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Talbot "Tal" Brody (
Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
: טל ברודי; born August 30, 1943), nicknamed Mr. Basketball, is an American-Israeli former professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player and current
goodwill ambassador Goodwill ambassador is a post-nominal honorific title, a professional occupation and/or authoritative designation that is assigned to a person who advocates for a specific cause or global issue on the basis of their notability such as a public ...
of Israel. Brody was drafted #12 in the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA)
draft Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vessel ...
, but chose to pass up an NBA career, to instead play basketball in Israel. He played on national basketball teams of both the United States and Israel, and served in the armies of both countries. A New Jersey All-star basketball player in high school, Brody led his team to an undefeated state championship. In college, he was a high-scoring, slick-passing
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
n and All-
Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...
in 1965, while playing for the
University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...
. That year, he was drafted 12th in the NBA draft. Before the NBA season started, he traveled to Israel, where he led the American team to a
gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
in the
1965 Maccabiah Games The 7th Maccabiah Games in 1965 saw 1,500 athletes from 29 different countries compete in 21 sports. It was the first Maccabiah Games for Iran, Jamaica, Peru, and Venezuela. The United States delegation won the most gold medals, followed by Israel, ...
. Convinced by
Moshe Dayan Moshe Dayan ( he, משה דיין; 20 May 1915 – 16 October 1981) was an Israeli military leader and politician. As commander of the Jerusalem front in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (1953–1958) du ...
and others, to return to Israel to help elevate the country's basketball team and morale, he passed up his NBA career, to instead play basketball for
Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv ( he, מכבי תל אביב) is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such ...
. In 1977, he led Maccabi Tel Aviv to the FIBA European Champions Cup (now called EuroLeague) championship. Along the way, his team defeated the heavily favored Soviet
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
team,
CSKA Moscow CSKA Moscow (russian: ЦСКА Москва) is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. It was created in 1911 in the Russian Empire on base of OLLS (Skiing Society, founded 1901). Later, during the Soviet Union, Soviet era, it was a central piece ...
. Brody's famous remark upon beating the Soviets – "''We are on the map! And we are staying on the map – not only in sports, but in everything.''" – became a part of Israeli culture. It has been used for decades, in various contexts, from political speeches, to National Lottery commercials.


Early life

Brody is
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
, and the son of Max and Shirley Brody. His father and paternal grandfather had emigrated from Eastern Europe to the United States, spending years in Israel, along the way. His father spent three years in Israel, in the 1920s, working as an engineer on the construction of the Rothenberg electric station, the country's first. Both his father and his grandfather, who lived in Israel for 10 years, helped build the country's first airfield, in
Herzliya Herzliya ( ; he, הֶרְצְלִיָּה ; ar, هرتسليا, Hirtsiliyā) is an affluent city in the central coast of Israel, at the northern part of the Tel Aviv District, known for its robust start-up and entrepreneurial culture. In it h ...
. Brody has an older sister, Renee. He was born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey. Brody started playing basketball at age 8, in the Biddy Basketball League of the Trenton
Jewish Community Center A Jewish Community Center or a Jewish Community Centre (JCC) is a general recreational, social clubs, social, and Fraternal and service organizations, fraternal organization serving the Jewish community in a number of cities. JCCs promote Jewish ...
(JCC), in the
Police Athletic League The Police Athletic League (PAL; Police Activities League) is an organization in many American police departments in which members of the police force coach young people, both boys and girls, in sports, and help with homework and other school-rela ...
(PAL), and in the local Boys Club League. He then attended
Trenton Central High School Trenton Central High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Trenton, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Trenton Public Schools. As ...
. There, he was a New Jersey high school basketball All Star, selected to the First Team All-State Team, by ''
The Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to ''The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the '' Staten Island Advance'', all of wh ...
'' in his senior year, and led his undefeated 24–0 team to a state championship. He graduated in 1961. Asked by his yearbook what he wanted to be in his life, he said that he would like to become either a professional basketball player, or an FBI agent.


College career

Over 40 colleges approached Brody with scholarship offers. The
Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...
Owls Owls are birds from the Order (biology), order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly Solitary animal, solitary and Nocturnal animal, nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vi ...
head coach Harry Litwak, in recruiting him, tried to dissuade him from going to powerhouse
University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...
, suggesting that at the large school he would be "a small fish in a big pond". Conceding that the university was in fact a big one, Brody nevertheless told the coach that he liked the challenge of trying to be "a big fish" in a big pond. Brody attended the University of Illinois. On the social side, he joined
Zeta Beta Tau Zeta Beta Tau () is a Greek-letter social fraternity based in North America. It was founded on December 29, 1898. Originally a Zionist youth society, its purpose changed from Zionism in the fraternity's early years when in 1954 the fraternity beco ...
, the campus Jewish fraternity. The basketball-focused Brody would sleep with his basketball, and dribble it to class. At the time, freshmen were not allowed to play on the varsity basketball team, but as a sophomore he replaced the just-graduated
Jerry Colangelo Jerry Colangelo (born November 20, 1939) is an American businessman and sports executive. He formerly owned the Phoenix Suns of the NBA, the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, the Arizona Sandsharks of the Continental Indoor Soccer League, the Arizona ...
. Brody was an outstanding 1.87 m (6'1 ") tall basketball star for the Illini, playing
point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...
while wearing uniform # 12. He was quick, slick, smart, and an excellent shooter and passer. His team won the Big Ten Championship, and was rated the number three team in the nation. He was voted a 1965 All-American, along with fellow college basketball players like
Rick Barry Richard Francis Dennis Barry III (born March 28, 1944) is an American retired professional basketball player who starred at the NCAA, American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) levels. Barry ranks among the ...
,
Bill Bradley William Warren Bradley (born July 28, 1943) is an American politician and former professional basketball player. He served three terms as a Democratic U.S. senator from New Jersey (1979–1997). He ran for the Democratic Party's nomination f ...
, and
Billy Cunningham William John Cunningham (born June 3, 1943) is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the ''Kangaroo Kid'' for his leaping and record-setting rebounding abilities. He spent a total of 17 seasons with the ...
. He was also named first team All-
Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
, a second team academic All American, and a Converse top-10 player. ''
The Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
'' picked him as one of the top 10 players in the nation, along with Bradley, Barry, Cunningham, and
Jerry Sloan Gerald Eugene Sloan (March 28, 1942 – May 22, 2020) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) before beginning a 30-year coaching career, 23 of which were spent ...
. In 1965, he graduated from Illinois with a bachelor's degree in physical education. As of 2008, Brody was still ranked 33rd among the all-time scorers in Illinois history.


