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Brooklyn Nets draft picks Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf won't be the only Israelis on the floor during one of their first NBA appearances. The Nets will host a preseason game against Hapoel Jerusalem on Oct. 4 at Barclays Center, according to Basketball News Australia.
This won't be the first time the Nets have hosted an Israeli squad for an exhibition. They faced Maccabi Ra’anana at Barclays Center during the 2023-24 preseason, days after Hamas militants attacked Israel and claimed over 1,300 lives.
However, this matchup with will have a different feel after Brooklyn's draft.
Nets to host Israeli Squad following Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf selections
The Nets made history by selecting two Jewish players in the first-round, taking Saraf at No. 26 and Wolf at No. 27. It marks the first time two Jewish players were taken by the same team in a draft and the first time since 2006 that two Jewish players were selected in the same NBA draft.
Omri Casspi and Jordan Farmar became the first pair of Israeli teammates on an NBA roster when they played for the Sacramento Kings in 2017.
Saraf was raised in Israel before leaving to play for Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany. Meanwhile, the American-Israeli Wolf was born in Chicago before playing two seasons at Yale and then transferring to Michigan. Wolf played for Israel at the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship, winning a silver medal and earning all-tournament team honors.
Saraf and Wolf begin there NBA careers in Brooklyn, which holds one of the world's largest Jewish populations outside of Israel. The borough is home to over 500,000 Jewish residents. As was the case in 2023, there will likely be a heavy Jewish and Israeli presence at Barclays Center during Brooklyn's preseason matchup with Hapoel Jerusalem.
The Nets will continue preseason action with two exhibition matchups against the Suns in Macao on Oct. 10 and 12. It will mark the NBA's first time playing in China since 2019.
