A New Saraf in Town
Following in the footsteps of Israeli stars Omri Casspi and Deni Avdija, Ben Saraf hopes to translate his local and international success into his NBA dream
Just like fellow countrymen, Omri Casspi and Deni Avdija, Ben Saraf is predicted to be taken very early in the NBA draft in June 2025. It’s actually quite remarkable that a young player from Israel would get so much attention. This spotlight on Israel was likely brightened by Casspi and Avdija, who have drawn the eyes of scouts to the Middle East. That is not meant to take away from Saraf’s huge talent and level of play. It brings me great joy to see an Israeli get this kind of attention on the world stage, and specifically in the US.
Jedi Master
Omri Casspi made himself available to mentor Deni Avdija a few short years ago and I wouldn’t be surprised if he offered some mentoring to the young Saraf (18). Avdija could also be a great source of guidance, but he’s quite busy with an NBA career of his own. He will start this season with the Portland Trail Blazers after being traded from the Washington Wizards. Deni is paving a pretty successful path in the NBA and when it comes to Israeli success in the NBA - the more, the merrier!
Crazily enough, Ben just signed a contract with the German team, Ulm, who just so happen to be playing an exhibition game against the Trail Blazers.
Battle.Of.The.Sabras.
“Kid is Special”
In the wise words of Omri Casspi himself:
I trust Omri’s judgement. Saraf has shown that he is special and I hope that his potential is actualized on the highest court. He wears the number 77, double 7s, which is a holy number in Judaism. It represents Shabbat and the idea of completion. I’m not sure if that was the intention behind his jersey choice, but it even furthers the meaning behind his skills.
Traits of a Champion
Ben most recently put on a show at the FIBA under 18 Eurobasket tournament where he put up big numbers (28 points per game) and earned MVP honors.
Ben’s coach from an early age at Hapoel Emek Hefer, Ramon Wolfson had this to say about Ben’s best trait:
”Ben’s strongest characteristic is that he makes adjustments that are not just the best in the country but the best in the world and it doesn’t matter if it takes him a month, a month and a half or two. He makes the things happen. You can go to a certain team and don’t succeed and then everybody says, ‘It didn’t fit’, ‘he’s not there yet’. Ben makes the adjustment and makes everything look absolutely perfect.”1
There is gold in this secret to Ben’s success - the art form of making adjustments and not getting caught up in mistakes or failure.
I’m reminded of a story about Kobe Bryant told by famous sports psychologist, Bill Beswick, after Kobe missed several game-winning opportunities:
“At the end of the game, in the interview, the commentators were astounded. ‘This great talent missed all three [four] shots?’ And he sat down on the bench, and his head was in his hands. And they were talking about how he was feeling, he must feel dreadful…”
“[During the post-game interview] he [Kobe] looked at him [the interviewer]. He said, ‘What’s feeling got to do with it?'”
I was working out why I missed those shots. I now know why I missed those shots, and I can do something about it.”
And just like this the “Mamba Mentality” was born. The lesson to be learned from this is that mistakes can’t be undone, but you can improve yourself in a way that they won’t make those mistakes again. From several interviews that I’ve read with Saraf, he presents himself as a player who focuses on growth and moves on from mistakes easily.
Especially as we approach Rosh Hashanah and a time of reflection, we can all benefit from an approach of moving towards improvement and not dwelling on negative emotions felt about our mistakes.
The Man at Work
Some highlights of Ben in the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024 competition. This man can ball!
Song of the Week
איזה יום
Ay-ze yoem
What a day
Dudu Tassa brings this song as a song of our generation. Looking back at everything we’ve been through and hoping for better things ahead.
Slang of the Week
נמאס לי
Neem-aws lee
I’m fed up
Thank you kindly for reading this week’s post. I hope that you will continue to read and enjoy. I’d be grateful if you could tell one friend or family member to give it a try. It might be a small Whatsapp message, but it goes a long way as we learn and grow.
Wishing you a Shabbat shalom and a quiet and safe weekend!
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Halickman, Moshe, “Who is Ben Saraf? Everything you need to know about the Israeli 2025 NBA Draft Prospect”. https://sportsrabbi.com/en/who-is-ben-saraf-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-israeli-2025-nba-draft-prospect/.
Clever title! I enjoy how wide-ranging your topics/interests are - a true Renaissance man!