NBA draft and Maccabiah Games (1965)

Brody was picked 12th in the 1965 National Basketball Association Draft by the Baltimore Bullets, known today as the
Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...
. That June he trained in a one-week Bullets rookie camp, and the team deemed him one of the best players. After the camp, the Bullets provided him with an apartment in Baltimore. He traveled to Israel for the first time in August, with the Bullets' permission and his parents' blessing. There, he played for the USA team in the
1965 Maccabiah Games The 7th Maccabiah Games in 1965 saw 1,500 athletes from 29 different countries compete in 21 sports. It was the first Maccabiah Games for Iran, Jamaica, Peru, and Venezuela. The United States delegation won the most gold medals, followed by Israel, ...
, the international Jewish Olympics. He led the team to a
gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
, as he played alongside Ronald Green,
Steve Chubin Stephen Chubin, also known as "Chube" (born February 8, 1944) is a retired American professional basketball player. College career Born in New York City, Chubin played college basketball at the University of Rhode Island, with the Rhode Island R ...
, and
Ron Watts Ronny Watts (May 21, 1943 – November 2, 2022) was an American professional basketball player. A 6'6" forward from Wake Forest University, Watts played in the NBA for two seasons (1965–67) as a member of the Boston Celtics The Boston Celt ...
. Immediately after the Maccabiah Games, he was approached by managers of the Israeli
Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv ( he, מכבי תל אביב) is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such ...
basketball team. They asked him to join the team, in order to help elevate Israeli basketball to a higher level. Others joined in asking Brody to stay in Israel after the tournament, including the iconic eye-patch-wearing Israeli general
Moshe Dayan Moshe Dayan ( he, משה דיין; 20 May 1915 – 16 October 1981) was an Israeli military leader and politician. As commander of the Jerusalem front in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (1953–1958) du ...
, the Israeli Minister of Sports, and Ministry of Education officials. At that point, the Israeli team had never survived past the first round in the FIBA European Champions Cup ( EuroLeague) competition. Israel, as Brody put it, had opened his eyes. He had never previously traveled anywhere outside the U.S. Before he arrived in Israel, all he knew about it was what he had studied in
Hebrew school Hebrew school is Jewish education focusing on topics of Jewish history, learning the Hebrew language, and finally learning their Torah Portion, in preparation for the ceremony in Judaism of entering adulthood, known as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Hebr ...
. To his surprise, rather than arriving in Biblical Israel (with people riding camels and living in tents), he found himself in a modern society in which for the first time he met Jews from around the globe. The experience was a culture shock, and he was attracted to the culture and the everyday life. It changed the NBA-bound basketball player's goals in life. Eventually, because he was Jewish he agreed to take up the challenge and stay. His decision completely changed Israeli basketball. Brody first returned to the United States, however, and completed his
master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.
in
educational psychology Educational psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with the scientific study of human learning. The study of learning processes, from both cognitive and behavioral perspectives, allows researchers to understand individual differences i ...
at Illinois. In August 1966, the NBA's
St. Louis Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...
traded a veteran guard and a draft pick to the Bullets for the rights to Brody, but Brody chose to play basketball in Israel rather than in the NBA.


Early Israeli basketball career (1966–69)

Brody returned to Israel in 1966 to "take up that challenge", help an entire country rather than just one team, and take one year out of his life to play for Maccabi Tel Aviv. He felt he could do something "special".
Ralph Klein Ralph Philip Klein (November 1, 1942 – March 29, 2013) was a Canadian politician and journalist who served as the 12th premier of Alberta and leader of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta from 1992 until his retirement in 20 ...
, Israel's most successful coach at the time, said that up until the enthusiastic Brody's arrival, Israelis had only viewed basketball as a fun game. But within a year, with his serious attitude and his inspirational commitment, Brody had inculcated his teammates with his view of basketball as a way of life. At his urging, the team doubled the number of practices it held every week. To capitalize on Brody's quickness and speed, his coach abandoned the team's formerly slow pace in favor of a fast-paced motion game, built around
fast break Fast break is an offensive strategy in basketball and handball. In a fast break, a team attempts to move the ball up court and into scoring position as quickly as possible, so that the defense is outnumbered and does not have time to set up. The ...
s. Brody was the most dominant player in Europe's second-tier competition, the FIBA European Cup Winners Cup (FIBA Saporta Cup), in the 1966–67 season. In 1967, he was named Israel's Sportsman of the Year. The team made it through the first, second, and third rounds of the league playoffs, and reached the FIBA European Cup Winners Cup
Finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
, finishing second in the league. For the first time, the Israeli
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
(
Levi Eshkol Levi Eshkol ( he, לֵוִי אֶשְׁכּוֹל ;‎ 25 October 1895 – 26 February 1969), born Levi Yitzhak Shkolnik ( he, לוי יצחק שקולניק, links=no), was an Israeli statesman who served as the third Prime Minister of Israe ...
), the
Israeli Defense Forces Israeli may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel * Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel * Modern Hebrew, a language * ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008 * Guni Israeli ...
Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
, and
Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...
members came to games. Demand for tickets to games in the team's 5,000-seat stadium was so high that they became exceedingly difficult to obtain. In his down time, Brody coached Israeli soldiers when they were off duty from guarding Israel's border against its Arab neighbors. The experience, and the excitement Brody generated, made a deep impression on him. He had a vision of what he could accomplish, and saw the positive impact on the Israeli people's morale whenever Maccabi Tel Aviv beat a team in Europe. As he put it: "I felt it was bigger than me, and had to be continued, because I saw what the results were." He had initially intended to help Israeli basketball for only one year. But that one year, and the excitement it generated (while at the same time, in the days preceding the June 1967
Six-Day War The Six-Day War (, ; ar, النكسة, , or ) or June War, also known as the 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states (primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, S ...
, Egypt and Syria were threatening to push the Israelis into the sea), pulled Brody into a second year. As the war was about to break out, the U.S. State Department sent him a telegram advising him to leave Israel. Instead of heeding the advice, he volunteered his services to lead Israeli soldiers at the Jordanian border in athletic exercises, as he stayed in Israel through the war.


