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By Joey Seymour
 LOS ANGELES—Rattled by the unexplained suicide of their former longtime manager, Maccabi “Electra” Tel Aviv of Ligat HaAl completed their United States tour Tuesday night with a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in front of a crowd of 13,750.
The game itself, while competitive, saw the young Clippers coming together and showing signs that they are ready to compete with the teams in the Western Conference this season.
Rookie sensation and number one overall draft pick, Blake Griffin was too much to handle for Maccabi as he recorded a double-double (13 points and 10 rebounds), including a couple highlight dunks. Along with Griffin, six other Clippers had a double figure scoring night, including Center, Chris Kaman who scored 18 points.
Maccabi stayed close in the first quarter, but could not close the gap during the second and third quarters. A spirited comeback attempt in the fourth quarter was not to be, as even though Electra outscored the Clippers, it was not enough and the game ended 108-96.
Forward Chuck Eidson (18 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Point Guard, Doron Perkins (16 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 steals) led Maccabi with their impressive play.
Said Perkins: “My friends worked hard and helped me make this triple-double and I thank them for that. We had a chance to win, we were close for a lot of the game and it’s disappointing that we lost. We played hard, and that will help us in the Euroleague.”
Prior to the game, there was a moment of silence for Moni Fanan, 63, former coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv and league executive, who hung himself at his home in Ramat Aviv less than 24 hours before the tip off of the Maccabi Tel Aviv match up with the Clippers. Fanan won 15 Ligat HaAl championships while at the helm of Maccabi Tel Aviv.
While he left no note explaining his action, some people close to him suggested that he felt depressed by the lessening of his influence over the team and his ultimate departure. He had been like a father to many players, particularly those from foreign countries.
Electra Center, Yaniv Green, after playing the game with a heavy heart stated, “The minute of silence in memory of Moni, and seeing the huge photo of him displayed here in Staples Center, were very emotional moments. We gave everything we could tonight.”
Electra played much better in Los Angeles and with less drama than their game in New York against the Knicks this past Sunday. With just over 14,000 in attendance, Electra lost to the Knicks 106 – 91, but the on court antics of head coach, Pini Gershon stole the show. With five minutes left in the third
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quarter, Gershon was called for his second technical foul which comes with an automatic ejection from the game. Gershon had no interest in leaving and Rabbi Yitchak Dovid Grossman, founder and dean of Migdahl Ohr, was called down to the court to settle the dispute.
Grossman told news media he had tried to calm the situation with the referees (currently replacement referees, due to ongoing NBA referee lockout), “I explained that this is not a regular game and the kids are watching and [it's] important that there will be peace and forgive him. If you forgive him, I can speak to the children and say, 'You also forgive. If you have a fight, you forgive.' But he says this is the law that you must obey.”
After an eight minute delay, Gershon finally left the court with the crowd cheering for him. Gershon is an excitable coach who is much loved in Israel and with his show in Madison Square Garden, I’m sure he has some new fans here in the United States as well. Unfortunately, his side show will continue to be the legacy of Maccabi’s involvement in the NBA preseason this year.
On a positive note, with over 27,000 fans witnessing these two games, a wonderful charity was greatly rewarded. Migdal Ohr, the world’s largest orphanage in Northern Israel and home to nearly 7,000 orphaned, impoverished, underprivileged and new immigrant children.
In other basketball news, San Diego High School super star, Jeremy Tyler has signed with Maccabi Haifa and will lead the team this season as they look to capture the Israeli Premier Basketball League championship. Tyler is the first American basketball player to forego his senior year in High School to play professional basketball, while waiting to become eligible for the NBA draft. Although the Cavers will certainly miss Tyler this season, Maccabi Haifa is happy to add him to their roster. Maccabi Haifa takes on Maccabi Tel Aviv in the first game of the Ligat HaAl season on October 25th.
Yet, Tyler’s decision to join Maccabi Haifa opens the door to a fairly spirited debate. Should children, no matter how athletically gifted, give up on their education for a quick pay day? Is this justified if Tyler is simply looking for a higher level of competition and to further develop and enhance his skills?
Another question to consider is should the Euroleague refrain from scouting young American athletes who would otherwise not be able to eligible to enter their respective sports’ draft in the U.S.?
Finally, how young is too young? Remember the uproar in the United States over the reported ages of the female Chinese gymnasts during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing?
Maccabi Haifa’s games will be televised on Jewish Life Television on Thursday nights at 8 pm. This will give us all the chance to watch Tyler’s journey unfold and possibly find the answers to these questions.
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