Ticket prices, ranging from $18-$100, include a Jewish Family Night T-shirt. In addition there will be a Glatt Kosher concession stand and halftime entertainment will feature the Hazamir Choir.

For ticket information, contact John Warnick at 201-635-3157 or jwarnick@njnets.com.

Duke won the ACC title by beating Georgia Tech, 65-61 on Sunday with Scheyer hitting the game-clinching shot. He was the 2009 ACC tournament MVP and runner-up in the 2010 ACC Player of the Year voting.

Other Jewish college players whose teams have made it to the tournament include:

• Brandon Reese, Syracuse
• Ethan Chemerinski, Cornell
• Carmel Couchman, Temple
• Steve Pearl, Tennessee (little nepotism here?)
• Nimrod Tishman, Florida
• Jordan Weiner, UC Santa Barabar

(Thanks to The Great Rabbino for the list, who covers the NCAAs so well that I don’t have to.)

Meanwhile, back in the pros…

Omri Casspi continues to struggle. His minutes are down over his last three games (16, 19, 18), as are his points (2, 9, 10).

Jordan Farmar has played a combined 19 minutes in his last three games, for a total of two points. He’s playing with a sprained pinky, but reports say he “has seen his playing time cut recently in favor of fellow guard Sasha Vujacic. Coach Phil Jackson is trying to get Vujacic in playoff shape….”

So:

For all of you considering Ike Davis for a spot on the big club when the Mets head north, let me be a wet blanket.

Sure, Davis is hitting very well in spring training; it’s great to see that he’s bangin’ the ball out of the yard. But what kind of pitching is he facing? Other rookies? Members of the opponents’ ML roster who haven’t pitched since October? Not that I wouldn’t be happy to see it, but let’s have a little perspective people.

Here’s a list, courtesy of Bob Wechsler (Day by Day in Jewish Sports History) via the Jewish Sports Collectors Yahoo group, of MOT in ST:

• Oakland — Craig Breslow
• Texas — Scott Feldman, Ian Kinsler
• Tampa Bay — Gabe Kapler
• Boston — Kevin Youkilis
• NY Yankees — RHP Jeremy Bleich (non-roster invitee), Jason Hirsh (non-roster invitee; previously played with the Astros and Rockies.
• Milwaukee — Ryan Braun, Scott Schoeneweis (non-roster), Adam Stern (non-roster; previously played with the Red Sox and Orioles)
• Chicago Cubs — Sam Fuld, John Grabow
• LA Dodgers — Brad Ausmus
• NY Mets — Davis (non-roster invitee)
• Washington — Jason Marquis, Josh Whitesell (non-roster invitee)
• San Diego — Adam Poreda

Wechsler’s “progress report”:

Hirsh has pitched 2 2/3 innings over three games and has yet to allow a hit. He has three strikeouts and no walks.
Bleich came in to pitch the final out in a Yankees loss.
Poreda appeared in one game for the Padres, walking one and striking out three in two innings.
Stern had a pinch-hit single in one game and went 0-for-2 in another.
Whitesell went 2-for-2 in Washington’s opener and 0-for-1 in its last game.
Davis is 10-for-15 with two doubles, a grand slam and eight RBIs. He has hit safely in all six games. He also has made four errors at first base.

* * *

In hockey news, Matthieu Schneider — aka, the league’s oldest player — seems poised to rejoin the NHL with his new team, the Phoenix Coyotes (Thanks, again, Ari).

* * *

In basketball, Ron Artest has converted once more, joining the bald brotherhood after his defensive plans went awry.

Carl Costas/Sacramento Bee

Omri Casspi played just four minutes (zero points) in the Kings’ 88-81 loss to the Portland Trailblazers last night.

Seems that fatigue is finally catching up with the Israeli import, according to this story in the Sacramento Bee:

“Omri the competitor wants to play 48 minutes a game for 82 games, but sometimes it’s just impossible for my body,” Casspi said. “Sometimes it’s good to rest, take a day off and come back with energy. Hopefully it will work for me.”

Meanwhile Jordan Farmar scored four points in 15 minutes as the Lakers snapped their three-game losing streak with a 109-107 win over the Toronto Raptors.

See that, Canada? That’s what you get for beating our hockey team in the Olympics!

Anyway, I’m off. See you next week.