U.S. military service (1968–70)

Brody returned to the U.S. in 1968, to fulfill his military duty during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. He first took "Advanced Infantry Preparation for Vietnam". He then played for two years for the
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
and
United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
All Star Teams as a starting guard, while Israelis worried over the impact of his departure. He also played for the
USA Men's National Basketball Team The USA Basketball Men's National Team, commonly known as the United States men's national basketball team, is the basketball team representing the United States. They are the most successful team in international competition, winning medals in ...
, which finished fifth at the
1970 FIBA World Championship The 1970 FIBA World Championship was the 6th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's teams. It was hosted by Yugoslavia in Sarajevo, Split, Karlovac, Skopje and Ljubljana, from 10 to 24 May 1970. It was ...
in
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
,
Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
, in May 1970. During that championship competition, he received a letter from Moshe Dayan, who asked him to return to Israel.


Israel military service (1970–73)

After the United States military released him, Brody returned to Israel to live. He made
aliyah Aliyah (, ; he, עֲלִיָּה ''ʿălīyyā'', ) is the immigration of Jews from Jewish diaspora, the diaspora to, historically, the geographical Land of Israel, which is in the modern era chiefly represented by the Israel, State of Israel ...
and became an Israeli citizen towards the end of 1970. The Israeli government called him up to its military that year, and he served in the
Israeli Army The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branc ...
. Later, as a
reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US vi ...
in the
Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
, he was tasked with supporting the
Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...
, in which his son Ron later served.


Later Israeli basketball career (1973–80)

At the 27-country
1973 Maccabiah Games The 9th Maccabiah Games, which were held from July 9 to 19, 1973, were opened in Ramat Gan Stadium, Israel. Spain and Costa Rica made their debuts in the Games. A total of 1,800 athletes competed on behalf of 27 countries in 20 branches of sport, i ...
, dedicated to the 11 Israeli athletes killed in the
Munich Massacre The Munich massacre was a terrorist attack carried out during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, by eight members of the Palestinian people, Palestinian militant organization Black September Organization, Black September, who i ...
at the 1972 Olympics, he was captain of the Israeli basketball team and given the honor of lighting the opening torch. He led the national team to a gold medal, as they beat a U.S. team led by
Ernie Grunfeld Ernest Grunfeld (born April 24, 1955) is a Romanian-American former professional basketball player and former general manager in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In college at the University of Tennessee, he set a new record as the sch ...
in the finals. Brody played for Maccabi Tel Aviv until 1980. He won ten Israeli League championships with the team, and six Israel State Cups, in what has been described as a "stellar" and "amazing" career. With Maccabi Tel Aviv, he appeared in 81 FIBA European Champions Cup (now called EuroLeague) games, scoring 1,378 points. Brody was also selected to the
FIBA European Selection FIBA All-Star Games were all-star basketball exhibition games, which were also known as "FIBA Festivals". The "FIBA Festival All-Star Games" were held from 1964 to 1995. The FIBA European Selection teams won most of the FIBA Festival All-Star Ga ...
(European All-Star Team). In the
Israeli Super League The Israeli Premier League ( he, ליגת העל, ''Ligat Ha`Al'', ), is a professional association football league which operates as the highest division of the Israeli Football League – the state's league of Israel. The league is contested b ...
, Brody scored 4,049 points, in 211 games. Brody also played for the senior Israeli National Team, scoring 1,219 points in 78
games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...
. With that, he played on national basketball teams of both the U.S. and Israel, and served in the armies of both countries. When the Israeli
Omri Casspi Omri Moshe Casspi ( he, עומרי משה כספי, born June 22, 1988) is an Israeli former professional basketball player. He mainly played at the small forward position, but could play also at the power forward position. Casspi was drafted 23 ...
, was drafted in the first round of the
2009 NBA draft The 2009 NBA draft was held on June 25, 2009, at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, the National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eli ...
, by the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
, to play in the U.S., Brody called it "the completion of a circle".


The FIBA European Champions Cup Championship; "We are on the map!"

