Sign up for Jacob’s weekly Jewish Sport Report here.
Good morning! There’s lots of Jewish sports news this week, so let’s dig right in.
A Jewish guide to the 2026-27 NBA season
The NBA tips off on Tuesday, and the league is coming off its most exciting season for Jewish stars in quite some time — including the first NBA game to feature three players with Israeli citizenship back in March.
Here are the Jewish and Israeli players to watch this season:
Deni Avdija, the Portland Trail Blazers forward, is fresh off his first career All-Star selection, which made him the first Israeli in NBA history to earn the honor. The 25-year-old Beit Zera native set career highs in points (24.2) and assists (6.7) per game and should continue his ascension as Portland’s offensive leader this season.
Danny Wolf, the Brooklyn Nets power forward, is entering his second year in the league after a rookie season in which he averaged 8.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. The 22-year-old appeared in 57 games (15 starts) while initially bouncing between the Nets and their G League affiliate. Wolf is an Illinois native who secured Israeli citizenship to play for Team Israel in international competitions. He also attended Jewish day school until fifth grade, keeps kosher and had his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
Ben Saraf, a shooting guard, joins Wolf in his second season with the Nets. The Israeli native averaged 7.5 points and 3.3 assists per game across 44 contests (11 starts) last year. The 20-year-old, who is 6-foot-6, is the son of two former Israeli pro basketball players, and he wears No. 77 because it represents the Hebrew word “mazal,” which means luck.
Domantas Sabonis, a three-time All-Star and center for the Sacramento Kings, reportedly began the process of converting to Judaism in 2023. Sabonis and his wife, Shashana, who is Jewish, had a Jewish wedding and the couple celebrates Shabbat and keeps kosher at home. Sabonis played only 19 games last year while dealing with a knee injury, but owns a career average of 16.1 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.
One other player to keep an eye on: Noam Yaacov, an Israeli-Danish point guard who signed a training camp contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Yaacov, who has played professionally in Israel and Europe, was ruled ineligible for the NCAA, but is eyeing a spot with the Cavs or their G League affiliate.
Halftime report
KVELLING. Our friends over at the Canadian Jewish News’ Menschwarmers podcast spoke to NHL commentator and former Maccabiah Games athlete Jonny Lazarus about the new NHL season and the impressive crop of Jewish talent. Check out their latest episode here.
HOT CORNER. MLB announced this year’s finalists for the Gold Glove Awards that honor the best defensive player at every position in each league. Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman is a finalist, as he seeks to win his second Gold Glove. Bregman also joined ESPN’s Jeff Passan on his podcast this week for a conversation about the art of hitting in the modern game.
SECOND ACT. Newly minted basketball Hall of Famer Amar’e Stoudemire graduated from the Miami Dade College School of Justice’s Basic Law Enforcement Academy and will become a police officer. “It’s something I always wanted to do since I was a kid,” the 14-year NBA veteran said this week.
CHECK THIS OUT. The Bender JCC of Greater Washington is hosting an event on Oct. 27 featuring a conversation with members of the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School’s 2017 cross-country championship team. Reboot, a Jewish culture nonprofit, is developing a film based on their story, and its members will be on hand to discuss “the intersection of sports, Jewish identity, perseverance, and belonging.” Click here for more information and to register.
FRIEND OF THE TRIBE. The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame announced this week that it will posthumously honor Michael Sweetney, a former NBA player and Yeshiva University coach, with its 2026 Global Tikkun Olam Award. Sweetney, who died last month, had been a vocal advocate for Jewish and Israeli causes. The award will be presented at the hall’s 2026 induction ceremony on Oct. 25, which you can register for here.
Jews in sports to watch this weekend (all times ET)
Hockey
Jeremy Swayman and the Boston Bruins face the Anaheim Ducks tonight at 10 p.m. Jack and Luke Hughes and the New Jersey Devils play the Washington Capitals Saturday at 1 p.m. Zeev Buium, Max Sasson and the Vancouver Canucks take on the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday at 4 p.m. Quinn Hughes and the Minnesota Wild host the Columbus Blue Jackets Sunday at 6 p.m.
Football
A.J. Dillon and the Carolina Panthers take on his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday at 1 p.m.
Soccer
Liel Abada, Idan Toklomati and Charlotte FC face the Philadelphia Union Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Daniel Edelman and St. Louis City play Minnesota Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Matt Turner, Dor Turgeman, Ilay Feingold and the New England Revolution host Josh Cohen and Chicago Fire FC Saturday at 7:30 p.m. At the same time, Tai Baribo and D.C. United play Orlando City. DeAndre Yedlin and Real Salt Lake face Sporting KC Saturday at 8:30 p.m., while Ran Binyamin and FC Dallas take on Houston at the same time. In the English Championship, Manor Solomon and West Ham United face off against Swansea Saturday at 10 a.m.
--
The post A Jewish NBA season preview appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.