A good day for basketball

There is a certain category of people that you only hear about after their death. What kind of person he was, what qualities he possessed. Even if he didn’t have any qualities, you would still hear about them, since dead are always praised.

But there is also another category: the people that get the chance to be honored and respected while they are still among us. Ralph Klein is one of them.

Ralph was a coach of European prestige, winning the European title with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 1977 and being the first runner up, twice, at the European Championship. He also coached the national team of West Germany between 1983 and 1985.

Born in Germany in 1931, in a family of Hungarian Jews, Ralph Klein survived the war and the concentration camps, thanks to a Swedish diplomat, Raoul Wallemberg. He emigrated in Israel in 1951, after enjoying a career that concurred with most Israeli basketball successes.

So why speak about Ralph Klein on a Romanian site? Because he’s one of Europe’s most titled post-war coaches, and because Ralph has been a dear friend of mine for years.

Ralph Klein received the highest distinction in sports, the “Israel Prize” in 2006, and a year later was diagnosed with colon cancer. But he managed to resurrect from his own ash, feeling so well, that after some time, he started coaching again, at 77 years young.

But, because sometimes illness makes no favors, his friends and former students decided to celebrate him while he is still alive. Over 1500 people gathered. A lot of celebrities showed up, from Micki Berkowitz to Juan Antonio Corbalan.

One of basketball’s most respected coaches, the one they used to call “dr. G”, said during the festivity: ”After a long period of activity, paved with accomplishments, everyone wants to be around you, to get a picture of you, and to say they’re also part of the glory. You, as a coach, or player, end up alone. And you live your final moments in the company of your memories. But today is a joyful day. It can’t be otherwise, since so many people show up to express their love for you. May God bless you all !”

I’ve prepared for this event the collage below, which illustrates our collaboration. We find ourselves on the bench, coaching a game from the Champions Cup, while at our feet you can see the 250,000 people that cheered for us after winning against the Russians.

The entire ceremony of presenting him the photograph was broadcasted on TV and it was a memorable event for all basketball fans.
When I handed him the photo, I was asked whether it is a sad or a happy day for me.

All I could think of was “It’s a good day for basketball”

Respectfully,

Prof-Davidescu