The highlight of his career came in 1977. It was the apex of the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
, and the Soviet Union was boycotting Israel. In the first round of the European-wide top-tier level FIBA European Champions Cup (later renamed to EuroLeague), Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
, of Spain's top league, 94–85. In the second round, it beat
Zbrojovka Brno Pre-war Československá zbrojovka, akc.spol. (or a.s.) (Czechoslovak Armory)and post-war Zbrojovka Brno, n.p.(Brno Armory) was a maker of small arms, light artillery, and motor vehicles in Brno, Czechoslovakia. It also made other products and ...
, of
Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...
's top-tier league, for the first time, 91–76, on February 15, 1977. In the FIBA European Champions Cup 1976–77 season semifinals, Maccabi Tel Aviv was matched against
CSKA Moscow CSKA Moscow (russian: ЦСКА Москва) is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. It was created in 1911 in the Russian Empire on base of OLLS (Skiing Society, founded 1901). Later, during the Soviet Union, Soviet era, it was a central piece ...
—the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
team. CSKA Moscow was a powerhouse. The Soviet Army team had won the prior USSR Premier League basketball title. Six of its players had played on the Soviet national team that had controversially defeated the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in the
1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...
, and their
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
was
Sergei Belov Sergei Alexandrovich Belov (russian: Серге́й Алекса́ндрович Бело́в; 23 January 1944 – 3 October 2013) was a Russian professional basketball player, most noted for playing for CSKA Moscow and the senior Sovi ...
(who years later recalled that Brody was one of his toughest opponents). And the
Communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
s were well known for using sports to glorify what they billed as their supremacy over the West. The Soviet Union had broken off diplomatic relations with Israel a decade earlier, and politically and militarily backed Israel's Arab enemies. For political reasons, therefore, CSKA Moscow refused to play in
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
(which would have resulted in a technical defeat). And the Soviets also refused to grant visas to the Israelis, to allow them to come play in Moscow. In the end, Maccabi Tel Aviv's "home game" was played in the small, neutral town of
Virton Virton (; Gaumais: ''Viertån''; wa, Vierton) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg, Belgium. It is also the administrative centre of the district (''arrondissement'') of the same name, as well as the princ ...
, Belgium. The game took place in an emotional and politically charged atmosphere. It was of huge symbolic value for Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, and for many Israelis who ordinarily had no interest in basketball. The game pitted the capitalist West against the Communist East, and Israel against the country that was supplying its enemies with weapons. The game also matched the country of Israel, with a total of a mere 4 million inhabitants, against the Soviets, with their 290 million people. The newspaper ''
Maariv ''Maariv'' or ''Maʿariv'' (, ), also known as ''Arvit'' (, ), is a Jewish prayer service held in the evening or night. It consists primarily of the evening ''Shema'' and '' Amidah''. The service will often begin with two verses from Psalms, ...
'' billed the February 17, 1977, game as "the fight between
David and Goliath Goliath ( ) ''Goləyāṯ''; ar, جُليات ''Ǧulyāt'' (Christian term) or (Quranic term). is a character in the Book of Samuel, described as a Philistine giant defeated by the young David in single combat. The story signified King Saul's ...
." Most of Israel's population watched the game, which was broadcast on Israel's only TV channel at the time. Maccabi Tel Aviv upset the heavily favored Soviets, 91–79. Enthusiastic fans carried Brody off the court on their shoulders. The feeling among Israelis was not only that CSKA Moscow had been defeated, but that a victory – albeit small – had been achieved against the mighty Soviet Union. The game has for decades been recognized as a key event in the forging of Israel's national identity. Even decades later, it was being replayed repeatedly on Israeli television. "''We are on the map!''" proclaimed an elated, euphoric Brody in his heavily American-accented
Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
, as a TV announcer pushed a microphone in front of him for a post-game quote, while people danced the hora around him in excitement and celebration. "''And we are staying on the map – not only in sports, but in everything.''" The remark was spontaneous, and unprepared. As Brody put it, it just "came out of my heart, at that instant." Then-Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin Yitzhak Rabin (; he, יִצְחָק רַבִּין, ; 1 March 1922 – 4 November 1995) was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77, and from 1992 until h ...
called Brody into his office, and told him that Brody's statement had brought tears to his eyes, and had immeasurably impacted the Israeli people's morale. The phrase "We are on the map!" ("''anachnu al hamapa, ve'anahnu nisharim al hamapa!''"), a literal translation of an English phrase into his adopted language, but a novel saying in Hebrew, became a new, popular phrase in Israel. It reflected a physical victory by the nascent Jewish
Zionist Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after ''Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...
idea, and national pride. It became Israel's most famous quote. The phrase was as significant for Israelis as U.S. astronaut
Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who became the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor. ...
's statement – "One small step for man; one giant step for mankind" – had been for Americans, vis-a-vis the space age. The saying became a staple of Israeli speech. Israeli Prime Minister
Menachem Begin Menachem Begin ( ''Menaḥem Begin'' (); pl, Menachem Begin (Polish documents, 1931–1937); ''Menakhem Volfovich Begin''; 16 August 1913 – 9 March 1992) was an Israeli politician, founder of Likud and the sixth Prime Minister of Israel. B ...
co-opted the phrase as an election campaign slogan in 1981. It was also used by former Soviet
refusenik Refusenik (russian: отказник, otkaznik, ; alternatively spelt refusnik) was an unofficial term for individuals—typically, but not exclusively, Soviet Jews—who were denied permission to emigrate, primarily to Israel, by the authori ...
and Israeli
Yisrael BaAliyah Yisrael BaAliyah ( he, ישראל בעלייה, ; lit., ''Israel on the up'') was a political party in Israel between its formation in 1996 and its merger into Likud in 2003. It was formed to represent the interests of Russian immigrants by forme ...
party leader and Industry and Trade Minister
Natan Sharansky Natan Sharansky ( he, נתן שרנסקי; russian: Ната́н Щара́нский; uk, Натан Щаранський, born Anatoly Borisovich Shcharansky on 20 January 1948); uk, Анатолій Борисович Щаранський, ...
, in 1998. The Israeli National Lottery Board spoofed it in a television commercial, in which a winning racehorse with an American accent stated: "We are on the racetrack, and we will stay on the racetrack." Similarly, when Israel's Davis Cup team beat the powerhouse Russian Davis Cup team in a shocking victory in the 2009 Davis Cup tennis quarter-finals, Prime Minister Netanyahu telephoned the
Israel Tennis Association The Israel Tennis Association (the ITA; Hebrew: איגוד הטניס בישראל), founded in 1950, is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in Israel. The ITA governs the arrangements for Israeli tennis leagues and tournaments, Is ...
Director General and echoed Brody's statement of over three decades earlier, saying: "We're back on the map". Back home, hundreds of thousands of Israelis celebrated spontaneously in the streets, and 150,000 in Tel Aviv congregated in celebration in what is now
Rabin Square Rabin is a Hebrew surname. It originates from the Hebrew word ''rav'' meaning Rabbi, or from the name of the specific Rabbi Abin. The most well known bearer of the name was Yitzhak Rabin, prime minister of Israel and Nobel Peace prize Laureate. ...
. Many jumped into its fountain, splashing in water and champagne. Recalling the moment, an Israeli quoted in the book ''
From Beirut to Jerusalem ''From Beirut to Jerusalem'' (1989) is a book by American journalist Thomas L. Friedman chronicling his days as a reporter in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War and in Jerusalem through the first year of the Intifada. Friedman wrote a 17-pa ...
'' told
Thomas Friedman Thomas Loren Friedman (; born July 20, 1953) is an American political commentator and author. He is a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner who is a weekly columnist for ''The New York Times''. He has written extensively on foreign affairs, global tr ...
that on one level it was Brody the star basketball player and his teammates beating the Russians, but on another level it was "my grandfather beating them. It was our retroactive victory over the
Cossacks The Cossacks , es, cosaco , et, Kasakad, cazacii , fi, Kasakat, cazacii , french: cosaques , hu, kozákok, cazacii , it, cosacchi , orv, коза́ки, pl, Kozacy , pt, cossacos , ro, cazaci , russian: казаки́ or ...
." Brody was credited with being so inspiring that basketball became Israel's number one sport, surpassing soccer. The FIBA European Champions Cup finals were played in
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
,
Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
, on April 7, 1977. Yugoslavia was a Communist country, with which Israel did not have diplomatic relations, and the
El Al El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. (, he, אל על נתיבי אויר לישראל בע״מ), trading as El Al (Hebrew: , "Upwards", "To the Skies" or "Skywards", stylized as ELAL; ar, إل-عال), is the flag carrier of Israel. Since its inaugural ...
plane that brought the Maccabi Tel Aviv players over to it for the game was the first Israeli plane ever allowed to land there. The Israelis were pitted against the highly favored
Mobilgirgi Varese Pallacanestro Varese, also called by its current sponsor's name, the Openjobmetis Varese, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Varese, Lombardy. Founded in 1945, the team plays in the Italian first division LBA. For past club sp ...
, the champions of Italy's
top league Japan Rugby League One (formerly the Top League) is a rugby union competition in Japan. It is the highest level of professional rugby competition in the country. The Japan Rugby Football Union created the competition in 2003, by absorbing the ...
. Mobilgirgi Varese had beaten the Israelis twice that year, and had beaten them in the European-wide second-tier level
FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup The FIBA Saporta Cup was the name of the second-tier level European-wide professional club basketball competition, where the domestic National Cup winners, from all over Europe, played against each other. The competition was organized by FIBA E ...
finals ten years earlier, when Brody first started playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv. Back in Israel, the entire country watched the game on television. Maccabi Tel Aviv went on to defeat Mobilgirgi Varese by one point, 78–77, in the FIBA European Champions Cup Finals. Brody, as the team captain, received the European Cup trophy from
FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. Originally known as the (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word ''amateur'' from its na ...
's Secretary General, and lifted it over his head. It was Israel's first FIBA European Champions Cup basketball championship in the 23-nation league. It was also the first time that Israel had won a championship of that caliber in any sport, and was, at the time, Israel's greatest achievement in international sports. The victory greatly lifted the spirit and morale of the country. In Israel, 200,000 people gathered to celebrate in Israel's National Park, and the event was celebrated as a national holiday. When the team returned home, it found 150,000 Israelis waiting for it. Brody himself became widely known as an Israeli national hero, and as a symbol of Israel's achievements. In 1978, the team was also a semi-finalist in the
1977–78 FIBA European Champions Cup The 1977–78 FIBA European Champions Cup was the 21st season of the European top-tier level professional basketball club competition FIBA European Champions Cup (now called EuroLeague). The Final was held at the Olympiahalle, in Munich, West Ger ...
basketball competition. When Brody retired from basketball in 1980, a special official retirement game was arranged in his honor, and the
FIBA European Selection FIBA All-Star Games were all-star basketball exhibition games, which were also known as "FIBA Festivals". The "FIBA Festival All-Star Games" were held from 1964 to 1995. The FIBA European Selection teams won most of the FIBA Festival All-Star Ga ...
All-Star Team arrived in Israel, to play against Maccabi Tel Aviv.


