Retired professional basketball player Tamir Goodman hasn’t taken a break since hanging up his professional basketball uniform. We spoke with the “Jewish Jordan” during his recent visit to Baltimore about his upbringing here, making a kiddush Hashem, and how he has been helping kids affected by the Gaza war both on and off the court. Tamir is also raising a family, running a tech startup, and using his public persona to publicize the name of Hashem each day.
Chaim Yehuda Meyer: You’ve said that in order to reach the highest level of anything you really have to love it. Did your Talmudical Academy education help engender your love of Torah and mitzvos?
Tamir Goodman: My yeshiva education at TA was very helpful in that I had great rabbis and educators, especially Coach Harold Katz, who has coached me since the age of seven. Today, 35 years later, I still consider him a mentor, friend, and coach. Coach Katz has had a tremendously positive impact on my life as well as that of other athletes who have played under him. I am still close with some of these players today.
CYM: How did you get into basketball? What inspired you? Can you describe growing up here in Baltimore?
TG: My older
brother Reuven played basketball for TA; I started going to his practices and
fell in love with the game. I am grateful for my Baltimore upbringing; I love
my friends, family, coach, and community. When I began to receive increased
media attention, I knew that my mission was to try to make a kiddush Hashem through basketball. Thanks
to the people around me, I was able to work toward that goal. I am grateful for
being able to live out my dream and play at Towson University on a Division I
scholarship without having to play on Shabbat or any Jewish holidays.
CYM: They
called you the “Jewish Jordan” after the basketball great Michael Jordan. How
did you get that nickname?
TG: “Jewish
Jordan” was a nickname that started out locally in the basketball community and
media in the Baltimore area. It got amplified by the Sports Illustrated article in 1999, where I was featured proudly
wearing my tefillin. The caption?
“Tamir is a devoted Jordan fan, but religion comes first as his morning starts
with the devotional putting on tefillin,
in which small boxes containing prayers are placed on his head and strapped
around his arm for the reading of the siddur.”
CYM: You have
stated that each stumbling block just brings you closer to your goal. G-d is
bringing you teachable moments along the way. Can you elaborate?
TG: Like a
basketball, the Jewish people keep on bouncing back. Hashem is cheering us on
and helping us reach our potential. Oftentimes in life, when we get a “no” from
Hashem, it seems like an absolute “no.” But it’s not. There’s some type of
growth there. We are forced to grow both emotionally and physically through our
struggles. I view this as a coach who’s directing you to shoot and score. By
making adjustments, you can become better on the court and off. The coach isn’t
there to knock you down; he’s helping you dribble and aim better. In hindsight,
we see growth through challenges.
CYM: You
played professionally in Israel until your retirement. What have you been up to
since?
TG: I have been
running basketball clinics and camps for kids affected by the current war. I am
the director of strategic brand initiatives at Fabric, a leading sports fan
engagement company that uses mixed reality activations for fan engagement at
major professional sports leagues. I am also the cofounder of AVIV Net together
with my business partner, David Warschwaski. It is the first company to
specialize in antimicrobial technology and moisture-absorbing basketball nets. A
basketball is full of germs and bacteria. When you shoot a basketball into an
AVIV Net, there are fewer germs, and the ball is less slippery.
In July, I run a Jerusalem
basketball camp. Throughout the year, I accept speaking engagements all over
the world, including at basketball clinics. I also engage in basketball
consulting.
CYM: Can you
describe your life in Israel now? What are you doing now to help people cope
with the War?
TG: I am deeply
grateful for my incredible wife and five children, baruch Hashem. They are the reason I get up every day. Our oldest
daughter is currently serving in the army. Through basketball clinics, I am
trying to help children who have been affected and displaced by the war.
Basketball continues to prove itself as a great way for them to try to heal
through these difficult times. Hopefully, these kids can forget about some of
the challenges they have been going through.
CYM: Tell us
about the children’s book you wrote for PJ Library, entitled Live Your Dream: The Story of a Jewish Basketball All-Star.
TG: I am thankful
that I got to write a children’s book, which discusses my struggles with
dyslexia. The goal of Live Your Dream
is to help children realize that, within learning challenges, there is a
superpower. I hope it inspires children throughout the world. By inspiring
others, we can make the world a better place.
CYM: Thank
you for being true to your faith and being an inspiration to our readership.
TG: Thank you.
Much appreciated.
Chaim
Yehuda Meyer is an attorney and writer living in Brooklyn, New York. He writes
for Jewish publications both local and nationally on community events, local
politics, divrei Torah, book reviews, and legal news. Mr. Meyer can be reached
at howard.jay.meyer@gmail.com.
Tamir Goodman can be reached at TamirGoodman.com
