By Dan Steinberg  |  02:36 PM ET, 02/21/2012

Categories:  NBA | Tags:  Tamir Goodman, Jeremy Lin

Tom Bergeron

Rivals High Senior Editor

Say what you want about LeBron James.

Seriously, say what you want – it’s all been said before.

Associated Press
LeBron was the No. 1 high school player starting his junior year at St. Vincent/St. Mary in Akron, Ohio.

That’s what happens when you are a basketball prodigy, the most hyped, most talked about player of your generation. Talk that started when your generation had barely entered its teen-aged years.

Listen to his first high school head coach, Keith Dembrot:

“He can play at the highest level and there’s no doubt in my mind,” he told the Columbus Dispatch.

And that was after his freshman year of high school at St. Vincent/St. Mary in Akron, Ohio.

“He has the unique ability to know when to be serious and to know when to have fun,” Dembrot continued. “He’s a winner. What can you say? You don’t see 15-year-old kids do what he does.”

The hype only got bigger.

By the time he was a junior, he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated in an article called, ‘The Chosen One.’

It not only detailed how he already knew Michael Jordan – but had NBA sources saying he would be a lottery pick in the draft if he declared after his junior year.

LeBron clearly wasn’t just another high school hot shot. He was bigger than that.

But is he the biggest high school phenom of all-time?

Physically, no. After all, big (Wilt), bigger (Alcindor) and biggest (Ralph Sampson) came before him.

And there were those with bigger shots (ever heard of Rick Mount?) and bigger flair (Pete Maravich anyone) and – dare we say – even bigger potential to reinvent the game (let’s not forget the legend of Candace Parker).

And if you think the issue of the car loan his mom got or the flap surrounding a few free jerseys he got – which briefly made him ineligible during his senior year – makes LeBron part of the biggest off-the-court controversy, then you don’t know the story of Allen Iverson.

	Associated Press
	Lew Alcindor’s height made him a standout at an early age.

So as LeBron takes the court for this second appearance in the NBA Finals, say what you want. But appreciate how long he’s been in the spotlight – and how much (despite not having won a title … yet) he has lived up to those expectations.

After all, no one today is talking about Schea Cotton – a mid-90s streetball star in Southern California. He was LeBron before LeBron. Injuries and eligibility issues with the NCAA did him in.

And no one is talking about Lenny Cooke, either. He’s the high school phenom that didn’t pan out. The player some thought was better than LeBron. The player most now think was never the same after LeBron dominated him in a summer camp showdown. Cooke is now the biggest bust, perhaps.

But we digress.

The debate is whether LeBron is the most-hyped high school hoopster of all time. A group of Yahoo! Sports writers and editors picked a top twelve.

Who’s on it? Not Shaquille O’Neal. Not John Wall. Not even Sebastian Telfair. Not Mark Aguirre, Damon Bailey, Lloyd Daniels, Patrick Ewing, Grant Hill, Marcus Liberty, Jerry Lucas, Tom McMillan, Darius Miles, Alonzo Mourning, Greg Oden, Isiah Thomas, nor Bill Walton.

Remember, this list is about the most hyped – not the most talented.

 

12. Pete Maravich: 6-5, 197-lb guard. Salemburg (N.C.) Edwards Military Institute, Class of 1966

You think Cam and Cecil Newton were the first father-son recruiting package? Hardly. It’s been going on for decades in basketball – except usually the connection is made through an assistant coaching job rather just cash. There was Milt and DeJuan Wagner to Memphis and Ed and Danny Manning to Kansas just to name a few. The ultimate, however, was Press and Pete Maravich. Press knew he had a prodigy of prodigies and was only going to send him to a school that made him coach. Head coach.

The start of it all: Those in his neighborhood were amazed at the endless of hours of ball-handling, shooting and trick drills Maravich perfected, seemingly from the time he could walk. Word spread when he made the varsity at a South Carolina high school as an 8th grader. By the time he was a junior, he was in North Carolina as his father had taken a job as an assistant at N.C. State. His dad landed the top job at LSU two years later, bringing Pete along as his prized ‘recruit.’

Did he live up to the hype? In so many ways, yes. It wasn’t just the points he scored – his record 3,667 points and 44.2 per-game average in three college seasons will never be topped. But it was the way he performed. His showmanship on the court wowed crowds and made him a huge draw. His fancy moves and trick shots overshadowed the fact he was as technically sound as any player before or since. He truly was ahead of his time. For all his individual skills, Maravich was not considered a team player and struggled to fit in with his teammates. Because of it, Maravich never won – or came close to winning – a team title. It must be noted, however, that Maravich rarely played with teams that had any type of supporting cast.

