FORMER ISRAELI STAR MAKES GOOD IN NBA

Dave D'Alessandro of the Newark Star-Ledger on Anthony Parker (from TrueHoop)
"Anthony Parker [of the Toronto Raptors] is a terrific all-around player and a class act. As you know, he was away for seven years, playing mostly in Israel, where he was widely regarded as one of the best players on the continent. It almost seems like a waste that this guy -- not only a lights-out shooter, but a terrific defender and a natural leader -- didn't get back to the league until he was 31. But that's absurdly short-sighted, you find out: He wouldn't trade those five years at Maccabi Tel Aviv for anything (a voracious Bible reader, he'll go on for hours about the Sea of Galilee, the Wailing Wall, Jerusalem), loves the Israeli people, and probably wouldn't have become one of the Raptors' most important players without the experience."