Israeli team begins NBA tour trying to bring hope with war at home - ESPN

NEW YORK — Thursday night, Yehu Orland was standing on the sidelines at Barclays Center, fulfilling his duties as head coach of Maccabi Ra'Anana's basketball team as it took on the Brooklyn Nets in a preseason game.

His heart, however, was several thousand miles away back in his native Israel, where earlier Thursday the funeral services were held for one of his best friends, Lt. Col. Eli Ginsburg, who died earlier this week fighting in Israel's war with Hamas.

«I lost one of my best friends,» Orland said. «For me, it's a personal tragedy. But, for our country, it's everybody's tragedy.»

For Orland and the rest of the Ra'Anana roster, Thursday marked the beginning of a three-game tour through the United States, one that will continue with games against the Cleveland Cavaliers Monday and Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.

When the team arrived in the United States last Wednesday, it couldn't have imagined what began taking place Saturday night, when Hamas launched its terror attack on Israel. More than a thousand Israelis have died, while dozens more have been taken hostage by Hamas inside Gaza.

Before the game, Israeli singer Noa Kirel performed the country's national anthem with its flag draped over her shoulders, while the Nets also held a moment of silence in recognition of the lives lost in the conflict.

According to the team's lead sponsor, Jeffrey Rosen, the team met as a group in the wake of the attacks and discussed what they should do, and whether the three-game tour should continue.

But outside of one player who chose to return to Israel, they otherwise agreed that the right thing to do was to continue with its plans to play the tour.

«I think the shock of the war impacted everyone in unpredictable ways,» Rosen