First it was Kobe Bryant who expressed an interest in being Jewish. Now it seems like teammate Ron Artest is at least learning the language:

Read commentary from Korner haver Rabbi Jason Miller here.

Meanwhile Omri Casspi scored four points in a 108-100 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on March 5. Jordan Farmar scored an even dozen in a 98-83 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats on March 5 and zero (!) in yesterday’s 96-94 defeat at the hands of the Orlando Magic. The Lakers have lost three in a row for the first time in recorded history this year.

Omri Casspi scored just eight points in 19 minutes as the Kings lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 113-107 last night.

Hank Rosenstein, far left, played for the Knicks in 1946 in what is considered the first NBA game. Photo courtesy Madison Square Garden

On a sad note, Hank Rosenstein, an original member of the New York Knicks, died on Feb 27 at the age of 89.

Rosenstein, who played in the NBA’s first game in 1946, was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.

Meanwhile, Jordan Farmar scored 10 and five in the Lakers’ two wins over the Philadelphia 67ers and Denver Nuggets, respectively, in his last two appearances.

The girls basketball team at Northwest Yeshiva in Mercer Island, Washington, made it to the Class 1B tournament, but was ultimately unable to play because their game was scheduled for Feb. 24 — the Fast of Esther. As such, they would not be able to hydrate before, during and after the contest, which would put them at risk. As Scott Sandsberry reported in the Yakima Herald-Republic,

Short of being able to move the game time — an accommodation the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association wasn’t willing to make — Northwest Yeshiva school leaders opted to forfeit today’s game.

Sandsberry goes on to report

Northwest Yeshiva school leaders had appealed to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association board to adjust the tournament schedule so the team could avoid playing during the fast. The school indicated it would be willing to play at a non-SunDome site, even on the home court of its Eastern Washington opponent, if that would resolve the issue.

WIAA bylaws allow for tournament schedule adjustments for teams that recognize the Saturday Sabbath. But making game-time changes in this case, WIAA executive director Mike Colbrese said, would be unfair for the other teams whose schedule would be affected.

It would force championship-bracket teams to play early games on less rest, for example, and possibly without the morning shoot-around practice typically held at available high school or middle school gyms by teams playing in the evening bracket.

The girls took the decision very well:

“It’s really cool to be here, first of all. We worked really hard to get here, to qualify for state,” said sophomore Julia Owen, one of the team’s top players. “But we’re also very happy to be able to show that our religion is very important to us. Although it’s hard because it would be great to get the chance to continue, we’re not wishing we could ignore the fast and play, because observing the fast is important.”

ESPN.com’s Kevin Arnovic wrote this very thoughtful and a-sportslike article on why Casspi has such meaning for the Jewish and Israeli communities.

Meanwhile, Jordan Farmar and the Lakers have been enjoying a four-day break in their schedule.

Hey, whatever works.

Jordan Farmar scored seven points off the bench as the Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors, 104-94.

Israeli rookie makes immediate impact in Sacramento, NBA

On June 25, 2009, the Sacramento Kings selected 21-year-old Omri Casspi with the 23rd pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.

The occasion was significant in Jewish basketball history — it was the first time an Israeli had ever been taken in the first round of the draft.

On Oct. 28, 2009, Casspi reached another milestone: He became the first Israeli to play in a regular-season NBA game, scoring 15 points in 19 minutes in a 102-89 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

From game one, Casspi has been a valuable contributor to the Kings. As of Jan. 31, in 44 games (16 starts), the 6′9″ forward, who hails from Yavne, Israel — a 20-minute drive from Tel Aviv — is averaging 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 27.6 minutes per game.

Jewish News recently caught up with Casspi, who was kind enough to answer some of our questions by e-mail.

Q: How old were you when you first picked up a basketball? When did you first realize you were any good?

Omri Casspi: I started playing basketball when I was 7. My mother used to play basketball professionally in Israel. My older brother started pushing me to play with him because he played basketball, too.

When I was a legit starter and team leader on Maccabi (Electra Tel Aviv and) we won the (Israeli) championship last summer, it was then I knew I was ready for the next step and I went for it.

Q: Tell us about your draft-day experience. Did you expect to be a first-round pick?

