Israeli Basketball Chief Laments NBA's Disregard, Player Commitments
Translated & summarized from Walla by baba
Amos Friedman, Chairman of the Israeli Basketball Association, expressed frustration over the national team's struggles and the NBA's lack of cooperation in releasing players like Danny Avdija. He cited complex insurance issues and the team's prolonged absence from playing in Israel as reasons for declining public interest. Friedman also announced plans to fine clubs that prevent players from joining national team duty, while addressing specific cases of player commitment, including Omer Mayer and overseas prospects Danny Wolf and Emmanuel Sharp.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israeli Basketball Association Chairman Amos Friedman criticized the NBA's disregard for Israeli basketball.
- Danny Avdija's absence significantly weakened the national team, with Friedman citing lack of leverage over NBA teams.
- Insurance complexities prevent the Israeli association from covering players injured outside official NBA games.
- The national team has not played in Israel for four years, impacting public interest.
- Clubs will be fined if they prevent players from joining national team windows.
- Player Omer Mayer refused to join the youth national team despite significant flexibility offered.
Amos Friedman, Chairman of the Israeli Basketball Association, discussed the national team's recent failures and player availability issues in an interview. He acknowledged the team's disappointing performance in the World Cup qualifiers, where they secured only two wins against Cyprus, despite having Israeli players in the NBA and two teams in the EuroLeague. Friedman stated that if all eligible players had been available, the team would have been strong enough to qualify.
Friedman addressed the absence of NBA player Danny Avdija, explaining that the national team's strength significantly diminishes without him. He emphasized the futility of forcing NBA players to join, citing the lack of leverage the Israeli association has over NBA teams. "They don't count us at all," Friedman remarked, questioning what sanctions could be imposed. He defended Avdija, asserting the player's desire to represent Israel and attributing his absence to injury, while expressing confidence he would play in the upcoming summer.
Regarding insurance issues, Friedman clarified that the NBA has an exclusion clause preventing coverage for players injured outside official NBA games. This prevents the Israeli association from insuring players, as only their NBA teams can decide on their release. He also highlighted a case involving college player Noam Yaakov, where a last-minute insurance premium of 20,000 euros for a single game was discovered, a cost the association was unaware of beforehand.
Friedman also touched on the public's waning interest in the national team, partly due to the team not playing in Israel for four years. He believes this absence, coupled with the desire to see star players like Avdija and Yam Madar compete locally, negatively impacts the team's appeal. He also mentioned that the association plans to fine clubs that prevent players from joining national team windows, using Yam Madar and Maccabi Tel Aviv as an example.
Further issues discussed included player Omer Mayer's refusal to join the youth national team despite significant flexibility offered by the coaching staff, and the complex situation surrounding players like Danny Wolf and Emmanuel Sharp, who have ties to Israel but face challenges regarding commitment and eligibility.