Halftime Hype

It’s no secret that the sport of basketball is gradually becoming the sport of the Hebrews. In the Holy Land , hoops are a frequent sight in the schools and parks of Israeli communities. While Naismith’s game has always had an influence in the country, it’s now embedded in the culture of the Jewish state. Of course, this observation shouldn’t come as a revelation, since the Israeli Basketball Super League, Israel ’s professional basketball league, was established in 1954, a mere six years after the inauguration of the NBA – and the establishment of the Jewish state.

In Israel , at times, it’s almost like the entire country stops to watch Maccabi Tel Aviv, by far the most popular team in the country, play a basketball game. In fact, while my mother was working in Israel , she recalls her boss, like many others that day, dismissing her from work early to watch Maccabi play in the 1988 European Finals. Imagine if you could take the evening off from work simply because your hometown team made the NBA Finals? It’s amazing how a finals match-up has the magnitude of Super Bowl overseas, whereas in America, you’re pretty much unaffected by the NBA Finals unless you’re an NBA fan or you’re hometown team is competing.

However, like the MLS, the Israeli Super League, natively known as Ligat Haal, as a whole, still battles for an audience. An Israeli friend recently said that outside of Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem, in some professional basketball games you may find just a few hundred fans in the stands. In fact, he noted that some second and third division soccer games can draw in a larger crowd than a Super League basketball game. This likely stems from a couple of reasons. Despite the fact that Israel is a very small country – approximately the size of New Jersey to be exact – the Israeli Super League only has twelve teams in total. Secondly, unlike EuroLeague teams like Olympiakos and Maccabi, Israeli professional teams don’t have the money to even negotiate with legitimate talent. As we’ve seen in the last couple of years, decent NBA players have been highly coveted overseas (i.e. Josh Childress, Von Wafer, Linas Kleiza, etc.).

Maccabi has a rather fruitful history. The team has captured a whopping 48 Israeli National Championships, and at one point in franchise history, won the championship for twenty-three consecutive seasons. With all its success, the squad practically represents the Jewish state, with regards to basketball, and is basically considered the national team. Much like the Yankees and possibly the Los Angeles Galaxy, Maccabi is the face of its league, Ligat Haal (not the EuroLeague).

But how did Israel ascend into such prosperity in the first place? At first, the impressive display of native Israeli athleticism is somewhat puzzling. The appreciation for athletics in general may have very well arose from Israel ’s military history. It’s difficult to find another nation that has such a competitive history when it comes to war. The elements of endurance, strategy, and victory are all characteristics that have likely enticed the Israeli crowd. Many citizens are very familiar with training and conditioning, as the Israeli Defense Forces mandates three years of service for males upon the age of eighteen. Additionally, once every year citizens are required to attend Miluim, in which they are reoriented and kept physically fit. The strategy aspect is definitely a key component which appeals to Israelis. After all, if football is compared to two armies going to war, isn't basketball similar to a stealth IDF team going on a mission? An IDF team needs a few experienced generals leading the way, which would be the coaches in a basketball game. Also, as a part of this stealth team, there are generally a couple soldiers running the show, leading, and communicating, which translates into team captains. And those fresh eighteen year olds are the role players and reserves.



Maccabi’s foreign influence was easily noticed in the team's exhibition match-up versus the Clippers on October 20. As I looked around in the stands, it was clear that basketball and Israel in the same context wasn’t just limited to Israeli fans, even though there were plenty of natives in attendance. Different descents of Jews congregated in Staples Center for one basketball game. Local temples and religious schools were represented by their respective student bodies, as seen with the flood of yamakahs. Askenaz and Sepharadic Jews both united to show their support for Maccabi, which in the bigger picture, represents the country of Israel . As you might have imagined, kosher food, was made available to appease this unique array of fans.

Like other popular basketball teams, Maccabi identifies with foreigners as well. Many players on the roster are actually American and have, at some point, developed their game in America , but own a more impressive resumé across the Atlantic . One of the team’s forwards, for example, David Bluthenthal, actually earned the John R. Wooden award as a player at Westchester High School and advanced to the Elite Eight as a member of the USC Trojans. Yet, that reputation and potential wasn’t fully utilized, because it wasn’t put to the test in the States.

In the past, we have seen non-Israeli players who played for Maccabi have an impact in the NBA. Anthony Parker best exemplifies that today. In his five years with the club, he led the team to great heights and numerous championships. Ironically, only ten months after hitting a game-winner with Maccabi in a preseason game against Toronto , he signed with the Raptors. Anthony Parker isn’t the only Maccabi alum to have seen playing time in the NBA, though. EuroLeague point guard, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, of Greece ’s Panathinaikos actually played in seventy-five games with the Indiana Pacers in the ’05-06 season. However, Jasikevičius, like many foreign prospects, migrated back overseas after a disappointing three seasons spent in the association.



Until the drafting of Omri Casspi during the summer, it seemed like “once a star in Israel , always a star - outside of the NBA.” It’s hard to believe that Israelis actually had no history on NBA hardwood, since the closest any Israeli ever got was through the signing of contracts, which resulted in no playing time. Though, Casspi is different from the rest. Despite the fact that Casspi was hesitant about enlisting himself in the draft – he enlisted and subsequently withdrew his name from the ’08 draft because no team had committed to him as their first round pick – chosen #23 overall, he will definitely be in action with the Sacramento Kings this season.

Up ‘til now, Casspi has been dubbed a “Jewish Matt Harpring” for his tough and gritty style of play. Although, Israelis aren’t a fan of his game. Accustomed to the run-and-gun style of the EuroLeague, Israelis seem to have a larger appetite for offense as opposed to the defensive fundamentals that are so highly praised in the NBA. Nonetheless, that doesn’t stop Israelis from supporting him. While at the Maccabi vs Clippers exhibition game, I overheard two natives claiming – well, actually, more fantasizing – that “Casspi will be better than A’mare Stoudemire.” I can’t say that’s credible, but Casspi, if he lasts, will definitely have more historical significance than A’mare.

Basketball will only continue to grow in Israel . When more gems emerge from the Promised Land, Israel ’s influence on the game will become more obvious. As fans, it’s easy to forget the credibility of foreign teams like Maccabi when the final score indicates that they’ve lost to a poor NBA team. However, we should keep in mind how rapidly the sport is developing outside of the United States, especially in Israel . There’s a very bright future ahead for basketball in Israel .