OC: It was a lot of emotions put together — I was excited, I was nervous, I was happy, I was sad. I thought I might go in the first round, but I wasn’t exactly sure where. I am happy about the situation in Sacramento. The Kings didn’t tell me they were going to take me beforehand. I worked out with them before the draft, but I didn’t know where I was going to go.

Q: Tell us about your life growing up in Israel.

OC: I grew up in a small town (Yavne) about 20-25 minutes away from Tel Aviv. My mother and father are married and I have an older brother who is 25 and is living here in Sacramento with me. I also have a younger sister who is 16 — she also plays basketball. She is great. I (started playing) for Maccabi when I was 14.

Q: Technically you were in the Israel Defense Forces, but you didn’t do a whole lot of training or fighting because you were considered an elite athlete. Do you feel like you missed out in any way?

OC: I did the basic training and my brother was a paratrooper. I just contributed to my country in different ways. I am happy about the situation that I am in. I don’t think about it too much. I know that if I wasn’t a basketball player that I would go and do something special in the army.

Q: What has been the biggest adjustment for you living in the U.S.?

OC: There are a lot of differences. The food is different, the culture is different, obviously the language. It’s hard being away from home, from my family and friends. It’s different going to a new team and the NBA. It is a whole new level of basketball.

Q: What do you do for Jewish holidays during the season? You don’t have a game scheduled for the first night of Passover, but you’re going to be in the middle of a nine-game, 18-day road trip.

OC: I didn’t go to practice on Yom Kippur. Unfortunately, on the other holiday I am going to have to play. It is an important part of the season for us. First and foremost, I am a basketball player. I am here for a reason, and that is to play basketball.

Q: Do you think there is any added responsibility to being the first Israeli in the NBA?

OC: There is a lot of responsibility to being the first. I am not only representing myself, but I am representing basketball in Israel. I am also representing my country and the Jewish people in the (United) States. That is a lot of responsibility. It feels great, though. I try to just focus on basketball and try to play as best I can on the court.

Omri Casspi will be in Phoenix on Feb. 21, when the Suns host the Kings. The Suns’ front office has put together “Jewish Community Night,” which is co-sponsored by Jewish News.

* Register by Feb. 17: 602-379-7837 or llevine@suns.com

Omri Casspi scored eight points and pulled down five rebounds as the Kings won their second straight for the first time since Dec. 19-20. Sacramento took the 103-97 decision against the Detroit Pistons, who are having almost as bad a season.

* * *

Some sports teams have Native American nicknames that many find to be offensive. Teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, and Golden State Warriors have chosen to keep their names despite protests from the Native American community.

Some teams have changed their team nicknames to be more politically correct. I remember the debates that surrounded the decision of Eastern Michigan University to change its name from the Hurons to the Eagles. More recently, Syracuse University changed its name from the Orangemen to simply the Orange.

The recent suspension of two Washington Wizards players brings to mind the changing of sports teams’ nicknames. Wizards’ guard Gilbert Arenas and his teammate Javaris Crittenton were suspended for the remainder of the season by NBA commissioner David Stern after Arenas admitted that he brought four guns into the locker room following a heated argument with Crittenton during a card game on the team plane.

The owner of the Washington Wizards, the late Abe Pollin, changed the name of his NBA franchise from the Bullets to the Wizards in 1995 after flying back to the Washington D.C. area following the funeral of his friend, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in Israel.

In the November 12, 2005 edition of the New York Times, columnist George Vecsey wrote:

Abe Pollin decided months ago that it was wrong to call his Washington basketball team the Bullets. He pushed up the announcement the other day after flying back from the funeral of a friend, a hero, who had been killed by bullets.

“I stood in the spot when Rabin was killed,” Pollin said the other day.

Yitzhak Rabin, the Prime Minister of Israel, was assassinated a week ago Saturday in Tel Aviv. His life was no more precious than the lives of children killed by flying bullets as they cower in apartments in the District of Columbia, or teen-agers gunned down in the heat of an argument. Yitzhak Rabin’s death reinforced Abe Pollin’s belief that something must be done about the nickname.

“I’ve thought about it for 31 years,” Pollin said the other day, after announcing that a new nickname will be chosen by the fall of 1997, when the team moves to a new arena in the national capital.

“Bullets connote killing, violence, death,” Pollin said. “Our slogan used to be, ‘Faster than a speeding bullet.’ That is no longer appropriate.”