One more thing: Maravich struggled to find balance in his life for much of his career but finally seemed to find peace when he found Christianity in the years following his career. He said he was never happier and that he wanted to be remembered as a Christian not a basketball player. He died, on the basketball court, at age 40, collapsing during a pickup game. An autopsy revealed he had a congenital heart defect.

Who? For a few months following the release of a story in Sports Illustrated that dubbed Goodman ‘The Jewish Jordan,’ he was the talk of the sports world. Sid Finch, the fictional baseball prodigy penned by George Plimpton as an April Fool’s Day hoax in 1995, may be the only other ‘athlete’ to get so much attention from one story.

see more at yahoo.com

Photo by: David Liam Kyle

Israeli basketball phenom Omri Casspi, the 23rd overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft and the first Israeli player selected in the first round, realized his dream of playing in the NBA after signing a three-year, $3.5 million contract with the Sacramento Kings.

“I got drafted when I was in my third year in the army,” said Casspi, now 23. “Moving to the U.S. was different, especially in the beginning. Going to a new country, leaving all your family and friends, going on your own and trying to settle in … it was different food, different culture. But after that, I think the transition’s been pretty smooth.”

Where it began

Casspi was born in Holon, Israel, and grew up in Yavne, a coastal town of about 33,000 people. Although he’s far from home, he still finds ways to connect with his country during the regular season.

“I’m starting a foundation,” Casspi said. “It’ll be affiliated with the Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Israel. It’s a kids’ hospital, I like the cause.” Casspi has already donated 121,000 shekels ($31,452 USD) to the hospital, located in Petah Tikva.

Once the offseason hits, Casspi usually flies home, where most of his family still lives. His parents and siblings also visit him on the High Holidays during the regular season.

“Like Chanukah, my mom was here for a week,” Casspi said. “My dad’s coming in a month. Hopefully during Passover, we’ll be in the playoffs, so I’ll see my family again.”

Casspi said he’s a staunch observer of all High Holidays, and even ran into some conflict between his religion and his NBA schedule.

“The only thing that I had was in my rookie year, media day fell on Yom Kippur, so obviously I didn’t go. They had to postpone my media day. We did it at a different time.”

It’s not Game 1 of the 1965 World Series, but it’s reminiscent of pitching great Sandy Koufax, who refused to pitch that game because it fell on Yom Kippur.

Golden state woes

During his rookie season, Casspi meshed with the Jewish community in Sacramento. “I had a wonderful two years there,” he said. “The people in Sacramento have been great to me and my family.”

A rabbi from a Sacramento synagogue even contacted ARCO Arena, where the Kings play, and arranged for an Israeli flag to be hung in the rafters for every home game. “He’s a big Kings fan, he and his family,” Casspi said of the rabbi. “They’d show up to all our games, it’d be great.”

But not everyone in Sacramento welcomed Casspi the same way. On three separate occasions, billboards featuring Casspi’s face were spray painted with a swastika, but that didn’t diminish Casspi’s appreciation for the city.

“I was surprised when it happened,” he said. “We treated it with caution, but it can happen everywhere. And it’s unfortunate for the world right now that we still have to face anti-Semitism like that.”

Despite acknowledging the anti-Semitic behavior, Casspi said he never personally felt any hatred toward him or his family. “That’s the honest truth … I always looked at being Jewish as a privilege,” he said.

Coming to Cleveland

Casspi was already traded to Cleveland when the collective-bargaining agreement, which governs rules for NBA’s players and owners, expired at midnight on June 30, 2011, resulting in a 149-day lockout that ended Nov. 26 with a handshake agreement between the two sides.

Casspi spent three months of the lockout playing for Israel’s national team, Maccabi Tel Aviv. He also spent time working out in Las Vegas, New York City and Los Angeles, but said he was excited to get back to basketball and to his new city once a new agreement was worked out.

“I was excited about our team and the organization and about the city,” said Casspi, who lives in Lakewood. “I’m not really going out and partying or traveling a lot. If I’m not practicing, I’d rather go home and rest and prepare myself for the next game.”

“In general, I’ve been really close to the Jewish community in Sacramento. Hopefully we’re going to have enough time to get closer and closer to the Jewish community here. It’s really important for me.”

The cramped NBA schedule makes that goal difficult, said Casspi, who plays 66 games in a shortened season due to the lockout.

