First there was Nadav Henefeld – the first Israeli native to don a UConn uniform. Henefeld arrived at UConn after serving the mandatory three years in the Israeli army. A sneaky quick 6’ 7” forward, he set an NCAA record for steals as a freshman with 138, and was an important cog in the 1989-1990 “Dream Season” which helped launch Jim Calhoun’s UConn program into the national spotlight.
Many thought Henefeld was a star in the making but after his freshman year at UConn, he made the shocking announcement that he was returning to Israel to play professionally for Maccabi Tel Aviv. He never returned to play basketball in America.
Fast-forward to 1993. Fresh off his own three years of military service, Israeli point guard Doron Sheffer began looking at American colleges. Several programs were interested, but there was one that caught his eye. “I knew Nadav was there, Coach Calhoun obviously was one of the reasons to join the team and it seemed like a very good program that would give me a chance to play and succeed,” Sheffer said. It was also reported that he wanted to be the first Israeli-born player to play in the NBA.
From the beginning, it seemed Sheffer was destined to pick up where Henefeld had left off. Surrounded by an array of promising talent – including future NBA players Donyell and Donny Marshall, Kevin Ollie, Travis Knight and a young fellow freshman named Ray Allen – the 21 year old rookie impressed, and was named the Big East Rookie of the Year.
Sheffer’s UConn career was notable, not only for his performance and leadership but for the success the program enjoyed during his tenure.
In his freshman year, the Huskies made it to the Sweet Sixteen before a devastating loss to Florida. The following year ended with another defeat when the Huskies lost in the Elite Eight to eventual-champions UCLA. His final season featured a legendary high point in UConn history with Ray Allen’s runner over Allen Iverson to win the Big East Tournament, but again ended in heartbreak as a 30-win UConn team lost in the Sweet Sixteen to 5th seeded Mississippi State.
That was the last game Sheffer played for UConn. After the season he was selected with the 36th pick in the 1996 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers and it appeared his dream of being the first Israeli-born NBA player would become a reality. When it came time to sign his NBA contract, however, Sheffer had a change of heart. He instead returned to Israel and joined the very club Henefeld has fled Storrs for six years earlier, Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Sheffer played with Maccabi for 4 seasons, winning the Israeli League Championship all four years. Shockingly, Sheffer walked away. At just 28 years old, he retired saying at the time “I would be much sadder if I were to continue. Feeling as I do…I would be lying to the fans…and above all lying to myself.” For three years, he traveled the world. During that time, Sheffer was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor. It was diagnosed quickly and did not require chemotherapy but the illness and treatment left Sheffer weakened and rapidly dropping weight. Sheffer says he lost 30-40 pounds during his recovery.
It was this experience, and the birth of his daughter, that led Sheffer back to the court. In 2003, he rejoined Maccabi for the second half of the season but barely played. He then left and joined a team in Jerusalem where he contributed to them winning the ULEB Eurocup in 2004.
Doron Sheffer never won a championship at UConn but in many ways helped lay the foundation for the sustained success Jim Calhoun’s Huskies have enjoyed. It was Sheffer and Kevin Ollie that were the first prominent UConn duo to split time at point guard while the other played off the ball. A strategy employed on championship teams since. His recruitment and committal also represented a shift in the importance of international scouting that led to Calhoun and staff to explore Europe, Africa, and elsewhere to find the talent they needed.
In 2009, 13 years after Sheffer was drafted, Omri Casspi became the first Israeli-born player to play in the NBA after being drafted by the Sacramento Kings.
Nice blog! Just thought I’d point out that it was Ray-Ray and Sheffer’s third season that UConn beat Georgetown in the Big East final with that crazy shot that Ray took.
Noted & corrected, sir.
Great story Tyler. Even as a freshman he seened to play with experience beyond years maybe in large part to all he had already gone through in Israel.
[…] native Israel where he played professionally for many years. For much more on Sheffer, please read this piece from this […]
Perfectly written subject material, Really enjoyed reading through.