Knicks make plans to honor the Israeli star

[FromIsrael]

Knicks make plans to honor Israeli star
In an effort to boost sluggish tickets sales for the Knicks' charity game Sunday against Maccabi Tel Aviv at the Garden, the event's organizer is amidst discussions with Sacramento to bring Israeli rookie Omri Casspi to the Garden to retire his Maccabi number, The Post has learned. Casspi is on track to become the first Israeli to play in an NBA game after being drafted in the first round in June. Migdal Ohr, the Israeli orphanage in which the game benefits, is seeking permission from Kings coach Paul Westphal to fly Casspi cross country, with prospective plans to have him toss the ceremonial opening tip and have his yellow and blue "18" retired. Casspi would have to miss the Kings' practice that day. According to Robert Katz, the VP of Migdal Ohr, tickets sales are way behind the rate from the Maccabi-Knicks game two years...

http://www.newstin.com/related.a?edition=us&group_id=en-010-019153831&similarFilter=ALL

 

[kennadog]

With Kings' luck, the headline would be "Casspi Tripped by Knick Player During Opening Tip." Kneecap fractured and he'll be out for a significant period of time. The Knick player suffered no injury in the collison.

(In case the wink doesn't give you a clue, I'm joking.....I hope.)

 

[Bricklayer]

Wait...Maccabi is going to retire his number because he left them to come join the NBA?

 

[Armadillo]

There's a mistake in the article, they're not going to retire his number.
It's just a tribute ceremony, that's all.

 

[Bricklayer]

There's a mistake in the article, they're not going to retire his number.
It's just a tribute ceremony, that's all.

Ah, that makes more sense.

 

[Nika]

Ah, that makes more sense.

As much as something makes sense about this... With all due respect to Casspi - and I've got huge respect for a kid who decided he was going to get to the NBA and became Israel's first player to do so - he hadn't played in the team for that long (he is young after all) and he hadn't led the team to any amazing achievements. If Maccabbi was playing the Kings, this I could get and it would make sense. Even if they were playing the Warriors or something relatively easy to achieve, it's a stretch, but fine. But flying him to NY because they can't fill up the hall? Really?

Having said that, if this does work out and Omri goes out there, I will appropriately touched to watch the tribute as I am sure it will be very special for him.

 

[VF21]

Erm, what????? The Knicks are going to capitalize off OUR signing of Omri8 Casspi to boost THIER ticket sales? I guess I'm off-base because I don't like this. If Maccabi wants to come to Sacramento and play the Kings and give Casspi some kind of tribute with proceeds going to charity, I'd like to see the Sacramento fans be the ones celebrating THEIR player. Maybe I'm missing something?

 

[Nika]

Erm, what????? The Knicks are going to capitalize off OUR signing of Omri8 Casspi to boost THIER ticket sales? I guess I'm off-base because I don't like this. If Maccabi wants to come to Sacramento and play the Kings and give Casspi some kind of tribute with proceeds going to charity, I'd like to see the Sacramento fans be the ones celebrating THEIR player. Maybe I'm missing something?

See, you pressed the "charity" button. It's kind of hard to say "no" when it is for charity, for an orphanage and all. I totally agree with you and I think it was out of place to use the "ooh, we have a player in the NBA" card but once they did use it and said it was for charity....

 

[FromIsrael]

As much as something makes sense about this... With all due respect to Casspi - and I've got huge respect for a kid who decided he was going to get to the NBA and became Israel's first player to do so - he hadn't played in the team for that long (he is young after all) and he hadn't led the team to any amazing achievements. If Maccabbi was playing the Kings, this I could get and it would make sense. Even if they were playing the Warriors or something relatively easy to achieve, it's a stretch, but fine. But flying him to NY because they can't fill up the hall? Really?

Having said that, if this does work out and Omri goes out there, I will appropriately touched to watch the tribute as I am sure it will be very special for him.

