Israeli-American basketball star Danny Wolf and Israeli Ben Saraf are both projected to be first-round picks in this year’s NBA draft.
By Jacob Gurvis, JTA
Hapoel Tel Aviv won its first European basketball title last Friday, beating the Spanish team Gran Canaria 103-94 to sweep the EuroCup finals.
It’s the first time since 2004 that an Israeli team has won the tournament. With the victory, Hapoel will be promoted to the top European basketball tier, the EuroLeague, where it will compete alongside Maccabi Tel Aviv.
“I know that for you, we beat Valencia [in the semifinals] and the Canaries [in the finals], but for me, we beat Hamas,” said Hapoel owner Ofer Yanai.
“They tried to break our spirit, and they didn’t succeed. We made history tonight. History in Israeli sports, national history.”
With the NCAA basketball season over, college athletes make career-defining decisions. This week included several Jewish players.
These rising Jewish stars are making serious moves.
Most notably, Israeli-American basketball star Danny Wolf officially declared for this summer’s NBA Draft, where he’s expected to be a first-round pick.
Danny Wolf. (X Screenshot)
Wolf is coming off a solid season at Michigan, where he led the Wolverines to the Sweet 16. The 7-footer is the No. 19 prospect in ESPN’s NBA draft projections.
Israeli Ben Saraf also officially declared for the NBA Draft, where he could also be a first-round pick. Saraf, a 6-foot-6 point guard, has been playing professionally in Germany this year.
He’s the No. 23-ranked draft prospect per ESPN, and has long been expected to enter this summer’s draft. “This is the right time for me,” Saraf told ESPN.
Ben Saraf. (X Screenshot)
As Wolf departs from NCAA basketball, another Israeli arrives: 18-year-old Omer Mayer has committed to play at Purdue University.
Mayer, a point guard, had been playing with Maccabi Tel Aviv and was viewed as one of this year’s top international recruits.
Omer Mayer. (X Screenshot)
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