So, it is ironic that fourteen years after Pollin decided to change the name of his basketball team because it connoted killing and violence, the team’s star player is arrested for bringing four guns into the locker room.

Charles Krauthammer discussed the issue at length on This Week in Washington. He said:

“In a sense, you’re almost grateful that he died before he could see this. He’s a man who changed the name of the team, the Bullets, which had a long and distinguished history, simply because it gave the wrong message. And he did it, and he probably lost a lot of money doing it, but it meant a lot to him. And to have a member of his team in a gun issue in the Verizon Center, which he built, would have broken his heart.”

Dan Steinberg, in his D.C. Sports Blog, explains that, following Abe Pollin’s death and “Gilbert’s Great Gun Goof,” there have been several explanations for why Pollin changed the name of the team from the Bullets.

The Wizards referenced the name change in their press release about the Arenas suspension, saying: “It is widely known that Mr. Pollin took the extraordinary step of changing the team name from ‘Bullets’ to ‘Wizards’ in 1997 precisely to express his abhorrence of gun violence in our community” Most likely, it was the rampant gun violence in D.C. that convinced Pollin to change the name, but then Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination that gave a greater sense of urgency to the decision.

I don’t believe that changing a sports team’s name will have an effect on how successfully the team performs in the future. However, there is a tradition in Judaism that name changes have the ability to transform. When a Jewish person is on their deathbed, there is a custom of changing their Hebrew name to ward off (and confuse) the angel of death.

In the Torah, several characters have their names changed by God. The first Hebrews Abram and Sarai become “Abraham” and “Sarah” as they progress into the first parents of the Jewish people. Joshua was known as “Hoshea the son of Nun,” but then Moses changed his name to Joshua. The greatest transformation resulting from a name change in the Torah was following Jacob’s struggle with an angel of God when it was declared that he would henceforth be known as “Israel.”

Abe Pollin’s decision to change his pro basketball team’s name from the Bullets was a wise one. Bullets do connote violence and killing, and no sports team (especially one in a town known for gun violence) wants that association. It would be wise for the teams that use American Indian nicknames or mascots to change their names as well. If a pro sports team or a university team has a nickname that offends such a large community of people, why continue that tradition?

Sports teams should use nicknames for which their fans can be proud. In Detroit, our basketball team has been called the Pistons because of the pride the Motor City feels for the auto industry. But now that the auto industry in Detroit has fallen on hard times and there are rumors that the team may soon be for sale, a new name may be in order.

It might be a good idea for Gilbert Arenas to take after the biblical Jacob and select a new name for himself. Just as Abe Pollin honored the memory of his friend Yitzhak Rabin by changing his team’s name, Arenas would be honoring Abe Pollin’s memory by his own transformation.

Chuck Burton / Associated Press

Omri Casspi made his Madison Square Garden debut a memorable one last night.

From today’s Times:

Madison Square Garden echoed with boos, which were quickly followed by raucous chants of “Omri Casspi” — a tribute to the Kings rookie, the first Israeli to play in the N.B.A. and a folk hero to Jews around the world.

Casspi scored 18 points on what the Knicks dubbed Jewish Heritage Night. [KK: He also had nine rebounds.]

…

At times Tuesday, the Knicks probably felt like visitors in their own building. The stands were dotted with Israeli flags and the arena was frequently filled with chants for Casspi.

Fans gathered along the baseline to watch Casspi take warm-up shots before the game. The Israeli national anthem was played before tip-off. Casspi seemed moved by the adulation.

“Just try to treat it like another game,” he said, before adding, “Obviously, it’s not another game for me.”

He is growing accustomed to the attention. He has been serenaded in Toronto and Washington and warmly embraced in Sacramento, his adopted home. A local couple named their baby Omri in his honor.

It’s a lot of pressure for a 21-year-old drafted in the bottom third of the first round. But Casspi is handling it well. He is averaging 12 points per game, fifth best among rookies, and is shooting .473 from the field. He has exceeded all expectations.

“By far,” said Jerry Reynolds, the Kings’ director of player personnel. “As a player, we hoped he’d be this good by the end of next year. He’s already way ahead of where we thought he could be.”

Eager to please, Casspi played aggressively from the opening tip. He hit his first jumper three minutes into the game and drew “oohs” from the crowd moments later with a fast-break dunk. He had a team-high 16 points and 4 rebounds by halftime.