Mm Nika, Casspi gave 2 great seasons at Maccabi, at 2007/2008 he brought Maccabi by him self to the Euroleague FinalFour by giving great games against Barcelona in the Quater finals, and in the last year Casspi was a starting player at Maccabi.. if he wasnt he whouldnt play right now in the Kings..


by the way, before 1 month ppl were saying that maccabi will have a game against sacramento in the next preseason...
it hasnt happend this preseason because of the Knicks and Clippers pre season games against maccabi...
anyways it whould be cool if there will be a game of Maccabi - Kings.. my 2 favourite teams + Casspi

 

[kennadog]

Well if Maccabi gets to play the Kings next pre-season, then I would have preferred they hold off on this honor until then. It just feels wrong to have our rookie honored during a Knicks game in NYC, over 3,000 miles away. Most Kings fans won't get to hear or see it. Kind of sucks.

 

[USNAVY15]

The Jewish population in NY is 2nd only to Israel. It makes sense. I like having Cassipi because it means Jewish basketball fans (and Jews love basketball) are going to HAVE to come see the kings. More tickets sales for the kings, and Omri's contract practically pays for itself. How many Omri Jerseys are already in Israel do you think? I imagine he will be among the suprise jersey movers of the year.

 

[FromIsrael]

The Jewish population in NY is 2nd only to Israel. It makes sense. I like having Cassipi because it means Jewish basketball fans (and Jews love basketball) are going to HAVE to come see the kings. More tickets sales for the kings, and Omri's contract practically pays for itself. How many Omri Jerseys are already in Israel do you think? I imagine he will be among the suprise jersey movers of the year.

I already saw alot of pplz going with Casspi's new kings shirt in israel
alot of pepole buy it..

 

[dbfish]

Knicks/ Casspi

If this is such a big deal for the Knicks, why didn't they draft him?

 

[kennadog]

I understand the NY Jewish population is huge. Still bugs me to have Casspi leave his team to go to NY for this. The only redeeming value is that a charity will benefit. Other than that, I still think it should be in Sacramento.

No matter how big the population, an arena only holds so many. NY City has a high density of Jewish people, but statewide, California's Jewish population is not far behind NY state. The main concentrations of California's Jewish population are in the LA/Orange County area and the greater Bay Area. I'm sure people from the Bay Area would drive to Sacramento for a game.

 

[FromIsrael]

I agree, and in tuesday Maccabi playing in Cali against the Clippers.. i dont see any reason why its not there..

 

[VF21]

Having it in LA with the Clippers would be even MORE of an insult to Kings fans than having it in New York.

The team from those cities didn't draft Casspi. SACRAMENTO did. If any team and its fans should host a celebration of his entrance into the league, or whatever you want to call it, it should be the team and fans that actually did the deed.

 

[fnordius]

If any team and its fans should host a celebration of his entrance into the league, or whatever you want to call it, it should be the team and fans that actually did the deed.

And yet, the Knicks' FO thought of it, and ours didn't.

We need to show more imagination.

 

[VF21]

That's a strawman argument. Would you expect Sacramento to honor Lebron James for something instead of Cleveland? It says the Knicks are doing this to try and prop up sagging ticket sales. The more we discuss this, the less I like the idea at all. Casspi should be honored in Israel, if anywhere, for being the first Israeli to join the NBA. Honoring him here ... or in New York ... is a kind of reverse discrimination.

 

[Bricklayer]

People who don't live out here really wouldn't know this, but the East Coast, and New York City in particular, Jewish community is much more defined and cohesive than anything on the West Coast.

Here is a map of population concentrations, and it really only tells part of the story: http://www.uta.fi/FAST/US1/REF/images/jewish.jpg

Holding it in New York really is a natural, his current team aside, and in any case, it was a promoter's idea to try to get butts in the seat out here in the preseason rather than a random thought our FO did not have.

 

[fnordius]

That's a strawman argument.

A strawman argument requires the appearance of disagreeing with someone. I was agreeing with you. It should have been us doing that. But now we've been beaten to it by the Knicks, and it's too late. That was the only thing I was sorry about. I wish we'd thought of it first. I don't think it would have been any more crass than for the mayor to try to sell out the first two games just to be supportive. Fans appreciate the special things that go along with occasional games. Retiring jerseys, having team legends like Oscar Robertson there... things like that make the fans happy, and make the team and the owners happy too. I don't see them as exploitative. For the Knicks, yes, totally. But not for us.

But, of course, you're free to change your mind about whether we should have been the ones to do such a thing.

 

[VF21]

As I said, the more I thought about it the more I think it's just not right to honor him at the beginning of his career for nothing more than where he was born. But it's not like I'm going to be marching on New York with a torch and pitchfork. I'd rather honor him at the end of his career for his achievements but I think there's plenty of time to plan for that.

