Tamir's Miracle Washington Times

 

Goodman gets a 'miracle'

By Jon Siegel
December 6, 2007

Tamir Goodman sat at the podium, a yarmulke covering his red hair. The one-time Maryland basketball recruit and phenom dubbed the "Jewish Jordan" by Sports Illustrated and featured on "60 Minutes" talked about finally getting an opportunity to professional basketball in America.

 

Goodman, now a 25-year-old father of two, has been on a basketball odyssey since becoming a cultural phenom as an unlikely star at the Talmudical Academy in Baltimore. The point guard never played at Maryland after verbally committing in 1998. It ended with a bitter breakup, partially over the Orthodox Jew's refusal to play on the Jewish Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday and partially over concerns about his ability to compete in the ACC.

 

He went on to play at Towson but left after two seasons following a dispute in which he accused coach Michael Hunt of holding a chair over his head and kicking a stool that hit Goodman's leg.

 

Goodman spent the past five seasons playing professionally in Israel.

 

Yesterday, the 6-foot-3, 175-pound guard sat between Randy "White Chocolate" Gill and streetball legend Tyron "The Black Widow" Evans while being introduced as the latest acquisition of the Maryland Nighthawks, a minor league team that will play in the inaugural season of the Premier Basketball League.

 

"Up until a couple of months ago, I thought I would finish my career in Israel because you don't have to play on Saturday, the Sabbath," Goodman said. "To me, this is a miracle."

 

Goodman will be excused from the three road games scheduled on the Sabbath, but there are no other conflicts in the 20-game slate.

 

The Nighthawks will make road arrangements — perhaps leaving a day early — to ensure Goodman does not travel on the Sabbath and will supply him with kosher meals.