The Israeli basketball team Maccabi Ra’anana is determined to play an exhibition game against the Nets in Brooklyn on Thursday night, despite the ongoing war in their homeland. The team from the Israeli National League is opening a three-game tour against NBA teams, which also includes visits to Cleveland and Minnesota.
Maccabi Ra’anana arrived in New York on Tuesday, just two days after Israel was attacked by Hamas militants, who fired rockets from Gaza into Tel Aviv and other cities. The attack triggered a fierce response from Israel, which launched airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza. The conflict has already claimed more than 2,300 lives, mostly Palestinians.
The team’s coach, Oded Katash, said that playing basketball in such a difficult time is not easy, but it is also a way of showing solidarity with their country and people.
“We are here to represent Israel and to show the world that we are not afraid and that we will not give up,” Katash said. “We are here to play basketball, which is our passion and our profession, but we are also here to send a message of peace and hope.”
Nets respect Maccabi’s decision to play
The Nets’ coach, Jacque Vaughn, said that he respects Maccabi’s decision to play the game, even though some of his players expressed doubts about whether it should go on. Nets center Nic Claxton said on Wednesday that he felt there were bigger things in the world going on than basketball, and that he did not know if they should be playing the game.
Vaughn said that he understands Claxton’s concerns, but he also believes that canceling the game would be against the wishes of Maccabi, who have reiterated their desire to play.
“Just organizationally, we have been in contact with Maccabi and Maccabi has reiterated to us that they do want to play the game,” Vaughn said. “We respect their decision and we will try to make it a good experience for them and for us.”
Vaughn added that he hopes the game will be a positive event for both teams and for the fans, who will get to see some of the best players from Israel and the NBA.
Maccabi has a history of playing against NBA teams
Maccabi Ra’anana is not the first Israeli team to play against NBA teams. In fact, Maccabi Tel Aviv, the most successful club in Israeli basketball history, has a long tradition of facing NBA opponents in exhibition games. Maccabi Tel Aviv has played 24 games against NBA teams since 1978, winning four of them. The most recent victory was in 2005, when Maccabi Tel Aviv beat the Toronto Raptors 105-103.
Maccabi Ra’anana is a relatively new team, founded in 2018 as a merger of two clubs from Ra’anana, a city in central Israel. The team plays in the second division of the Israeli National League, which is one level below the top-tier Israeli Basketball Premier League. Maccabi Ra’anana finished third in the league last season and reached the semifinals of the playoffs.
Maccabi Ra’anana’s roster includes several players who have experience playing in the NBA or in college basketball in the US. Among them are Omri Casspi, who played 10 seasons in the NBA for six different teams; Gal Mekel, who played for the Dallas Mavericks and the New Orleans Pelicans; and Yovel Zoosman, who was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2019 but did not sign with them.
Maccabi Ra’anana also features some young talents who hope to impress NBA scouts and coaches during their tour. One of them is Deni Avdija, an 18-year-old forward who is considered one of the best prospects in Europe. Avdija averaged 12.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game for Maccabi Ra’anana last season and was named the MVP of the FIBA U20 European Championship in 2021.
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN
The game between Maccabi Ra’anana and the Nets will be broadcast live on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday night. The game will also be available on ESPN’s website and app for subscribers.
The game will be played at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, which has a capacity of 19,000 seats. The arena is expected to be filled with fans from both sides, as New York has a large Jewish community and many supporters of Israel.
The game will be part of the NBA’s preseason schedule, which consists of 86 games between Oct. 3 and Oct. 18. The regular season will start on Oct. 19, with the Nets facing the Milwaukee Bucks in the opening night.