“Now it’s a little more intense,” he said. “We’re playing more games in smaller amount of time. Eighteen, 19 games a month. Usually we have 14 or 15 … but everything I can do to help or to be around, I’ll try to do the best I can.”

His hectic schedule also doesn’t leave Casspi, who’s single, much time for dating, but the transition to Cleveland was easy, said Casspi, who hadn’t been to the city outside of Kings’ road games.

“I don’t think anything was difficult,” he said. “Moving my car, getting all my belongings and my personal stuff. Other than that, the Cavs helped me with everything I needed. I have some friends from Cleveland and from Ohio, so they helped me as well.”

Team Seder? Maybe later

Casspi said he’d be open to hosting a Seder or Shabbat dinner at his house in Lakewood, but wouldn’t pressure his teammates to join him.

“I mean each player in the NBA is for himself and everyone has his own beliefs,” he said. “So I’ll do it if somebody wants to join me. I don’t want to make someone feel uncomfortable somewhere they don’t want to go.”

And though he’s religious, Casspi doesn’t like to pray to the basketball gods before games.

“I don’t want to bother anybody for basketball,” he said. “I feel that there are more important things for people to pray for. Just focus on myself and be myself. I’m a great believer in God and my family.”

Casspi also said he looked forward to spending time with fellow Israeli basketball player Tamir Goodman of University Heights, who gave up a possible NBA career for Judaism.

“I’ve been in the city for only three weeks now, you know, but I’m looking forward to talking to him,” Casspi said. “He’s a great guy, a great role model. We have a lot of common friends.”

Casspi said the support from Clevelanders has been great at home games, “especially when you go to the game and you see a lot of Israeli flags.”

Striving for success

Now that he’s in Cleveland, Casspi said he doesn’t consider himself a role model but wants to succeed on the court and earn respect from his peers and his fans. He’s averaging 8.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game this season, slightly under his career averages of 9.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

“I’m trying to be the best I can be, as far as working hard, treating my teammates and my opponents with respect, going on the court and playing hard,” he said. “I want to show younger kids that I’m here, and you can do it as well.

“I just want to try to focus on working hard, better my game, and help my team to win.”

mdefaveri@cjn.org

Students from Hillel Academy, after hearing Tamir speak

On Sunday January 13th, 2012 Tamir was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the Federation’s day of community learning, sponsored by the Coalition for Jewish Learning, and held at the JCC. The teens and children who heard Tamir speak and participated in his basketball clinics gave him rave reviews! Steve Baruch, Executive Director of the Coalition for Jewish Learning concurred with their opinion, stating, “We had a great day!”

Tamir with the Israeli shlichim

One piece of advice Tamir relayed to the audience was not to be complacent, but to continue to move forward when faced with either challenges or success. “If you try to focus on reacting in a productive way to situations both good and bad, then you will be moving in the right direction,” Tamir told the kids, and then used specific examples from his life to expound on this point.

Tamir demonstrating shooting technique

Called “The Jewish Michael Jordan,”

Inspires Students and Faculty

Tamir Goodman, called “The Jewish Michael Jordan” by Sports Illustrated magazine, visited Schechter this week to share his inspiring story with Sager Middle School students and faculty. The talented athlete blazed a career in basketball that evolved from practicing on Maryland playgrounds to being ranked one of the top 25 high school basketball players in America. Along the way, he was named MVP of the prestigious Capitol Classic all-star game and played professionally on several Israeli basketball teams.

Throughout his rise in basketball, Goodman stayed true to his Jewish values. Raised in an Orthodox family, he played Division 1 basketball on an athletic scholarship without ever playing on Shabbat. He became the first observant Jew in recent history to reach the highest levels of his sport while not losing touch with his religious conviction. Goodman was destined for a successful professional career before numerous injuries causes him to rethink his life.

He is now combining his basketball skills and Jewish pride in an innovative basketball camp for children in grades 3-8 (see community news for more information). According to Schechter parent Diane Halivni, who is coordinating the camp in Chicago, the Coolanu Israel Basketball Camps combine physical skills with positive messaging and Judaism. “Each time Tamir directs young people on the best way to pass the ball, position their feet, shoot a basket, Goodman talks about the mental and physical preparation that it takes to be the best person you can be from athlete to student to friend to leader. For Goodman, basketball – in all its drills, moves, positions, and strategy – is a metaphor for life,” said Halivni.

