David Blatt, the Israeli-American coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv, is generally regarded as Europe's best. He's won championships in the Italian and Israeli leagues and the EuroCup. In 2007, he coached Russia to a gold medal in FIBA Eurobasket. This year, he won a bronze.  And he likes Jordan Farmar a lot.

"I must say that in all my years as a coach, Farmar is one of the more special players I have met," says Blatt. "The most important thing is that Jordan has a strong connection with the country, having deep Jewish and Israeli roots". 

Moreover, Blatt can see Farmar returning to Israel permanently. "We see him one day being a permanent and leading player at Maccabi." With the Nets backup point guard leading the team, Maccabi has won all but one game in the nine they've played thus far.

• A Home Court: The Story of American Basketball Players in Israel - Near East Report