The Brooklyn Nets
(TSN and Sportsnet)
Starting October 21, 2025
IN THE 2024-25 SEASON, the National Basketball Association had approximately one Jewish player: the Israeli-born Deni Avdija. (“Approximate” because it’s not publicly known whether three-time all-star Domantas Sabonis has finished the conversion process he began in 2023 after marrying his wife, Shashana.) This year, however , the number of hooping Hebrews will jump by 200 percent, as two Jewish players, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf, were drafted in the first round. Also unprecedented: they were drafted back-to-back by the same team, the Brooklyn Nets. Could there be a greater example of basketball beshert? Saraf, whoseparents were pro basketball players in Israel, wears number 77, the gematria of mazal, while the seven-foot-tall Wolf was born in Illinois but gained Israeli citizenship to represent the Holy Land in the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship, where he helped lead Team Israel to a silver medal. Crown Heights will be a raging simcha if either one scores a triple-double this year. Michael Fraiman
