Maccabi Tel Aviv announced on Wednesday that it will play the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers during October in two preseason exhibition games.
Maccabi will face the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 18, and will face the Clippers in Los Angeles two days later in what will be the 20th time it faces an NBA team.
Tel Aviv has beaten five NBA teams in the past and became the first international side to ever defeat a NBA side on North American soil, beating the Toronto Raptors 105-103 in 2005.
Maccabi lost to the Knicks in a pre-season game in 2007 and played four exhibition games against NBA sides in 2006, losing to the San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors.
Both games this year come as part of Maccabi’s support of the Migdal Ohr organization, which provides shelter and education for over 6,500 abused, impoverished and orphaned children in Israel.
A couple of items, the first an ethical question: Does it demonstrate dual loyalties to root for Maccabi? Second, I wish the game were in Tel Aviv just to imagine DeAndre Jordan and Chris Kaman interacting with a population of really intense, attitudinal Jews.
10 Responses
I want to see DJ’s blog in Tel Aviv
Posted on April 23rd, 2009 at 7:09 pm
The FreeDarko guys are nodding approvingly at your liberated fandom, K.A.
I’m pretty cut and dry when it comes to what teams I root for. I always root for the Clippers, Chargers, Zags and Padres (don’t ban me) under any and all circumstances. I almost always root for the USA because I’m patriotic like that, but last summer I absolutely fell in love with Spain. That team was just so fun to watch – highlight reel dunks from Rudy Fernandez, amazing passes and on ball defense from Rubio, solid big man play from the sloth brothers Gasol, and insane scoring creativity from Juan Carlos Navarro.
I personally just could not get behind a team headlined by Coach K, Kobe and Lebron. Chris Paul was the only guy on that team that I really liked, and he spent a good portion of the olympics backing up Jason Kidd.
When the championship game rolled around, I definitely made an outcast of myself at the bar by openly rooting for Spain. People gave me dirty looks every time I so much as fist pumped. I’m surprised I didn’t get dragged out back and beaten Amurica style.
Can someone photoshop a yarmulke on Chris Kaman’s head, just so we can see what it would look like?
Posted on April 24th, 2009 at 12:21 am
Since I don’t comment at TrueHoop, I’ll leave a note about Kevin’sIs Dwyane Wade an Elite Defender? post on here.
For one amazing note on Wade’s defensive prowess: check out 82games “Clutch Stats” (4th quarter or overtime, less than 5 minutes left, neither team ahead by more than 5 points):
http://www.82games.com/0809/CSORT16.HTM
Wade is 4th in the league in blocks per minute during clutch time. That’s crazy.
The top 15 players in blocks are all power forwards or centers except for Wade. Of the top 15, they’re all 6’10″+ except for the 6’8″ Brandon Bass. And yet somehow, the 6’4″ Wade averages 5 blocks per 48min during clutch time.
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On both ends of the court this year, Wade has been fascinating to watch because of the way he’s able to ration his energy for the crucial points of ballgames.
Not only is he averaging 5 blocks per 48min during clutch time, but he’s also averaging 50 points and 9 assists per 48min.
He can be as good as any player in the league for stretches, and he knows precisely when to best spend the energy to make his magic.
LeBron is a freak of nature who can dominate for 48 minutes. Kobe has the supporting cast to enable him to pick his spots. But Wade has a task heavier than what his shoulders can bear. He needs to cheat and gamble.
Posted on April 24th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Clippers players are aleady thinking of excuses to get out of that game.
To avoid the Dunce’s over weight suspension, a few of the players are going to go on 2 weeks of intense dieting, workouts and trying to get as much water out of them as possible. Look for a lot of players getting sick during the pre-season.
Posted on April 24th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
look at us. we’re pathetic.
we’re talking (and i’m reading) about off season conditioning programs, preseason exhibitions against non-NBA teams, draft tie-breakers, 19 year old Spaniards, reasons why NOT to renew our season tickets, etc…
Meanwhile the City of Los Angeles and their fans are being treated to a great playoff run for that other team. Remember how much fun it is when the team you root for is good?
I think we’ve hit bottom, once again.
Gordon for President Reply:
April 24th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
I’d rather talk about ping pong balls than the Lakers any day…
ACD Reply:
April 24th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
sorry i forgot to mention that another worthless thing we’ve been talking about is a 5th place finish for a rookie of the year candidate. You think the other team, the spurs, the cavs, the nuggets… you think they give a rat’s ass about their rookie of the year candidates? nope. That 5th place finish ranks up there with bobby simmons’ most improved player award from a few years ago… completely worthless.
As far as talking about that other team in LA…. that’s the only thing that keeps me going–basketball-wise. All i can do is watch the games and root for the other team.
But let’s not disillusion ourselves…we ARE pathetic and the team that we root for and everything associated with it screams, “loser”.
I’m ready to officially quit my season seats.
Posted on April 24th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Wow that Raider’s draft was horrible. Maybe Al Davis is Dunleavy’s father. I think I need to pick new teams in every sport.
Posted on April 26th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
hahaha. I’m no Raider fan but man I felt bad for you guys. Why not take Crabtree?
Posted on April 26th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
HERE’S A VIDEO ABOUT THE GAME — http://www.viddler.com/explore/esnews/videos/43/
Posted on April 30th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
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