Dwight Howard, other NBA stars, to play exhibition ball in Israel

HAIFA (Press Release) – The Maccabi Haifa professional basketball team of the Israeli Basketball Super League, announced on Thursday that the team will host a special preseason basketball clinic and scrimmage on Saturday, September 4 at the Nesher Sports Hall in Nesher, Israel, headlined by current NBA All-Star Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.
 
Maccabi Haifa will host the NBA’s “Superman” Dwight Howard, who will conduct a basketball workshop and training session for teenagers in attendance, followed by a dunk presentation by Howard.   Later in the evening, Maccabi Haifa will scrimmage against a former NBA All-Star team led by Jerome Williams (9 seasons in the NBA, 587 games, played for the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, and Chicago Bulls), Anthony Bonner (Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks and Orlando Magic), Paul Grant (Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, and Milwaukee Bucks), David Wood (1998 U.S.A World Championship National Team), Laron Profit (Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers) and more. The All-Star team will be coached by Dwight Howard’s father, Dwight Howard Sr.
 
SportsPower International, a non-profit organization that uses current and former NBA players as inspiring role models to make a positive impact on today’s youth across the world, is bringing the group of current and former professional basketball players from the United States to Israel from August 28–Sept 5, 2010 to demonstrate their solidarity with the people and State of Israel.  Through basketball exhibition games and youth clinics they will let Israelis know that they have dedicated friends in America.  While in Israel the players will also learn more about the country and its search for peace.
 
“With the arrival of superstars the likes of Dwight Howard to host a clinic for teens for such a worthy cause and for our Maccabi Haifa team to scrimmage against former-NBA stars, we are more than happy to rearrange our preseason schedule,” said Maccabi Haifa’s Vice Chairman Arnon Shiran.  “We are excited for our fans to have the opportunity to witness, participate, and interact with our Maccabi Haifa players as well as current and former NBA stars, for such a festive and unique event.”
 
Maccabi Haifa’s training camp officially begins on Wednesday, August 25 at 7:00 pm local time. Haifa’s roster features former Virginia University guard Sylven Landesberg,  former Cal State Fullerton guard Frank Robinson, former Arizona State guard Derek Glasser, former Washington State guard Derrick Low, former Auburn and Indiana player Marco Killingsworth, Serbian-born Sasha Bratic, and strong Israeli players including Yoni Nir, Avi Ben-Chimol, and Robert Rothbart.
 
Maccabi Haifa will travel to the United States to play the NBA’s New Jersey Nets in the first preseason game at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ on October 3, 2010.  Maccabi Haifa’s 30-minute magazine TV show, “Inside Israeli Basketball,” (www.insideisraelibasketball.com) is aired monthly from November to June on the YES Network (Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network), SUN Sports (home to the Miami Heat), as well as eight other regional sports networks across the United States.  The show captures the intricacies of Israel and the Super League seen through the eyes of Maccabi Haifa’s American players and their Israeli counterparts.

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Preceding provided by Maccabi Haifa

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