Pro basketball career accomplishments

*
FIBA Saporta Cup Finals Top Scorer The FIBA Saporta Cup Finals Top Scorer was the individual award for the player that was the highest points scorer of the FIBA Saporta Cup Finals. Which was the championship Finals of the European-wide second-tier level professional club basketb ...
: (
1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...
) *Israeli Sportsman of the Year: (1967) *10× Israeli League Champion: (1967, 1968, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980) *6×
Israeli State Cup The Israel State Cup ( he, גביע המדינה, ''Gvia HaMedina''), is a knockout cup competition in Israeli football, run by the Israel Football Association (IFA). The State Cup was first held in 1928 as the People's Cup. Because it involve ...
Winner: (1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980) *
EuroLeague champion The rosters of each season's champions and finalists of the top-tier level European-wide professional basketball competition in Europe, the EuroLeague. From 1958, through the present. 1958 FIBA European Champions Cup Winner: Rīgas ASK (USSR ...
: (
1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...
) *
FIBA European Selection FIBA All-Star Games were all-star basketball exhibition games, which were also known as "FIBA Festivals". The "FIBA Festival All-Star Games" were held from 1964 to 1995. The FIBA European Selection teams won most of the FIBA Festival All-Star Ga ...
: (1978) *
Israel Prize The Israel Prize ( he, פרס ישראל; ''pras israél'') is an award bestowed by the State of Israel, and regarded as the state's highest cultural honor. History The Israel Prize is awarded annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state cer ...
: (1979)