In Israel, Casspi has already achieved folk-hero status. Fans rise at 4 a.m. to watch his games. He might be the most famous Jewish sports figure playing in the United States.

“I think it’s tough on him,” Reynolds said. “I think it’s taken a toll, because he’s such a nice person and he really wants to please everybody.”

Casspi seemed eager to finish his pregame interviews and to dispense with all the attention. After all, he had a game to play and a coach to please, too.

“He’s well loved,” Coach Paul Westphal said, smiling. “I hope he plays like he deserves it.”

And Jordan Farmar is saying, “What am I? Chopped liver?” He had 13 points off the bench in the Lakers’ 101-89 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.

Jordan Farmar scored six points in the Lakers’ 126-133 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 5, but rebounded (pardon the pun) with 12 in a 99-82 win over the Portland Trailblazers the next game.

But let’s talk “Old School” for a minute: National Public Radio conducted this interview with David Vyorst writer, director, and producer of the documentary, The First Basket, which I wrote about while it was still in its nascent stages. The NPR story links to the audio of the interview.

Over on the slippery stuff, no new to report other than Steve, our senior graphics deisgner and sytems manager, broke a tooth on a pretzel at a recent NJ Devils game. Say a mishabreach.

Steinberg does an in-depth parsing of remarks made over the years by the late Abe Pollin, owner of the NBA’s Washington franchise, formerly known as the Bullets (a name they had since their origins in Baltimore) but changed to the Wizards in 1998.

Abe Pollin with Michael Jordan

The situation is even more timely thanks to the Wizards’ poster boy for the NRA, Gilbert Arenas, who was suspended by the league for brandishing an unloaded handgun in the team’s locker room last December. He also faces criminal charges for unlicensed gun possession, loaded or not.  (More about Arenas and his recent op-ed apology in the Post here.)

Why the name change? Was it because of the violent connotations of the “Bullets,” made all the more prominent by the assassination of Pollin’s friend and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin? Or was it a crass maneuver for more merchandise money? Opinions vary.

Pollin died last November at the age of 86.

That was then...

this is now.

Meanwhile, Casspi was selected for the annual rookie-sophomore on Feb. 12 in Dallas ahead of the NBA All-Star game. As of this writing, he ranks in the top 10 among rookies player efficiency rating, a complex statistic akin to quarterback ratings in football.

Jordan Farmar scored five points in 20 minutes in the Lakers’ 95-93 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Teammate Kobe Bryant set a record for most points in franchise history during the game.

* * *

Michael Cammalleri had an assist in the Canadiens’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 30.

Thanks to Korner friend Ari for the heads-up.

In a comment to the Korner, Bob Wechsler, author of Day by Day in Jewish Sports History, suggested that the Kings are showcasing some of their other forwards as trade material, which is why Casspi has seen his minutes reduced of late.

Meanwhile Jordan Farmar scored seven points in the Lakers 115-103 win over the Washington Wizards.

Michael Cammelleri assisted on Montreal’s lone goal in a 2-1 loss to the Florid Panthers.

The Feb. 1 issue of Sports Illustrated carries this story about Sasha Cohen’s slip-up at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships last week.

In the “Mailtime” segment of the Jan. 25th show:

Kornheiser (reading an email): “[NBA Dallas Mavericks' owner] Mark Cuban says that All-Star weekend in Dallas “will make the Super Bowl look like a bar mitzvah.” Do you agree or disagree?

Michael Wilbon: I don’t know if I can speak about a bar mitzva…but I know what he means. The Super Bowl is this huge event, and more people watch it.  But All-Star weekend is the biggest party. It is the biggest party relating to sports in this country, there’s no question about that, Tony. The All-Star game shut down Vegas a couple of years ago….What else does that? It’s not close.

Kornheiser: Ocean’s Eleven shut down Vegas if I remember that movie correctly. Obviously, Cuban must have just cocktail franks at his bar mitzva. It must be a wholly inadequate bar mitzva and he has borne this for 25 years.

Wilbon: How wild do they get?

Kornheiser: Well, I don’t think they get wild enough to shut down Vegas. I don’t know what he’s talking about.

Wilbon: It’s going to be the biggest party of the year in sports.

Kornheiser: Great. I hope many rabbis and cantors come so that Cuban will feel good.

Cuban is Jewish, by the way.