“Tamir is an incredible role model for both children and adults alike,” said Holly Rosenberg, Principal of the Sager Middle School. “He demonstrates the importance of humility and standing up for what you believe in.”

“It was good for our students to hear first-hand from someone who took control of his own destiny,” added Daniel Weinberg, Assistant Principal. “Tamir never compromised his Jewish values; he found a way to be the best basketball player and the best person that he could be. He shared with us how in the face of adversity he always found a way to succeed while maintaining his integrity.”

NBA Legend Shares his Story with Coolanu Campers

by Judy Horwitz

NBA legend Sidney Green made a guest appearance at the Coolanu Israel Chicago Camps, delighting campers and coaches alike.  Green spoke to a rapt audience about the days leading up to his NBA career and the 10 years he spent playing in the League with and against other NBA greats like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.  Green imparted important lessons about overcoming adversity to achieve his dream of playing pro-ball, not caving to negative peer pressure, not holding grudges, and showing respect to others.  While Green’s talk was punctuated with entertaining personal anecdotes, his heartfelt messages resonated with campers.

For example, Green recalled the negative influenes that swirled around him as a kid, attempting to prevent him from realizing his goals.  However, because he always had his sights on playing in the NBA and dedicated himself completely to turning his dream into a reality, he made a deliberate decision not to let the negativity bring him down.  After he made it to the NBA, rather than eschew those people who tried to hinder his success, he chose not to hold a grudge against them and instead endeavored to be a positive influence—even giving them tickets to games! Green also role modeled the importance of showing respect and gratitude to others.  Throughout his talk he spoke highly of his mother and her commitment to helping him succeed in life, and by weaving her advice into many of his stories, campers had the chance to learn from her wisdom too.

Before returning to his current job as head of player development for the Chicago Bulls, Green patiently and thoroughly answered each camper’s questions. Green’s winning visit was topped off by gifts for the campers from the Chicago Bulls.  Tamir Goodman, head coach of Coolanu, remarked that “Coach Green made each camper feel so special. His visit was an unforgettable experience for everyone.” Goodman also expressed thanks to Hillary Thomas from the Bulls’ community relations department for her help in arranging Green’s visit to camp.

By Karina Grudnikov

(JUF News) — “Jewish Jordan” — that’s the nickname Sports Illustrated gave Tamir Goodman when he was merely 17 years old and a high school junior at the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore. Ranked among the best 25 high school basketball players in America, Goodman seemed set to become the first Orthodox Jew to play for the NBA.

Things didn’t go as expected — plans to attend the University of Maryland fell through because the basketball schedule would have forced him to play on the Sabbath. He attended Towson University instead, but only played basketball for two seasons.

Despite the setbacks, Goodman did become a pro-basketball player, playing in Israel for six seasons on teams such as Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa. He also played for the Maryland Nighthawks, but eventually a series of injuries caused him to retire from basketball in 2009.

Since then, he has been focused on inspiring the next generation through a variety of initiatives aimed at connecting children with sports and their Jewish identity, both in Israel and the United States.

* * *

How would you say Judaism and basketball intertwined in your life?
Basketball and Judaism have always been one thing to me. I always played basketball for the Jewish people and Israel, because when I had that in my mind, it gave me extra motivation…to come back from injuries or to practice harder or play harder, to succeed. Because it wasn’t about me — it was about something much bigger than me…It gave me a stronger work ethic than if I had just played for myself…

There were other players who would say, “I played well today, I can take it easy tomorrow.” I was never like that. I could never be satisfied with my performance; I always had a need to move forward…And many things we learn from Judaism you need for basketball, such as the value of a work ethic.

How do you feel about being called the “Jewish Jordan?”
Being called the “Jewish Jordan,” I always used it as a tool to inspire or help other people. I never played basketball for myself — I always played for the Jewish people and Israel… I always used it as a tool to inspire other people. I would think, “Wow, maybe someone looks up to me because they call me the “Jewish Jordan.” How am I going to take that media attention and inspire people? I was never really comfortable with being called that, so I tried to use the media attention that came along with the nickname to do as much good as possible.

You didn’t end up playing college basketball at the University of Maryland because of scheduling that conflicted with your religious practices.  You also didn’t end up making it into the NBA. Do you lament the way things turned out or do you think everything happens for a reason?
With everything in my career, I feel so fortunate and blessed and believe that everything that happened was for a reason.  The challenges I faced have prepared me for the work I do now. I can relate to kids and their struggles in a way that I would not have been able to had everything been smooth sailing.