Professional career scoring statistics


Honors

Brody became the first sportsman to be awarded the
Israel Prize The Israel Prize ( he, פרס ישראל; ''pras israél'') is an award bestowed by the State of Israel, and regarded as the state's highest cultural honor. History The Israel Prize is awarded annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state cer ...
, Israel's highest civilian honor, in 1979. It was presented to him by Israeli President
Yitzhak Navon Yitzhak Rachamim Navon ( he, יצחק נבון; 9 April 1921 – 6 November 2015) was an Israeli politician, diplomat, playwright, and author. He served as the fifth President of Israel between 1978 and 1983 as a member of the centre-left ...
, in recognition of his unique contribution to Israeli society and the State in the field of sports. The Israel Prize Committee noted that he was "an excellent athlete who set an outstanding example" for Israeli immigrants and absorption. During his basketball career, he was also twice named Israeli Basketball Player of the Year. Brody was given the honor of lighting the torch at the opening of the
1981 Maccabiah Games The 11th Maccabiah Games brought 3,450 athletes to Israel from 35 nations. The Opening Ceremony was held on July 7, 1981, before a crowd of 53,000 and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in Ramat Gan Stadium, with 3,500 Jewish athletes parading ...
at
Ramat Gan Stadium Ramat Gan Stadium ( he, אצטדיון רמת גן, ''Itztadion Ramat Gan'') is a football stadium in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel. It served as the national stadium of Israel until 2014. Overview Completed in 1951 and serving ...
, in front of 45,000 fans and sportsmen from 54 countries. In 1988 he was voted the Israeli athlete who most influenced Israeli sports, in a poll by the Israeli newspaper ''
Ma'ariv ''Maariv'' or ''Maʿariv'' (, ), also known as ''Arvit'' (, ), is a Jewish prayer service held in the evening or night. It consists primarily of the evening ''Shema'' and ''Amidah''. The service will often begin with two verses from Psalms, ...
''. In 1996, he was elected the University of Illinois "Man of the Year", in recognition of his sports and other accomplishments, and awarded the school's "I" Award for his achievements. In 2004, he was given the honor of lighting a torch at the 56th Israeli
Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...
ceremony on
Mount Herzl Mount Herzl ( he, הַר הֶרְצְל ''Har Hertsl''), also ''Har ha-Zikaron'' ( lit. "Mount of Remembrance"), is the site of Israel's national cemetery and other memorial and educational facilities, found on the west side of Jerusalem beside ...
. He and Maccabi Tel Aviv were the first non-U.S. basketball team to be honored at the
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and prese ...
, in a special exhibition in 2008. In Israel, Brody is widely recognized as a revered national hero, icon, and legend. He is a superstar, on a level similar to that of
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
in the United States. Some people view him as the greatest and most famous athlete to have ever represented Israel. As Israel's first modern-day sports hero, he is a symbol of all the young country's achievements, and not only its successes in basketball. He is known by the nicknames: "Mr. Basketball", and "The man who put Israel on the Map".


Halls of Fame

In 1996, Brody was inducted into the
International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame ( he, יד לאיש הספורט היהודי, translit=Yad Le'ish HaSport HaYehudi) was opened July 7, 1981 in Netanya, Israel. It honors Jewish athletes and their accomplishments from anywhere around ...
, and in March 2011 he was inducted into the U.S.
National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame The National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, in Commack, New York, is dedicated to honoring American Jewish figures who have distinguished themselves in sports. Its objective is to foster Jewish identity through athletics, and to commemo ...
. He was also inducted into the Israeli Basketball Hall of Fame. He represented Maccabi Tel Aviv as it became the first non-U.S. basketball team to be honored at the
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and prese ...
, in a special exhibition in 2008 entitled "Putting Israel on the Map". However, despite being nominated numerous times, he has yet to be inducted.


Life after playing basketball


Basketball-related

After he retired as a player, Brody continued with Maccabi Tel Aviv as an assistant coach. He was on the team's Board of Directors until 2007, when Netanyahu approached him with regard to entering politics. In addition, he has been Maccabi Tel Aviv's volunteer liaison with the National Basketball Association since 1988, helping organize games between Maccabi Tel Aviv and various NBA teams. Brody was also a sports commentator for Israeli television in the early 1990s. He in addition became an instructor at the
Wingate Institute Wingate Institute ( he, מכון וינגייט), officially Orde Wingate Institute for Physical Education and Sports ( he, המכון לחינוך גופני ולספורט ע"ש אורד וינגייט), is a sports training institute located so ...
of Physical Fitness in Netanya. Brody serves as well on the Board of Directors of the
Maccabi World Union Maccabi World Union is an international Jewish sports organisation spanning five continents (Africa, North America, South America, Australia, Europe) and more than 50 countries, with some 400,000 members. The Maccabi World Union organises the Macc ...
(MWU), which organizes the Maccabiah Games in Israel. He was also appointed to serve on a panel of experts who select recipients of the Israel Prize for athletics. Brody was featured in a 2008 documentary entitled ''The Jewish Basketball Hall of Fame, Volume 1'', produced by Yisrael Lifschutz. He was also featured in a book by the title:
A Voice Called; Stories of Jewish Heroism
', by Yossi Katz, which was published in 2010.


Business career

After retiring from playing basketball, Brody established, and was Chief Executive Officer and a co-owner of, a sporting goods export/import/distribution business named Sports United Ltd. At the same time, he ran basketball clinics across Israel. He ultimately sold the sporting goods business to his partner. Brody also was appointed the local agent of Japanese consumer goods company Mitsuboshi C.I. Co., and was elected to the Japan-Israel Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He then entered the insurance business. Brody established, owned, and managed an independent insurance firm named Tal Brody Insurance Agency in Tel Aviv. The company handled pension programs,
provident fund Provident fund is another name for pension fund. Its purpose is to provide employees with lump sum payments at the time of exit from their place of employment. This differs from pension funds, which have elements of both lump sum as well as monthly ...
s, and health and education funds for 20 years. He ultimately sold the business in 2008. He has since retired from the business world, which he calls the second stage of his life.


