 The only known 2nd-generation Holocaust survivor in US sports leaves an NBA legacy

Romanian Jewish immigrant Ernie Grunfeld's impact on American sports goes beyond basketball ,,,

[{"selector":"#anim-f9663e94-3a59-4a93-afc0-6589917106b1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e538bcf9-24e7-48f1-bf33-f6245546ff84","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 174.49737%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5686a8f8-ca60-41d0-8fb7-8bc5ffdd68a7 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(12.50000022754855%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

[{"selector":"#anim-d8f0eeeb-061a-44c3-b261-fcfce62bf267","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d1e81bbe-8f50-4d75-8c20-a90909df39c5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 182.52315%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-150de7c5-fd9e-4625-98d5-c89c1662e4b8 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(14.852332955101161%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Former Knicks great is only son of Holocaust survivors to play in NBA or any major American sports league.

[{"selector":"#anim-ebdd9e6b-a689-4f39-b2e8-1db05a5aed31","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-36f97ea4-88be-4fcd-9593-55fe1a934137","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 193.98152%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e77b17fb-1a92-467b-a1ae-b856e13227bc [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-32.28515614250701%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] The Holocaust, a Basketball Legacy, and an Unprecedented American Dream,” his son Dan Grunfeld recounts a unique family narrative.

[{"selector":"#anim-babfe377-90ad-4b31-9bbc-fe6efd1e5fda","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-19519c9a-07a0-4dc3-b104-8b93efd185bd","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 207.15373%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b6634c14-6137-4dfd-921d-07e6d2352ed7 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-34.76562482933859%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] “There’s darkness in the story, but much more light,” Dan Grunfeld told The Times of Israel by phone.

[{"selector":"#anim-b2379f23-5368-4747-ac87-71cd325bb7d0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a361b10e-d9ec-4797-a254-b63adff3628b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 184.60652%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-92ce9c92-d757-4b63-b85f-8664a8efbb55 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-22.831249835141072%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] The narrative of basketball, perseverance, and inspiration is joyous and hopeful. I found tears, but also love and laughter.”

[{"selector":"#anim-988502d5-33b9-4762-9633-bb6312ca62af","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-39980f68-b1ee-4d82-8e04-c258b5e98eca","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 226.60824%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-83d18af1-9ca5-48bc-a37b-9009d0f5bbce [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(49.7255324118253%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] In research for the book, Grunfeld, a former pro basketball player in Israel, Europe,,,

[{"selector":"#anim-27aff974-05cf-4f8e-aec4-06d307944def","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3a0646d6-4ca6-4ef6-8789-a909a492d16a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 162.73151%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b3a4a60a-771c-4be1-83f1-0e7235333eed [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(47.07031239333663%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] and the US and the tournament MVP for Team USA in the 2009 Maccabiah Games, interviewed his father.

[{"selector":"#anim-1926ab8f-4e45-4155-8316-fae8f3e695ed","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fa252817-578d-455f-bd58-79fab270d966","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 210.81883%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ccc9463b-4418-46d9-96c4-8cbebc0e78eb [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-31.529235727763872%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Team USA in 1976 and became a Knicks star, wearing number 18, which symbolizes life in Judaism.

For More Web Stories

[{"selector":"#anim-be8a1482-1243-497c-85a3-05b13bbc89b2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-295e0912-2788-4490-8008-d3c93af9600a","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Learn more