Omri Casspi life and biography

Omri Casspi is a professional basketball player. He is 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) tall and plays at the small forward position. He was drafted 23rd overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, making him the first Israeli to be selected in the first round of the draft.

Career history:

Maccabi Tel Aviv (2005–06)
Hapoel Galil Elyon (2006–07)
Maccabi Tel Aviv (2007–09)
Sacramento Kings (2009-present)

2009-10 :

Became the first Israeli-born athlete to play in the NBA after being selected by Sacramento with the 23rd overall pick in the 2009 draft … Averaged 10.3 ppg (.446 FG%, .369 3pt%, .672 FT%), 4.5 rpg, 1.2 apg, and 25.1 mpg in 77 games (started 31) … As a starter, posted 12.2 ppg (.425 FG%, .359 3pt%, .768 FT%), 5.7 rpg, 1.5 apg, and 30.6 mpg … Ranked seventh in scoring, sixth in rebounds, 17th in assists, and ninth in minutes played among rookies … Reached double-figures in scoring 41 times and tallied 20 or more points in seven contests … Grabbed 10-plus rebounds on five occasions and logged four double-doubles … Connected on three or more three-pointers in eight games … Led the Kings in scoring five times, rebounding in six games, and assists once … Enjoyed most productive stretch from December to early January, accruing averages of 15.8 ppg (.468 FG%, .452 3pt%, .727 FT%), 5.9 rpg, 1.5 apg, and 29.8 mpg in 17 games.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION:

Member of Israel’s Junior National Teams from 2005 to 2008 … Participated in the Men’s European Championships for the first time in 2008, posting 5.5 points and 3.0 rebounds over six games … Averaged 17.9 points and 4.8 rebounds at the 2007 European U20 Championships in Nova Gorica, Slovenia … Scored 14 points (4-9 FG, 0-2 3pt, 6-9 FT) to go with three rebounds, two steals, and a block for the World Select Team at the 2007 Nike Hoop Summit in Memphis (4/7/07), teaming alongside Frenchman Nicolas Batum (Trail Blazers) … Led the team with 21.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per contest at the 2006 European U18 Championships held in Amaliada, Greece … Made international basketball debut at the age of 17 during the 2005 European U18 Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, averaging 14.0 points and 5.2 rebounds.

PERSONAL:

Full name is Omri Casspi
Nickname is ‘O.C.'
Son of Simon and Eilana Casspi
Has a brother, Paul, and a sister, Aviv
Favorite cuisine is Italian
Hobbies include tennis and spending time with family and friends
Visited with local leaders, members of the Jewish community, and elected officials while being recognized by Mayor Kevin Johnson and the Sacramento City Council in April
Donates time, resources, and game tickets to numerous Jewish community groups, both in Sacramento and in cities across the country
One of 13 early entry candidates selected by Sacramento in the first round over the past 15 NBA Drafts (others – Corliss Williamson in 1995, Peja Stojakovic in 1996, Tariq Abdul-Wahad [formerly Olivier Saint-Jean] in 1997, Jason Williams in 1998, Hedo Turkoglu in 2000, Gerald Wallace in 2001, Kevin Martin in 2004, Francisco Garcia in 2005, Quincy Douby in 2006, and Tyreke Evans in 2009
Shoe size 12.5

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