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June 25, 2004/Tamuz 6 5764, Vol. 56, No. 40
Hebrew hoopsters
MICHAEL MIKLOFSKY
Staff Writer
David Baker looks to dribble past defender Avi Beliak on June 20 at Cactus Park.
Photo by Michael Miklofsky
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After a long day at work or a long weekend, Jewish men from throughout the Valley work out their pent-up aggression where it matters the most: on the basketball court.
At 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and Sunday nights at Cactus Park in Scottsdale, sometimes up to 12 men meet to share half of a basketball court, some laughs and water.
Once the court is filled, players take turns shooting from the free-throw line. The first five or six - depending on how many players there are - to make a shot are put on one team, and the remaining players are on the other.
If there are an odd number of players, one player will sit out of the game and watch, but he'll be guaranteed a spot in the following game.
The first team with 15 points wins, but the winning team must win by two points. A point is scored for each shot, two points from the three-point line, and if you make the shot, you start the new play at the top of the key.
David Baker recently graduated from the University of Arizona and took a job in the Valley. He is a rookie and says that he first learned about the pick-up games from a friend.
Baker, who played for the first time on June 20, says, "A lot of my good friends play and I've gone a couple of times before (to watch)... but I'm going to start going pretty much every week now.
"It's great exercise and it's a low-pressure environment," Baker says. "It's good to socialize and to get out with other Jews from all over and of all ages."
On occasion, some local rabbis can also be found dribbling down the court, too.
Rabbis Yakov Bronsteyn and Ariel Shoshan of the Phoenix Community Kollel and Rabbi Laibel Blotner of Chabad of Arizona have each been playing for a few months.
"I just feel privileged to be able to play," Shoshan says. "I guess one of the guys mentioned to me that they had the game and I was looking for an opportunity to exercise and have fun, so I'm really the beneficiary."
Sometimes players that have to wait between games use those downtimes as an opportunity for meaningful discussion and relationship building.
"It's mostly light conversation, but sometimes the guys do want to talk about greater issues that affect our lives," Shoshan says. "They'll ask questions and have an opportunity to learn something, but also attend classes and utilize our relationships for learning opportunities all the time."
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