Amanda Knapp
Basketball is a popular sport among Jewish people, with a rich history and cultural significance within the community. It is particularly prevalent in Jewish neighbourhoods in New York City and Israel, where it is considered the nation's top sport. Jewish people have a long-standing relationship with basketball, with many notable Jewish players, coaches, and team owners throughout the sport's history. While the number of Jewish players in the NBA is relatively low, the sport holds a special place in Jewish culture and continues to be a source of pride and passion for many Jewish individuals.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Popularity of basketball among Jewish people | Basketball was once referred to as a Jewish sport |
| Basketball is huge in Israel | |
| Basketball was the sport in Jewish neighbourhoods in New York City | |
| Jews have a deep-rooted history with basketball | |
| Jews have been involved in the sport since its early years | |
| Jews have been proud of playing basketball and their basketball heritage | |
| Jews have been involved in the business side of basketball | |
| Jews have been associated with basketball teams and leagues | |
| Jews have been interested in the history of basketball | |
| Jewish players in NBA | There are only a few Jewish players in the NBA |
| Jewish coaches in NBA | There are no Jewish head coaches in the NBA |
| Jewish owners of NBA teams | Nearly half the principal owners of NBA teams are Jewish |
| Jewish influence on basketball | Jews have influenced the style of play in basketball, emphasising team play, tough defence, and always hitting the open man on offence |
| Jewish texts and sports | Jewish texts from the post-biblical and Talmudic periods are critical of sporting activities |
| Jewish sporting history | Jewish sporting became more institutional and public with the advent of modern professional sports |
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What You'll Learn
Popularity of basketball in Jewish neighbourhoods in New York City
Basketball has a long history in Jewish neighbourhoods in New York City. The sport's popularity among Jewish youth in urban areas like New York's Lower East Side began during the Progressive Era, with games taking place in settlement houses, communal institutions, playgrounds, and schoolyards. The formation of the Public School Athletic League (PSAL) in the early 1900s provided a structured, competitive environment for these players, and by the mid-1910s, City College of New York (CCNY) had established a basketball team comprising local Jewish men.
During the 1920s, basketball spread across the country, embraced by American-born children of immigrants, including Jews, who were assimilating into American culture. Jewish players were prominent in the American Basketball League (ABL), which formed in 1925, and in the 1930s, Jewish entrepreneurs established teams like the New York Hakoahs and the Philadelphia SPHAS, an acronym for the South Philadelphia Hebrew Association.
The game was also played at Jewish community centres, synagogues, and YMHAs (Young Men's Hebrew Associations), with the 92nd Street YMHA in Manhattan being particularly significant in the history of Jewish basketball. Nat Holman, a central figure in the sport's history, became the first director of the Department of Health and Physical Hygiene at the 92nd Street Y after his retirement from basketball.
Jewish players faced challenges due to anti-Jewish sentiment and were not always welcome in athletics outside of their communities. Nevertheless, they left a lasting impact on the sport. Teams with prominent Jewish players won five of the first seven NIT tournaments, and in 1950, Holman's CCNY team, predominantly Jewish, won both the NIT and the NCAA tournament, an achievement known as the "Grand Slam."
While college basketball scandals and the formation of the NBA contributed to a decline in the centralized Jewish presence in basketball, the sport continues to hold cultural significance for Jews in New York City and beyond.
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Jewish players in the NBA
Oscar Benjamin "Ossie" Schectman was the first Jewish player in the NBA. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1919, Schectman's career began in his hometown, where he excelled at Samuel J. Tilden High School. He later played under renowned coach Clair Bee at Long Island University, winning national championships and laying the groundwork for his groundbreaking professional career. Schectman's true moment of glory came in 1946 when he scored the first basket in the inaugural season of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which later became the NBA.
Since Schectman, there have been several other Jewish players in the NBA, including Amar'e Stoudemire, who played for several teams, including the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, and Miami Heat. Stoudemire was known for his powerful dunks and tenacious rebounding, as well as his off-court embrace of Judaism, often wearing a yarmulke, a symbol of reverence and humility in Jewish tradition.
In the 2024-2025 NBA season, there were three Jewish players in the league: Deni Avdija, Amari Bailey, and All-Star Domantas Sabonis. Avdija, a native of Beit Zera in northern Israel, was drafted by the Wizards in 2020 and later played for the Portland Trail Blazers. He is known for being one of the more vocal Jewish athletes in American professional sports, celebrating Hanukkah with his teammates and speaking at the team's Jewish Heritage Night. Bailey, who made his NBA debut with the Charlotte Hornets last season, signed with the Brooklyn Nets for the 2024-2025 season. Sabonis, a center and power forward for the Sacramento Kings, is in the process of converting to Judaism and has established himself as one of the premier players in the league, averaging impressive statistics in points, rebounds, assists, and field goal percentage.
