Jews may not be the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of professional basketball. Yet a Jewish athlete, Ossie Schectman, scored the NBA’s first two points for the New York Knickerbockers against the Toronto Huskies on Nov. 1, 1946. Schectman was one of many Jews to play for the Basketball Association of America, which later merged with the National Basketball League to become the National Basketball Association.
Following this lead, another remarkable Jewish athlete is a “first” for the NBA—Omri Casspi is the league’s first native Israeli. That is why I was so excited as a 13-year-old reporter to be granted press credentials and a one-on-one interview with Casspi before a March 21 Sacramento Kings game against the L.A. Clippers at Staples Center.
With my pass in hand, I made my way to the arena’s press door, and was led through passageways under Staples, past the Clippers’ locker rooms, through more tunnels, and finally to the Kings’ locker room. I waited alongside other members of the press for Casspi’s arrival. Television sportscasters were recording their interviews with the players and coaches for air later that day. One by one, the team strolled in. When Casspi finally arrived, ushered by coaches and players, he immediately greeted me in Hebrew.
For as long as he could remember, Casspi loved to play basketball. When he was my age, just after his bar mitzvah, his family brought him to visit the United States. Fascinated by Madison Square Garden (the home court of the N.Y. Nicks), young Casspi predicted he would play there one day for an NBA team. At age 14, he was already more than 6 feet tall and was one of the youngest players to be drafted to an Israeli-league team. He adopted the number 13 on his professional jersey and used it throughout his professional career—playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv for more than eight years. Even while serving in the Israeli army, Casspi played basketball and honed his skills. In the NBA, he changed his jersey number to 18, symbolizing chai.
“As soon as I got drafted [into the NBA], the team called me and I decided [adopting number 18] was a good symbolic thing to do for my country,” Casspi said. “ I will have a lot of years with the number 18.”
Casspi has an easy-going personality and a warm demeanor. He told me that, like many young people who leave home, his biggest adjustment has been living on his own. Casspi currently lives with his brother, who is also his manager, in Sacramento, but he still considers Israel his home, and plans to return there during the off-season. He misses the comforts of home, and during road trips he tries to track down Israeli food.
Casspi takes great pride in the many Israelis and Jewish groups who come to the games to cheer him on. He says the fan support gives him a great feeling, and he feels welcomed by the Jewish community in the states.
Given the politics surrounding Israel, Casspi says he tries to be a good role model and believes that sports can be a bridge to peace.
“I try to focus on the game, but I recognize that being the first native Israeli NBA player comes with responsibility,” he said.
Casspi says his meeting with the first Iranian NBA player, Hamed Haddadi, “is proof that Israelis and Iranians can be on the same floor and compete and be friends out of basketball.” He added: “It is proof that peace is out there and we need to try to do everything to reach these goals.”
With Passover looming during the interview, I could not resist asking Israel’s NBA star a question about the how he relates to the holiday. Wondering which of the four sons from the haggadah he most resembles, Casspi said he believes he is a combination of all of them. “It’s important to be smart, simple, and even a rebellious son, because you must be hard on yourself and hard on others to succeed,” he said.
What advice does Casspi have for middle school and high school students? To never give up on school.
“It was important for my career that when I was younger, I never gave up on school…. It was important for me and for my family. Basketball will not always be there for me. At the end of the day, I need to be a good student and think about my future. It’s been a dream come true for many of us.”
He encouraged young people to “keep dreaming.”
