Maccabi Ra'anana played the Brooklyn Nets Thursday night, in from Israel for a three-game swing against NBA teams in what was supposed to be a joyous trip.
NEW YORK — It's a cliché to start with the eyes, but in this case, you can't avoid them. Yehu Orland's eyes are dark and sad and heavy. They look like they're weighing his entire face down.
"We were supposed to go on a family vacation soon," said Orland, who was wearing a shirt with the words"R.I.P ELI, FOREVER IN MY HEART" stitched on in black letters. They separated for the first time when they turned 18. Ginsberg, like the majority of Israelis, was conscripted into the military. Orland, thanks to a smooth jump shot, had become a basketball star, leaving him exempt from military service. He played professionally in Israel for a number of years and was named the Israeli Basketball Premier League's Sixth Man of the Year in 2013 before transitioning into coaching.
In the days since, Orland said, he'd done his best to not move on but continue living. He had a job to do, a team to coach."In Israel, you learn how to live with death," he said. But he knows this round of tragedy is different. This week, he missed a team practice."I just couldn't do it," he said."Physically and mentally I was OK, but I just couldn't stop crying.
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