the upstate New York school’s all-time leading scorers. So when the 6-7 forward-center went undrafted by an NBA team in 1997, he set out to play on a professional level internationally. He played two years…
(JTA) — Omri Casspi, the first Israeli to play in the National Basketball Association, missed his preseason opener with the Golden State Warriors because it took place on Yom Kippur. The Warriors, with who Casspi signed a one-year deal in July, played against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said Casspi had…
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said on Thursday he expects players to stand during the U.S. national anthem, which has long been a league rule, rather than follow the lead of NFL players who have been kneeling in protest. The controversial issue of kneeling during the anthem has become more prevalent in the NFL in a…
Basketball star Amar’e Stoudemire, who led the Israeli basketball team Hapoel Jerusalem to victory in national championships, announced that he would not return to play another season. “Although I would have liked to return for another season, the team, coach and I could not find a role that I felt would allow me to meaningfully…
(JTA) — Until recently, Ray Allen was known for being the NBA’s all-time leader in made three-pointers. Then last December, President Obama appointed the former All-Star as a member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. It was a surprising announcement to those who didn’t know Allen had been taking his teammates to the U.S. Holocaust…
(JTA) — Jonah Bolden, a second-round pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2017 NBA draft, will play in Israel for Maccabi Tel Aviv. Bolden, 21, a 6-foot-10 forward, made the announcement Friday that he had signed a three-year deal with the most prominent basketball team in the Israeli Premier League. The deal has an…
T.J. Leaf the Israeli-born (but not quite Jewish!) former UCLA basketball star was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of Thursday’s NBA Draft. Leaf was the 18th pick overall. Leaf, who played on an Israel under-18 national team, was noted by commentators for having a European-style game, including good passing skills and…
צוליב דעם וואָס ס׳רובֿ פּאַריזער אַשכּנזים שטאַמען פֿון פּוילן, קומט די ליטוויש־ייִדישע קולטור נישט אָפֿט צו רייד
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