Philanthropy

Since retiring from basketball, Brody has initiated, volunteered for, and assisted a number of charitable organizations and efforts. He created an
after-school program After-school activities, also known as after-school programs or after-school care, started in the early 1900s mainly just as supervision of students after the final school bell. Today, after-school programs do much more. There is a focus on helping ...
for Israeli children, called "Let's Play Ball!" As part of the program, he coaches basketball and gives basketball clinics to schoolchildren, members of
kibbutzim A kibbutz ( he, קִבּוּץ / , lit. "gathering, clustering"; plural: kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1909, was Degania. Today, farming ha ...
, residents of
development town Development towns ( he, עיירת פיתוח, ''Ayarat Pitu'ah'') were new settlements built in Israel during the 1950s in order to provide permanent housing for a large influx of Jewish immigrants from Arab countries, Holocaust survivors from E ...
s, and soldiers in the
Israeli army The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branc ...
. The program has impacted over 200,000 children. He is also Chairman of the Spirit of Israel (JAFI), a non-profit
Jewish Agency The Jewish Agency for Israel ( he, הסוכנות היהודית לארץ ישראל, translit=HaSochnut HaYehudit L'Eretz Yisra'el) formerly known as The Jewish Agency for Palestine, is the largest Jewish non-profit organization in the world. ...
subsidiary that he created in 1999. It raises money from the Israeli public to help underprivileged Israeli children and others, by providing for their "vital human needs" (as defined by the Jewish Agency and
Keren Hayesod Keren Hayesod – United Israel Appeal ( he, קרן היסוד, literally "The Foundation Fund") is an official fundraising organization for Israel with branches in 45 countries. Its work is carried out in accordance with the Keren haYesod Law-5 ...
). He arrived at the idea for the charity when he attended a meeting at which efforts to raise money in the U.S. for Israel were being discussed. Brody began to muse about what Israelis were doing for themselves on the charity front. As a result, he established the Spirit of Israel to raise money ''within'' Israel ''for'' Israelis. Projects included assisting Israeli senior citizens, "at risk" children, and family abuse victims. Brody is also Sports Ambassador for
Migdal Ohr Migdal Ohr ( he, מגדל אור, ''lit.'' Tower of Light) is one of Israel's largest NGO's. The main and additional two residential campuses along with 160 youth clubs provide educational frameworks and social guidance for over 10,000 children and ...
and the
America–Israel Friendship League The America–Israel Friendship League (AIFL) is an American-Israeli non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening ties between Americans and Israelis based on shared democratic values. The AIFL brings Americans of all faiths to Israel, and ...
(AIFL). Migdal Ohr helps at-risk, disadvantaged, impoverished, orphaned, and underprivileged Israeli children of all religions. He helped organize and promote an exhibition game between Maccabi Tel Aviv and the New York Knicks in the U.S., with all proceeds going to benefit Migdal Ohr. In 1985, Brody joined with Herzliya and its Mayor (Eli Landau) to construct and run one of the world's largest basketball schools, designing a unique program with specially chosen coaches. The school i
Bnei Herzliya
The basketball school is now run by the municipality of Herzliya, with Brody serving as its president. It provides a basketball program to 14,000 children from ages 5–18, drawn from 14 citywide schools. Brody also has spoken around the world for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, and for American Jewish organizations.


Political career (2008)

Brody was asked to join Yitzhak Yitzhaky's
One Israel One Israel ( he, ישראל אחת, ''Yisrael Ahat'') was an alliance of the Labor Party, Meimad and Gesher created to run for the 1999 Knesset elections. Background One Israel was formed by Labor leader Ehud Barak in the run-up to the 199 ...
party in 1980, after he retired. But he rejected the offer. He did not view himself as a politician, and was not seeking a political career. Though he joined the
Likud Likud ( he, הַלִּיכּוּד, HaLikud, The Consolidation), officially known as Likud – National Liberal Movement, is a major centre-right to right-wing political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon ...
party in the 1990s, he was not openly active in politics because he didn't believe that an active sportsman should involve himself in politics. When Likud party chairman
Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
approached him personally, however, and asked him to step forward for the country, Brody for the first time considered entering politics. Netanyahu was interested in involving people who had not formerly entered into politics. Brody found it difficult to turn away Netanyahu, who impressed upon him that it would be important to Israel for Brody to run for office. Netanyahu suggested that Brody could more effectively push the advances he was already seeking, in education, sports, immigration, absorption, and social issues, if he were a member of the Israeli
Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...
. Brody announced in August 2007 that he was seriously considering running for the Knesset in the general election, as a Likud candidate. He said in November 2008 that he felt that it was the appropriate point in his life to change careers, after having spent much of his life first playing basketball and then heading an insurance agency that managed employment benefits programs for companies. He noted that the Knesset would be a third career calling for him, as long as it allowed him to concentrate on those areas that were already his focus, such as sports, education, aliyah, the Diaspora, Israeli-American relations, and helping children who are "at risk", and that he saw it as a good way to spend the third phase of his life after basketball and business. He stressed that in his view it wasn't politics, but rather "good citizenship". But he acknowledged that when he discussed his goals with Netanyahu, the Prime Minister had replied that "in the Knesset, they call it politics." Brody ran for a national slot (places 2–19 on Likud's list), to represent the district between
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
and
Haifa Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...
, along the Israeli coast. He became the fourth candidate who was formerly a resident of the U.S., and was supported by Likud Anglos, Likud's English-speaking division. In a November 2008 press conference Brody and Netanyahu held, Brody said: "We need to change the situation in the country. 70% of the people think there is corruption in politics." Netanyahu introduced Brody as his future Minister of Sports and Culture. Among other things, Brody noted that Israel's amateur sports budget had declined from $35 million a year to $10 million a year, and suggested that the budget could be supplemented by working with the NBA or the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
. He also had in mind the creation of a sports program with
Birthright Israel Taglit-Birthright Israel ( he, תגלית), also known as Birthright Israel or simply Birthright, is a not-for-profit educational organization that sponsors free ten-day heritage trips to Israel, Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights for young adult ...
Taglit to encourage aliyah. Endorsed by Netanyahu, he said that whether he won or lost, at least he would feel that he did all he could to answer Netanyahu's request that candidates with varied abilities and life experiences run for the Knesset. He joked, however, that if he were to win, he looked forward to playing basketball against President Obama, who is an intense basketball fan. In the December 2008 Likud
primaries Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the c ...
, however, he was not elected to Likud's list of candidates.
Danny Danon Danny Danon (Hebrew: דני דנון, born 8 May 1971) served as Israel’s 17th Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and currently serves as Chairman of the World Likud. Danon previously served as a member of the Knesset from the Liku ...
, the well-organized chairman of World Likud—who was backed by
Zo Artzeinu Zo Artzeinu (, ''This is our land'') was a right-wing nationalist political protest movement created and led by Moshe Feiglin and Shmuel Sackett in Israel to block Israeli land concessions to the Arabs in the early 1990s, especially the Oslo Acco ...
co-founder
Moshe Feiglin Moshe Zalman Feiglin ( he, מֹשֶׁה זַלְמָן פֶייגְּלִין, born 31 July 1962) is an Israeli politician and activist, and the leader of libertarian Zionist party Zehut. A member of Likud, he headed the Manhigut Yehudit (''Jewis ...
—beat him in what turned out to be an intense fight for the slot on the Likud list. Remarking on his feelings about the primaries, Brody said that he had only become involved in the political process because he thought it was the obligation of people to come forward to serve the country, but that his involvement in the process had made him aware of the fact that many local voters rely on the "professional politicians" for jobs.