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Jewish basketball team owners
Jewish people have a deep-rooted history with basketball. While there are very few Jewish players in the NBA, there are several Jewish basketball team owners. In fact, nearly half the principal owners of NBA teams are Jewish, a higher proportion than in any other major professional league in the United States. The NFL comes closest, with roughly a third of its teams owned by Jewish people.
Some Jewish people have owned NBA teams for decades. For example, Herbert Simon has co-owned the Indiana Pacers since 1983. Micky Arison, the owner of Miami Heat, has also been in the league for a long time. The Milwaukee Bucks are currently owned by Herbert Kohl, but they were previously owned by a group co-led by Jewish hedge fund billionaire Marc Lasry. Joe Lacob and his partners bought the Golden State Warriors in 2010.
Some other Jewish basketball team owners include Eddie Gottlieb, the first basketball coach, manager, and owner of the Philadelphia Warriors in the BAA/NBA, and the NBA founder; Alan N. Cohen, the former owner of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, and co-owner of the Boston Celtics and New Jersey Nets; Peter Guber, the co-owner of the Golden State Warriors; and Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks.
The high proportion of Jewish basketball team owners may be due to the sport's urban roots and the economics of the modern NBA. Jewish sporting became more institutional and public with the advent of modern professional sports. In the early days of the NBA, several Jewish people were involved on the business side of the sport.
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Jewish sporting history
Jewish people have a long and complex history with sports. While Jewish texts from the post-biblical and Talmudic periods are critical of sporting activities, with ancient Jewish thinkers expressing concern about the association between sports and idol worship in Greek and Roman times, physical activities have not been absent from Jewish history. There are reports of Talmudic sages engaging in physical activities, such as Resh Lakish, who was known for his strength as a gladiator.
With the advent of modern professional sports, Jewish sporting became more institutionalised and public. In the late 1920s, Jews entered the world of American boxing in large numbers, becoming the dominant ethnicity in American prizefighting. This trend continued into the first half of the 20th century, with many Jewish athletes turning to sports that emphasised strength, possibly as a way to break free from the stereotype of the weak Jewish person. Boxing offered young Jewish athletes a chance at high income and prestige, especially before World War II. Notable Jewish boxers include Benny Leonard and Barney Ross from the US, who held multiple world titles.
Jewish athletes have also excelled in other sports, including fencing, table tennis, track and field, baseball, and basketball. Lipman Pike became America's first professional baseball player in 1866, and Myer Prinstein won Olympic medals in track and field in 1900 and 1904. The Hungarian and Austrian table tennis teams, which dominated the sport in the 1930s, were composed almost entirely of Jewish players.
Basketball, in particular, has a deep-rooted history with Jewish people. Nat Holman, a central figure in the history of basketball, influenced many Jewish players and served as the president of the U.S. Committee for Sports in Israel. Jewish players have left their mark on the NBA, with a Jewish player scoring the first NBA basket ever.
Sports have provided a bridge between nations and the Jewish diaspora, with international competitions like the Maccabiah Games fostering connections. Jewish athletes have also found success in a variety of other sports, including racing, soccer, and figure skating.
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Basketball in Israel
Basketball is a popular sport in Israel, with a multi-tiered professional club league system and men's and women's national teams. The Ligat Ha'Al, or the Israeli Premier League, is the country's top-tier basketball league competition, founded in 1954 and comprising the top twelve basketball clubs. The second-tier league is the Liga Leumit, which contains 14 clubs that compete in a home-and-away round-robin format. At the end of the season, the top eight clubs advance to the playoffs.
The Israeli Basketball State Cup is the second most important basketball competition in Israel, after Ligat Ha'Al. The tournament began in 1956 and is run by the IBA, the official governing body of basketball in Israel. Maccabi Tel Aviv has won the most tournaments, with 45 wins, including the 2020-21 season.
The Israeli Basketball League Cup is a pre-season basketball tournament held since 2006, the week before the Ligat Ha'Al season. The men's and women's basketball teams are ranked 55th in the world and 23rd in Europe. The Israel national basketball team represents Israel in international competitions, and the women's national basketball team is ranked 36th in the world and 16th in Europe.
Israeli players have also made their mark in the NBA. In 2009, Omri Casspi became the first Israeli-born NBA player with the Sacramento Kings. Other notable players include Gal Mekel, who played for the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans, and Deni Avdija, who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, basketball is a popular sport among Jewish people. In fact, it has been called a "Jewish sport".
Basketball is easily playable in an urban setting, which is why it became popular among Jewish immigrant children in northeastern cities.
Yes, there have been several Jewish basketball players, including Shikey Gotthoffer, Sonny Hertzberg, Nat Holman, Dolph Schayes, Moe Spahn, and Max Zaslofsky. However, there are hardly any current Jewish NBA players.
Yes, Jews have owned basketball teams for decades. In fact, nearly half the principal owners of NBA teams are Jewish.
Yes, basketball is huge in Israel. Their top team, Maccabi Tel Aviv, is one of the top teams in Europe.
