NBA player and 'nice Jewish boy' lands in Israel

New Jersey Nets point guard Jordan Farmar arrived in Israel on Thursday, where he will play for the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club in the upcoming season, in what is a temporary arrangement until the ongoing NBA labor dispute is resolved.

"A nice Jewish boy has landed in Israel," Gur Shelef, Maccabi Tel Aviv's manager, told his boss, club co-owner David Federman, upon Farmar's arrival at Ben-Gurion International Airport.

Farmar is not just a nice Jewish boy but also considered in some circles to be the best Jewish basketball player in the world. For Maccabi, which currently holds the state's championship, Farmar's arrival is yet another virtue of the NBA lockout this summer, triggered by an ongoing labor dispute between the players and the team owners over salaries.

The unusual chain of events that led to Farmar's arrival in Israel was front and center during his first press conference in Israel on Thursday. Farmar was the one who approached Maccabi Tel Aviv and the club agreed to have him play this coming season. He was one of the first NBA players to make such a move in the midst of the ongoing NBA labor dispute, and by doing so paved the way for others to follow suit.

The Jewish point guard spoke to reporters about the possibility that he might have to leave the club, should the NBA lockout comes to an end. "I have no control over this," Farmar said. "But there’s a business aspect, and part of my contract is that once the NBA lockout is over I will have to go back. I am sure that I will have strong bond with the guys and I know that I would not want to leave."

Farmar has so far taken a cautious approach and has refused to make any future promises, including on the prospects of joining the Israel national basketball team. "I am not ruling out anything yet, because you never know what the future has in store," he said.

Asked whether he would apply for Israeli citizenship he responded, "That depends on the management. It has many things to weigh before such a decision is made. If there is nothing that bars me from doing so, I would be happy to be granted citizenship."

The Israeli Law of Return provides citizenship to Jews who wish to live in Israel.

Speaking with reporters, Maccabi Tel Aviv co-owner Federman elaborated Thursday on what made Maccabi Tel Aviv reverse its decision not to draft NBA players unless they play for the entire season .

"We take players not just because of their performance on the court but first and foremost for their personality," Federman said.

Club chairman Shimon Mizrahi, added, "After Farmer signed with us many additional NBA players approached us, but we decided that one Jordan is enough."

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