Emmanuel Sharp became the 11th Israeli ever selected in the NBA draft, doing so overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, according to Sport 5. The guard, the son of former player Derrick Sharp, now hopes to join the small group of Israelis who have actually played in the league.
Sharp is only the fifth Israeli chosen in the second round, and the first since Yam Madar, who went 47th overall to the Boston Celtics in 2020. He could also become the second Israeli to wear a Sacramento Kings uniform, alongside Omri Casspi, who is the franchise’s first and only Israeli player so far.
The report placed Sharp within the broader history of Israeli NBA draft picks. The list includes Tal Brody, selected 12th by the Baltimore Bullets in 1965; Doron Sheffer, 36th by the Clippers in 1996; Lior Eliyahu, 44th by Orlando in 2006; Yotam Halperin, 53rd by Seattle in 2006; Casspi, 23rd by Sacramento in 2009; TJ Leaf, 18th by Indiana in 2017; Deni Avdija, 9th by Washington in 2020; Ben Saraf, 26th by Brooklyn in 2025; and Danny Wolf, 27th by Brooklyn in 2025.
Sharp’s selection extends a growing Israeli presence in the NBA draft, but the article notes that he still needs to earn a roster spot and become one of the few Israelis to play in the league.