An Israeli all-star

February 14, 2010 - 12:48 PM by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, General, Pop Culture, Profiles, Sports 

When Omri Casspi became the first Israeli to land a spot on an NBA roster this year – with the Sacramento Kings – that was an achievement in itself. Nobody seriously anticipated that Yavne native would have much of an impact on the team in his first year, let alone make a major impression on the league with his play.

Well halfway through the season, Casspi has done such a tremendous job with the Kings, that he was invited to the All-Star Weekend in Dallas for the Rookie Challenge, in which the leagues top rookies take on the best second-year players.

And thanks, in part to Casspi’s 13 points and five rebounds, the rookies outdueled the sophomores for a 140-128 victory, just another feather in Casspi’s already feather-filled cap of a season.

Only a week ago, Casspi made his New York debut at Madison Square Garden, where the former Maccabi Tel Aviv star was greeted with rock star veracity on Jewish Heritage Night by fans waving Israeli flags and shouting his name whenever he scored. The organist playing a ‘Hava Nagilla’ riff also contributed to the festive atmosphere.

It was in Dallas, however, where Casspi received some of his most meaningful praise – from NBA superstars Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki, who have taken note of the 21-year-old’s stellar play for the mediocre Kings.

“I think he’s playing very well for the Kings,” said Bryant. “I think he’s doing phenomenally well.”

“It’s amazing, the steps he has made in a couple of months,” added the Dallas Mavericks forward Nowitzki. “He’s confident, he looks like he belongs out there and he wants to compete. He’s got a decent looking shot and he moves well off the ball. I really like his game. As long as he keeps on working and improving the sky is the limit.”

League MVP James told AP that he had known of Casspi’s potential before the season even began. “I saw him when he came to work out with us in the summer. He’s a very talented guy. Very athletic. He’s done some great things.”

For Casspi himself, playing in the game was the highlight of his rookie season so far.

“It’s bigger than what I thought, just being around all those players and being at All-Star Weekend,” Casspi told The Jerusalem Post. “You come here, and you want to come here again. I’m very proud. Please God I’ll come back next year.

“I’m living my dream. There’s no time to get tired of it. When I get tired of it, I just keep thinking to myself, ‘This is where I wanted to be all the time.’”

And for Jewish and Israeli fans of Casspi’s, it’s hard to imagine heart cavities having any more space available to fill with pride, but he keeps on managing to make us prouder with each week of the season that goes on.

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An Israeli king of Kings

November 13, 2009 - 12:51 PM by · 1 Comment
Filed under: General 

Thunder Kings BasketballWhen Omri Casspi became the first Israeli basketball player to make the NBA this year with the Sacremento Kings, it was a pretty big deal. And for most, it was the end all – even if he never gets to play and is cut after a year, it was still an accomplishment.

Who would have thought that, just a few short weeks into the season, the 21-year-old Casspi would spark the Kings to become a respectable NBA team, coming off the bench to score three-pointers, grab rebounds and generally play with more fervor than just about anyone else on the court? Probably only a few people, including Casspi and his coach, NBA great Paul Westphal.

“There’s nothing like the passion of a rookie. And from what I’ve seen, there are few rookies as passionate as Sacramento’s Omri Casspi,” wrote NBA.com writer Drew Packham this week in ranking Casspi as the seventh top rookie so far this season. Westphal even said,
“He’s going to make it in this league. He’s going to have a long career.”

The 6′ 8″ Yavne native has earned a strong following among Kings fans and a huge following among Israeli basketball fans in averaging almost 10 points per game. He’s also helped fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv, his old club where he averaged 12.8 points and 4.6 rebounds forget about the scandal unfolding following the suicide of team manager Moni Fanan.

More importantly, Casspi has proven to be a huge image booster for Israel. Fans wave Israeli flags at his games, and NBA fans who don’t know Israel from India are suddenly discovering a connection close to their hearts.

And he’s become a darling among sportswriters, with the natural angles of an Israeli making it in the NBA and his already well-known prediliction for hummus. The Salt Lake City Tribune recently ran a profile of Casspi, calling him a combination of Jackie Robinson and Kobe Bryant, a pioneer, and Israel’s greatest player.

“[Maccabi Tel Aviv] is the biggest team in Israel,” Casspi said. “As soon as I reached my goals there — I was a starter and one of the main players — I decided to give the NBA a shot. … I was fortunate to be drafted and I’m fortunate to be here.”

“Everybody in Israeli is following me,” he said after the Kings’ shoot-around Saturday morning. “They are showing the games over there. So it’s great.”

Isn’t carrying the hoop dreams of an entire country a bit of a burden?

“Nah, it’s OK,” Casspi said. “Everybody is really supporting me. I’m enjoying it. I’m just happy that everybody is happy for me.”

Here’s one story that everyone, except for Casspi’s NBA opponenets, can all be happy about.

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Our first NBA pick

July 1, 2009 - 8:18 PM by · 2 Comments
Filed under: coexistence, General, History and Culture, Sports 

casspi_omri_didele1You may have read about it already, but I need to express my excitement about Omri Casspi becoming the first Israeli player to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft. Yes, it’s not the final, final stage in this nail-biting process, but hey, it’s the NBA and he’s Israeli and it’s looking pretty good.

In case you didn’t know, Casspi is 6’9″, 20, and a forward for Maccabi Tel Aviv. He was selected 23rd overall by the Sacramento Kings, and as Ha’aretz noted, “is the focus of a national obsession with the idea of an Israeli making it into the NBA, in which some 20 percent of the players are foreigners.”

The country’s obsession should have been requited ten years ago when Oded Katash had a two-year contract with the New York Knicks — the New York Knicks! — but lost his marbles during the 1999 player lockout. I know, insane.

There have been others since; Doron Shefer, Lior Eliyahu and Yotam Halperin, all drafted, all in the second round. But they didn’t make it. Casspi, on the other hand, is in. Will he get a contract? Will he get off the bench? Hard to say. But hey. Very hopeful.

According to the New York Jewish Week, Casspi’s selection also smacks of a coexistence bid, natch, as the King’s co-owners, Joe and Gavin Maloof, are popular Sacramento businessmen and philanthropists who come from a Lebanese Arab family. That appears to be a first.

So what’ve we got? An Israeli basketball player signed to the NBA, and a coexistence play in progress. All good signs.

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Slow and steady gold

August 1, 2008 - 8:38 AM by · 2 Comments
Filed under: Sports 

Despite the numerous European championships won by Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israelis aren’t exactly known for their athletic accomplishments. At the most recent summer Olympic games in Athens four years ago, windsurfer Gal Fridman won Israel his first gold medal after 52 years of attempts.

The Beijing games are set to kick off in a matter of days now, and we’re dead set on picking our battles. One blogger astutely points out that we dominated the celebrations at July’s Mathematics Olympics in Madrid.

And we can always look back fondly at the accomplishments of the Ramat Gan Safari’s Tortoise Olympics, where a new world Sudanese giant tortoise speed record of one kilometer per hour was set, triggering wild celebrations involving flowered wreaths and enthusiastic monkeys.

The old parable about the tortoise and the hare earns added poignancy in this context. And besides, let’s not forget that Israel is a place that has much love for turtles, operating a very special sanctuary dedicated to the creatures in Michmoret – just a few hours by turtleback from Gal Fridman’s hometown of Hadera.

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