Goodwill Ambassador (2010–present)

Prime Minister Netanyahu asked Brody in early 2009 to help Israel in a yet-to-be-created official position of goodwill ambassador for the country. In July 2010, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...
Avigdor Lieberman Avigdor Lieberman (, ; russian: Эве́т Льво́вич Ли́берман, Evet Lvovich Liberman, ; born 5 June 1958) is a Soviet-born Israeli politician serving as Minister of Finance since 2021, having previously served twice as Deputy ...
appointed Brody as the first international Goodwill Ambassador for Israel, to assist with Israel's international diplomacy. In that unpaid position—the only money he receives is compensation for his expenses—he speaks to audiences outside of Israel about Israel's culture, sports, and successes, and Israelis' daily lives. His trips outside Israel are coordinated by the Israeli Foreign Ministry and by Israel's embassies and consulates. He speaks at schools, universities, Jewish and non-Jewish organizations and community centers, synagogues, Christian events, African-American organizations, and fundraising events. While he seeks to encourage those people who support Israel, a major focus of his—which accords with a suggestion he was given by Harvard Law Professor
Alan Dershowitz Alan Morton Dershowitz ( ; born September 1, 1938) is an American lawyer and former law professor known for his work in U.S. constitutional law and American criminal law. From 1964 to 2013, he taught at Harvard Law School, where he was appoin ...
—is on those people who are undecided about Israel. His discussions with groups outside of Israel have touched on the tension between terrorism and restrictions on freedom of movement, Israel's
security fence A fence is a structure that encloses an area, typically outdoors, and is usually constructed from posts that are connected by boards, wire, rails or netting. A fence differs from a wall in not having a solid foundation along its whole length. ...
, Israel's Black Ethiopian Jews, and the role of Israeli Arabs in Israeli society. Brody said that he took on the role because it was what he wanted to do—serve the State of Israel. In May 2015, Brody was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to shaping and helping Israel through sports and dedicated '' hasbara'' (public diplomacy) efforts at a Nefesh B'Nefesh Bonei Zion 2015 Prizes special ceremony at the
Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...
hosted by Knesset Member
Tzachi Hanegbi Tzachi Hanegbi ( he, צַחִי הַנֶּגְבִּי, born 26 February 1957) is an Israeli politician and national security expert. A member of Likud, Hanegbi previously served as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Minister of R ...
.


Personal life

After Brody returned to Israel in 1970, he married a 20-year-old Israeli woman, Ronit Born, in a wedding that Defense Minister Moshe Dayan attended as his guest of honor. The two were married for 14 years. Brody and his second wife Tirtza, whom he married in the early 1980s, live in
Netanya Netanya (also known as Natanya, he, נְתַנְיָה) is a city in the Northern Central District of Israel, and is the capital of the surrounding Sharon plain. It is north of Tel Aviv, and south of Haifa, between Poleg stream and Wingate I ...
in Israel. He has three children (two from his first marriage (Ron and Kareen), and a daughter Linor from his second wife's first marriage), and five grandchildren. His American-accented Hebrew is the result of his not having formally studied the language when he arrived in Israel—as he thought his stay would be a temporary one, rather than a decades-long one. He instead picked up the language from colloquial use. His Hebrew consequently remains a source of amusement in Israel, and has been humorously targeted by friends and family, as well as by ''
Eretz Nehederet ''Eretz Nehederet'' ( he, ארץ נהדרת; ) is an Israeli prime-time television satirical sketch comedy show, that premiered on Keshet's Channel 2 in 2003. It features satirical references to current affairs of the past week through parodies ...
'', Israel's version of ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
''.


See also

*
List of Israel Prize recipients This is a complete list of recipients of the Israel Prize from the inception of the Prize in 1953 through to 2022. List For each year, the recipients are, in most instances, listed in the order in which they appear on the official Israel Prize ...
* List of select Jewish basketball players


References


External links


Facebook pageTal Brody Legacy site
International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame ( he, יד לאיש הספורט היהודי, translit=Yad Le'ish HaSport HaYehudi) was opened July 7, 1981 in Netanya, Israel. It honors Jewish athletes and their accomplishments from anywhere around ...

"One on One with Mac TA legend Tal Brody
, Ruthie Blum Leibowitz, ''The Jerusalem Post'', December 6, 2006
''Adventures in the Brain Trade''
by Allan Nutkiewicz, 2006, , fiction novel featuring Brody
"From Tal Brody to European Champions: Early Americanization and the" Golden Age" of Israeli Basketball, 1965–1979"
Yair Galily and Michael Bar-Eli, ''Journal of Sport History'', 2005

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brody, Tal 1943 births Living people American men's basketball players Asian Games gold medalists for Israel Asian Games medalists in basketball Baltimore Bullets (1963–1973) draft picks Basketball coaches from New Jersey Basketball players at the 1969 Maccabiah Games Basketball players at the 1974 Asian Games Basketball players from Trenton, New Jersey Bonei Zion Prize recipients Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball players International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame inductees Israeli American Israeli men's basketball players Israeli Basketball Premier League players Israel Prize for special contribution to society and the State recipients who were sportsman Jewish men's basketball players Maccabiah Games basketball players of Israel Maccabiah Games basketball players of the United States Maccabiah Games gold medalists for the United States Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. players Point guards Shooting guards Trenton Central High School alumni United States men's national basketball team players Wingate Institute faculty Medalists at the 1974 Asian Games Maccabiah Games medalists in basketball 21st-century American Jews 1970 FIBA World Championship players