As Team Israel prepares for a friendly match against Honduras’ soccer team in New York on June 2, which will mark the first official Israeli appearance in the city in decades, head coach Eli Guttman held a phone press conference from Israel Monday afternoon. “We know a lot of Jewish people over there [New York] are waiting for us, and we want them to proud of the Israeli National team,” said Guttman. Israel’s soccer team is currently ranked 59th in the world, and second place in their …More

On July 23 the Israeli National Basketball team will start training for the European Championships in September. As the players met with Arik Shivak and the rest of Team Israel’s coaching staff, Omri Casspi took the opportunity to discuss his past season, scoring more DNP (Did Not Play) games than points. Ever since the native Israeli failed to replicate the beginning of his NBA career, there has been talk of him returning to play for Israel’s powerhouse, Maccabi Tel Aviv. The forward debunked those …More

While Yossi Benayoun has been suffering anti-Semitic abuse on Twitter, basketball and soccer fans in the holy land have continued to cross all lines, causing riots and interfering with police work. In Israeli soccer, Beitar Jerusalem’s fans are causing most of the commotion during bouts with Saknin. Beitar management has also been targeted by a violent group of racist fans that call themselves “La Familia” and are dedicated to “Keep Beitar Pure” as signs stated months ago in a match …More

Over 600 officers, including riot police with surveillance balloons and a helicopter were used to secure a match at Sakhnin's Doha Stadium as Saknin and Beitar Jerusalem faced off. "We will ensure that the match is held in a sporting manner, but we will need plenty of officers to do so," said Roni Atia, senior police commander in northern Israel. The reinforcements were necessary, as fans of the teams clashed. “These fans are not above the law,” said Minister of Sports Limor Livnat on Monday. Livnat …More

Hall of Famer, Raisman Aly Raisman continues to make headlines and add achievements to her checklist. After a great Week 5 on “Dancing With the Stars,” she received more good news. The 18-year-old Jewish gymnast can now add “Hall of Famer” to her bio and personal archives. Raisman and her Fierce Five teammates--McKayla Maroney, Kyla Ross, Gabby Douglas and Jordyn Wieber--this summer will be ushered into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame. A wind of change for Casspi? Byron Scott has been …More

After a rocky Euroleague season thus far, Maccabi Tel Aviv smashed Besiktas in the “Top 16,” last week in Turkey. The game was pretty much over from the first five minutes of the first quarter, and ended in a crazy score of 101:58 for Maccabi. Coach Blatt said that Assistant Coach Goodes joked about having to now pay compensation to the Turks, referring to the recent change in the relations between Israel and Turkey due to PM Netanyahu’s apology to Erdogan. He also sent an arrow towards the …More

Shahar Peer Struggles to Regain Winning Streak Shahar Peer was eliminated from Indian Wells Tournament in the second round. The Israeli achieved her second win this year when she beat Marina Erakovic in the first round of the tournament, which is currently taking place in California. But on Friday, she lost 6-7, 6-2, 6-3 to Klara Zakopalova in the second round. Peer hasn’t progressed past the second round of a WTA tournament since reaching the third round in Doha in February 2012, and has now failed to …More

After an important win over Caja Laboral, keeping Israel in the race for the Euroleague Final Four, Maccabi Tel Aviv lost to its biggest and longest rival, Hapoel Tel Aviv for the first time in nine years. Maccabi faced Caja at the end of last week in Spain, and David Blatt’s team pulled itself together to beat the Spanish challengers. The team perhaps too focused on the next Euroleague match, to the point that they lost their game in the Israeli league against Coach Erez Edelstein and Hapoel Tel Aviv …More

Sometimes, You Just Know People say life is all about the journey. That each of us is here for a reason, and that we are supposed to learn lessons along the way to becoming who we are meant to be. Tamir Goodman is the epitome these values, in both his basketball and Judaism. He has been through a very interesting journey so far. Sometimes, a person is born with a certain passion, one that is present at such an early age it cannot be ignored. When Goodman was about six, he watched his older brother play …More

Jewish American basketball player Tal Brody returned to Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana on Wednesday, where he was honored by the team and school right before their game with Purdue. His No. 12 jersey was raised in the arena in honor of the former point guard who went on to be a pioneer of Israeli basketball. Brody graduated in 1965, and is currently ranked 38 in the team’s all-time leading scorers with 1,121 points in his college career. In 1962-63 Brody and Illinois won a Big …More

Jim Boatwright, an American-Israeli basketball legend, has lost his battle with cancer at the age of 61. The news of his passing set shock waves through the Israeli sports world yesterday, with Boatwright’s death following so soon after that of another basketball star, Howie Lassoff. Yesterday classic Maccabi Tel Aviv Games from the 1977 season were aired on Israeli television in honor of the local legend, who inspired many Israelis to play basketball, and was described alternatively as a humble man and a …More

Jewish American basketball legend Howie Lassoff died Thursday, at the age of 57, after losing his battle with cancer. Lassoff was a national hero in Israel, where he played pro-ball for a total of 15 years, including serving Israel’s National team as starting center from 1982-1991. Lassoff appeared for Team Israel 99 times, and scored 960 points in official international games. During his time in Israel he played for five Israeli teams: Hapoel Haifa, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Hedera, and …More