Omri Casspi will visit Israel with a delegation of NBA players. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

JNS.org – National Basketball Association (NBA) player Omri Casspi will visit Israel this week, but it will be no ordinary homecoming for the Sacramento Kings forward, as he will be joined by seven other NBA players in a tour organized by a foundation Casspi has formed that seeks to fight anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

Visiting with Casspi are his Sacramento Kings teammates DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, and Caron Butler, as well as Chandler Parsons of the Dallas Mavericks, Iman Shumpert of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tyreke Evans of the New Orleans Pelicans, and Alan Anderson of the Washington Wizards.

NBA Player Relations Director Roger Mason, who played with Israel’s Hapoel Jerusalem franchise during the 2005-06 season, will join the players, as will Nick U’Ren, special assistant to the Golden State Warriors’ head coach. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has given the initiative his personal blessing.

During their visit, they players will be the guests of two major events, the first hosted by Hapoel Jerusalem and the second by Maccabi Tel Aviv, scheduled for Sunday and Wednesday, respectively. The players will also tour Israel and attend several charity events organized by NBA Cares, the league’s global community outreach initiative.