JUNE 30 • 2022 | 39

D

aniel Shamayev is certain the new 
Detroit Jewish Basketball League 
has accomplished its purpose.
The league has brought the Detroit Jewish 
community together through basketball.
Among the men’s league’s 80 players — 70 
regulars and 10 substitutes — are observant 
Jews and a few “who are probably involved 
in a Jewish activity for the first time in their 
life,
” said Shamayev, the league’s founder and 
commissioner.
“I want everyone in the 
league to expand his Jewish 
network,
” Shamayev said.
“Teams were put together 
based on players’ ages and bas-
ketball skill levels to keep the 
league competitive, which it has 
been so far.
“Family members and friends were kept 
together on teams, but most guys in the 
league probably didn’t know their teammates 
before the league started.
”
Weekly games began June 1 in the eight-
team league and will continue from 8-10 
p.m. each night through Aug. 17.
Games are played on two courts each 
Wednesday at the Beech Woods Recreation 
Center in Southfield.
Shamayev said the back-to-back games 
setup is working well.
“It’s great to see players and fans come 
early and stay late to watch the other games,
” 
Shamayev said.
July 6 will be a special night in the young 
league’s history.
In addition to being the night of the 
championship game of the Commissioner’s 
Cup, the league’s mid-season tournament, 

plus dunking and three-point shooting con-
tests among league players and a kids’ game 
at halftime of the title game, there will be a 
community outreach.
It’s a barbeque from 6:30-8 p.m. sponsored 
by Partners Detroit — an organization that 
also works to bring the Jewish community 
together — in the Beech Woods pavilion.
While there is no charge to watch the 
basketball activities July 6, admission to the 
barbeque is $8 per person, $15 for a couple 
and $20 for a family.
“Everyone is invited to the barbecue. You 
don’t have to be involved in the league,
” 
Shamayev said.
Detroit Pistons guard Hamidou Diallo 
could make an appearance 
July 6.
“If he’s not there that night, 
he will visit us on another 
league night,
” Shamayev said.
Diallo averaged 11.0 points, 
4.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists 
last season in 58 games with 
the Pistons.
There will be a very nice 
prize for the league’s mid-sea-
son tournament champion, 
according to Shamayev.
The top four teams in 

the league qualified for the tournament. 
Semifinals were to be held June 29.
“Hopefully, having a mid-season tour-
nament will keep things interesting each 
year as we go through the regular season,
” 
Shamayev said.
It’s been nearly a year since Shamayev 
quickly organized a Jewish men’s basketball 
league that attracted 40 players. League 
games were played last summer at Farber 
Hebrew Day School in Southfield.
“It’s amazing to think that just a year later, 
there’s a Jewish men’s basketball league with 
twice as many players as we had last year,
” 
Shamayev said.
A youth basketball camp for Jewish boys 
ages 8-14 that will raise funds for the Detroit 
Jewish Basketball League and Farber will be 
held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. July 18 through 
Aug. 12 weekdays at Farber.
Rick Kaczander, a Michigan Jewish Sports 
Hall of Fame Pillars of Excellence award 
recipient, will be the instructor for the five-
days-a-week camp that will focus on basket-
ball skills and training, and life skills.
For information on the camp, contact 
Shamayev at (248) 797-3763 or 
danielrshamayev@gmail.com. 

Send sports news to stevestein502004@yahoo.com.

SPORTS

Food for Thought

Community is invited to new Detroit Jewish 
Basketball League’s mid-season celebration. 

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Dylan Bressler drives to the 
hoop during his 45-point 
outburst in a Detroit Jewish 
Basketball League game.

PAUL FISCHER

PAUL FISCHER

Daniel 
Shamayev

DANIEL SHAMAYEV

Gang Green of the Detroit 
Jewish Basketball League.

