Last Wednesday, two Jewish basketball players were picked for the Brooklyn Nets. They became the 26th and 27th overall picks in the night’s NBA draft, doubled the number of Jewish players in the basketball league and tripled the number of Israeli players, too!
The first player to be picked was Ben Saraf. Born in Gan Yoshia, Saraf is the son of two professional Israeli basketball players. He wasn’t at the drafting event last week because he was still in Germany, where he has been playing for Ratiopharm Ulm for the last 10 months and where he helped lead his team to the German basketball finals. His number, 77, is the numerical value of the Hebrew word for luck, “mazal.” Saraf has been a standout, though many expected him to be picked in the draft later than he was.
The next pick, Danny Wolf, was at Barclays Center with his family. The Glencoe, Illinois born player was dubbed by ESPN as “college basketball’s most unique player” and has been playing for his mother’s alma matter, the University of Michigan, after transferring from Yale last year. His parents and three siblings all looked thrilled for him. His mother, Tina, wiped tears from her eyes while wearing a white blazer with a hostage pin affixed to it. His brother, Jake, had an especially hard time reeling in his emotions; seeing him weep in excitement while looking up to his brother is just so incredibly moving. It’s clear how deeply this family cares for each other.
Nets No. 27 pick Danny Wolf's brother was overcome with emotion after he got drafted 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/GgX5vfNn70
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 26, 2025
Tina was so overwhelmed that she kept getting his team wrong in the interview with ESPN, saying her son was going to “New York” instead of Brooklyn (Brooklyn is technically in New York, but of course, New York has its own team, the Knicks). You can see Danny gently whispering that correction to her in the interview, and it is really sweet, as is her excitement for her son. Wolf shared that he thinks he has the best support system, and believes that he’s made it to the NBA thanks to the devotion and love of his parents and siblings. “Nothing for this kid has come easy, he’s a hard worker, and we’re proud to be his parents,” Joe Wolf, Danny’s father, told ESPN.
Danny Wolf's mom: "We're so excited to go to New York"
Danny Wolf: "Brooklyn"
Mom: "It's what he wanted"
Danny: "Brooklyn"
Mom: "And it happened" pic.twitter.com/PBUna3Xavx
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) June 26, 2025
Wolf is very proud of his Jewish identity. He went to Jewish day school, keeps Kosher and had his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall. In 2023, he became an Israeli citizen to represent the Jewish state at the FIBA U20 European Championship in Greece, and helped the team win a silver medal. The 7-feet-tall player grew up hearing some say that as a Jewish person one shouldn’t expect much from him as a basketball player. He told author Mitch Albom, however, that he sees his Jewish identity as an opportunity to prove himself. He also shared he has faced hate for being an Israeli-American player from the stands and on social media.
“I’ve learned, and I’ve really talked to my parents about this, to push past it,” he told Albom for the Detroit Free Press. “It may be corny to say, but I’m just trying to be the bigger person. Nothing I can do in the moment will be good for me. Anything I say won’t impact me or them, and it might cause more harm than good.”
Wolf embraces his faith and Jewish identity off and on the field, where he will be taking the auspicious Jewish number 18 — “chai” — to play for the Nets. We can’t wait to see him on the court.
Nets GM Sean Marks about Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf: “THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IS EXCITED”🇮🇱✡️ pic.twitter.com/A6CPHO3Oza
— Sports Rabbi (@thesportsrabbi) July 1, 2025