Even with the challenges, I was able to live out my dream. I played basketball in college and pro-basketball in Israel and the U.S. — all without playing on Shabbat. It was an amazing experience and I feel so fortunate.

I also did military service in the IDF Service and was awarded the “Outstanding Soldier Award.”

It was a miracle that I was able to reach so many of my goals without playing on Shabbat, and I’m grateful to my coaches and everyone who helped me along the way.

What do you ultimately hope to inspire in young people by being so involved with youth programming?
I hope to inspire them to be proud of their Jewish identity. Uniting the physical and spiritual is what Judaism is about. If you want to be a professional athlete, you shouldn’t see it as hindrance that you are Jewish… It’s the opposite.

Judaism is a blessing… Judaism teachers us to embrace our talents and channel them in the right way… This concept directly relates to sports, such as in the ideas of team building, work ethic, reaching goals, being organized, being positive… We bring out all these Jewish values through sports because it resonates with the kids…We talk to them in a language they understand to teach those values.

We teach them that even before you step on the court, you need to understand who you are and what you represent. You represent more than yourself — as a Jewish athlete, you represent the Jewish people and Israel.

* * *

For more information about Tamir Goodman and Coolanu Israel, visit www.tamirgoodman.com.

The Coolanu Israel winter camps and coaching seminars in Chicago were a huge success with over 130 campers and 40 coaches participating! Campers had a ball learning basketball fundamentals from head coach Tamir Goodman and the dedicated assistant coaches, attending sessions by guest speakers like ESPNChicago reporter Missy Isaacson, yoga instructor Becca Sykes, and NBA legend Sidney Green, and improving their skills, confidence and basketball I.Q.

The Coolanu coaches underwent intensive training sessions prior to and throughout the camps, led by Tamir.  Using his revolutionary instructional Jewish Coaching DVD filmed by award winning Israeli filmmaker Dani Menkin, Tamir spoke about ways for coaches to incorporate Jewish values, Israel education, and effective coaching techniques to help athletes reach their potential as players while strengthening their Jewish identity and connection to Israel.

Thanks to the support and guidance of the iCenter, which provided the grant and resources that made the Coolanu Chicago camps and seminars a reality, and the professionalism and expertise of Tamir, program director Diane Halivni, site director Alicia Honan and other staff including Michelle Blechman and Andi Gutnik, Coolanu Israel succeeded in reaching its goal of creating a world class Jewish basketball camp where basketball, as a unifying language, brought together campers of all backgrounds.

Blechman, a marketing consultant for Coolanu, reflected on the camp’s success. She noted that Coolanu Israel enrollement exceeded the initial goal of 120 campers and that the “Chicago-area camps helped create new benchmarks for Coolanu Israel, including a new logo and promotional materials and new levels of sponsorship and community involvement.” In addition to the iCenter, some of the other sponsors of the camps included: The Community Foundation for Jewish Education, BBYO Connect, Camp Ramah, Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Chicago, B’nai B’rith, Duece Brand Watches, and more.

At the conclusion of the camps, Tamir said that being able to offer top level Jewish basketball camps is “especially heartwarming because as a kid, most of the time I was the only Jewish athlete at the basketball camps I attended.  This has been a dream come true to offer kids the opportunity to grow without having to compromise on either the Jewish or basketball components.”  Goodman added that he is thrilled that the coaching seminars are providing the next generation of Jewish coaches with tools to have a positive impact on the physical and spiritual development of athletes. The campers, coaches and parents all gave the camp rave reviews, describing their Coolanu experience as “unforgettable”, “life-changing” and the “best blend of Judaism, Israel and basketball.”

It is Goodman’s hope to bring the proven success of the Coolanu Israel camp model to different communities across America.  “We learned from our Chicago camps that Coolanu brings more than just top level basketball training to communities. The camps provide opportunities for the entire spectrum of the community to be involved in strengthening kids’ Jewish identity and love of Israel, and in helping them to build confidence, foster communication, and develop important skills that will serve them on and off the basketball court.”

ABC News Clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z-TxPcuxP4&feature=g-all-f&context=G25616eeFAAAAAAAAAAA

Chicago Sun-Times:

http://deerfield.suntimes.com/9390724-417/deerfield-basketball-camp-combines-fitness-faith.html

JUF:

http://www.juf.org/news/local.aspx?id=413385

Chicago Tribune:

http://triblocal.com/deerfield/galleries/2011/12/jewish-jordan-teaches-deerfield-kids-about-basketball/#/1