Nets honor Australia Hanukkah attack victims, light menorah during game

The Brooklyn Nets honored the victims of a terror attack at a Hanukkah event in Australia during their game against the Miami Heat.

NEW YORK – The Brooklyn Nets paid tribute to the victims of the Sydney Hanukkah massacre in a Hanukkah celebration at the Barclays Center during the team’s insert score to the Miami Heat on Thursday night. 

As part of the event, a giant basketball menorah was lit during the game by the 14-year-old nephew of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was killed in the Sydney massacre last week. The ceremony was facilitated by the Chabad Teen Network, the world’s largest teen organization. 

Fox News Digital spoke with Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky of Chabad World Headquarters, who would have attended the menorah lighting at the Barclays Center Thursday, but instead booked a one-way ticket to Australia to be with the victims' families. Kotlarsky said the Nets recognizing Hanukkah and celebrating Jewish heritage is one of the things that "makes America great."

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A menorah made of basketballs overlooks the Barclays Center prior to the Brooklyn Nets taking on the Miami Heat in Brooklyn, New York, on Dec. 18, 2025. (Ryan Canfield/Fox News)

"I think that it is really, really incredible to see America in its whole glory, where it stands for what we believe in. And we celebrate our ideals and our traditions, and our holidays, and it’s supported by the Nets, which is an incredible franchise," Kotlarsky said.

"To be able to recognize and give a voice to many teens who might not be in a Jewish school or might not be in a Jewish (ChaBad), to celebrate their heritage proudly is one of the things that makes America great. One of the things that makes sports, the tool and the vessel