Cheers and smiles lit up the hardwood floor as the Israeli Special Olympics men’s basketball team celebrated a 26-21 comeback win against Poland in a preliminary matchup on July 28.
A crowd of more than 30 family members and supporters stacked the baseline of a side court at USC’s Galen Center to fuel the Israelis’ energy during their first matchup.
Nizan Shamis, the youngest member of his team, dropped a game-high 16 points and willed his team to victory over Poland. Facing a 17-15 fourth-quarter deficit, the team responded with an 11-0 run, 10 of which came at the hands of Shamis.
“I understand the other team, how they play, and I started to take the game upon myself,” the 17-year-old said through a translator.
Shamis also said that head coach Yoran Sasson instructed the team to work together, which enabled him to flourish offensively.
“Coach told us to see one another,” Shamis explained. “Because of communication between the players, I can score so much.”
This was evident as many of Shamis’ buckets, in addition to a few of Nir Ben Varon’s six points, came on assists from inbound and fastbreak passes by teammates Eliyahu Somer and Aliyahu Levi.
Israel managed to withstand a late Polish rally and hung on for the five-point win.
Unselfish play was a big factor for the Israelis, as players like Ben Varon exhibited a team-first attitude.
“It’s not going to matter who is going to be first in scoring,” Ben Varon stated. “It’s a matter of the team.”
The Israelis displayed a strong defensive performance, led by anchor Shimon Pelah, who at 44 is the oldest member of the team. Pelah, who Sasson called the “neshamah” (soul) of the team, could be seen grabbing rebounds on both ends of the court and diving to the floor to snatch loose balls. He said that part of his success comes as a result of playing in Israel with “regular” players, meaning people without intellectual disabilities.
“I play with regular players and they show me where to stand to get rebounds, so then I get rebounds,” Pelah said.
Sasson credited the team’s success to Pelah’s competitiveness and his contagious positive energy.
“Shimon has a really good spirit,” he said. “He’s a real winner. Because of that we win.”
Israel’s menacing defense helped keep the team ahead through most of the first three quarters, until a swarm of Polish fans rushed into the gym and ignited their team.
However, Israeli fans countered. “Lo latet!” cried Shamis’ mother, translated as, “Don’t relent!” In unison, the crowd chanted, “El El Yisra’el!” to add to the intense atmosphere.
“The crowd was really great, the cheering was really great!” Pelah exclaimed, beaming with joy. “And because of them, we were able to focus on the game. We hear the crowd and we want to succeed.”
Sasson listed his tournament goals and said that they had been accomplished, at that point, through one game.
“We hope to bring kavod [honor] for Israel and specialness for the Jewish [people] and all the world,” he said.
Sasson’s players, who train twice a week, had mutual feelings about being a part of the Special Olympics.
“Our main goal is to represent Israel with respect,” Shamis said. “We have fun in the Special Olympics and this is great — really great.”
The 10-member squad, the largest team in the Israeli delegation, continued undefeated in the Men’s Division 6 competition, beating Portugal and Pakistan in round-robin play before defeating Pakistan for the gold medal on July 31.
Overall, the 40-member contingent from the Holy Land earned 13 gold, 12 silver and 15 bronze medals for a total of 40.
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