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Ben Saraf
Israeli basketball player (born 2006) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Ben Avraham Saraf (Hebrew: בן שרף; born 14 April 2006) is an Israeli professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
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Early life
Saraf is Jewish and was born to Israeli parents in South Africa, where his father worked in the diamond industry.[1][2] The family returned to Israel when Saraf was aged three.[2]
Saraf grew up in Moshav Gan Yoshiya in the Emek Hefer Regional Council in Israel.[3] His father Yedid played one season for Bnei Herzliya Basket in the Israeli Basketball Premier League.[3] His mother, Ella Amir Sharaf, grew up in kibbutz Givat Haim and played basketball for the Israeli women’s national team and for a number of years in Israel’s second basketball division.[4][3][5] He attended Ramot Yam Emek Hefer high school.[4]
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Professional career
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Saraf began his professional career at 16 years old playing for Elitzur Netanya in the second division Israeli Basketball National League. He averaged 14 points, 3.3 rebounds, and three assists per game during the 2022–23 season.[6] In April 2023, he was named the National League's Sixth Player of the Season and Rookie of the Year.[7]
He signed with Elitzur Kiryat Ata of the top division Israeli Basketball Premier League on 11 July 2023.[8] After averaging 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and one steal per game in 2023–24, Saraf was named the Israeli Basketball Premier League Rising Star.[9][10]
Saraf signed with Ratiopharm Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) in Germany on 20 June 2024.[11] At Ulm, he played for coach Ty Harrelson and had a major role on the team, which reached the Bundesliga finals.[12][13][14] He averaged 12.8 points and 4.6 assists per game in 2024–25.[5]
Saraf was selected by the Brooklyn Nets with the 26th pick in the 2025 NBA draft on 25 June 2025, side-by-side with American-Israeli Danny Wolf, who was selected with the 27th pick. This marked the first time that two Israeli players were picked by the same team in the NBA draft.[15] Before then, three Israelis were drafted in the NBA draft and played in the NBA: Omri Casspi, T. J. Leaf, and Deni Avdija.[16]
He received a guaranteed two-year contract, for $2.4 million in his rookie season and $2.52 million in his second season.[16]
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National team career
Saraf played for the Israel under-16 basketball team in the 2022 FIBA U16 European Championship.[17] He led the tournament in scoring with 24.3 points per game and was named to the 2022 European U16 All-Tournament Team.[17][18]
Saraf played for the Israel under-18 basketball team in the 2024 FIBA U18 EuroBasket Championship.[17][19] He again led the tournament in scoring, this time with 28.1 points per game, led the tournament in steals with four per game, was named the tournament MVP, and was named to the 2024 European U18 All-Tournament Team, as Israel finished fourth.[20][17]
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External links
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