 

[Aenadin]

Donnie Walsh: Hey paul can i borrow one of your players for an event? we need him he used to play for their team we need this to raise ticket sales.

Paul Westphal: sure thing

looks over roster list and history of players..

Paul: Beno ur needed at the madison square garden!

what he played for maccabbi too right

 

[Aenadin]

As I said, the more I thought about it the more I think it's just not right to honor him at the beginning of his career for nothing more than where he was born. But it's not like I'm going to be marching on New York with a torch and pitchfork. I'd rather honor him at the end of his career for his achievements but I think there's plenty of time to plan for that.

heres to omri being a king for the rest of his nba career..

 

[Armadillo]

Breaking News Breaking News Breaking News Breaking News Breaking News

Israeli media reports that due to schedule constraints Omri won't be able to make it to the Garden tomorrow night, so the tribute will be held some other time (and place, probably).

That's time for the Kings' FO to kick in.

 

[Section 101]

Breaking News Breaking News Breaking News Breaking News Breaking News

Israeli media reports that due to schedule constraints Omri won't be able to make it to the Garden tomorrow night, so the tribute will be held some other time (and place, probably).

That's time for the Kings' FO to kick in.

Or maybe not.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4574912

Their coach refused to leave after being ejected. Delayed the game for like 7 mins.

 

[Prince_XY]

I think it shouldn't be a big deal to honor Omri at NY even if the motive is to have more ticket sales for the Knicks. Every NBA franchise should be helping out each other. That should be the spirit because they all belong to one organization. It would be selfish for us not to let Omri attend just because we don't want NY to capitalize on the ticket sales it will generate.

I'm sorry. But some of us are just too selfish.

 

[FromIsrael]

This game was for Chairity, everyone was happy, and the refree's was at Knicks, it was One - sided because of the Refrees, and the Coach refused to leave for 15 mins.. it was strange but it was kinda right.. it was a game for Charity and the Refrees has been killing it and telling Pini to get off the court for no reason.

anywayz -
Kings' Israeli rookie Casspi has following in New York

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/john_schuhmann/10/18/casspi.newyork/index.html

 

[kennadog]

I think it shouldn't be a big deal to honor Omri at NY even if the motive is to have more ticket sales for the Knicks. Every NBA franchise should be helping out each other. That should be the spirit because they all belong to one organization. It would be selfish for us not to let Omri attend just because we don't want NY to capitalize on the ticket sales it will generate.

I'm sorry. But some of us are just too selfish.

Well, then maybe the big market teams would like to help out places like Sacramento with some of their huge TV contract money or corporate sponsorship money. Yeah, I can see that happening.

 

[Bricklayer]

Well, then maybe the big market teams would like to help out places like Sacramento with some of their huge TV contract money or corporate sponsorship money. Yeah, I can see that happening.

Called revenue sharing, and used by baseball in lieu of an actual reasonable financial system. Let's the Yankees continue to have a league to play in by underwriting various poor teams to play Washington Generals to their Globetrotters.

Unlikely in an NBA setting however.

In any case no reason for us to be ultrapossessive of Omri's time -- this was about Maccabi and his heritage, not his NBA franchise. If he had just been showing up on the Knicks behalf, that might be different.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Called revenue sharing, and used by baseball in lieu of an actual reasonable financial system. Let's the Yankees continue to have a league to play in by underwriting various poor teams to play Washington Generals to their Globetrotters.

Unlikely in an NBA setting however.

Actually, the luxury tax and escrow systems end up working as a limited form of revenue sharing for the NBA. Numbers aren't that easy to come by (especially recent MLB numbers), but it looks as if the MLB has about $325M in redistributed money out of total league revenue of $6.2B, giving about 5.2% of total revenue redistributed. The NBA has about $49M in redistributed money out of total league revenue of $3.2B, giving about 1.5% of total league revenue redistributed. So the NBA probably has a bit less than 1/3 the amount of revenue sharing that MLB does. I seem to recall reading that a lot of NBA owners will be pushing for increased revenue sharing when the CBA comes up in 2011 so I don't think it's out of the question that the NBA might find itself with MLB-caliber revenue sharing in a few years.