American-Israeli basketball player and coach David Blatt, who was chosen to light a ceremonial torch at the official state opening ceremony on Israeli Independence Day, tells Israel National News that it will be the greatest moment of his career.
When asked how lighting the ceremonial torch compares with winning the EuroLeague Championship, Blatt answered: "You can't compare, they're two different things. I can say that this moment is the biggest in my career. Mainly because on this day, there are no winners or losers, it's not a competition."
Boston-born David Blatt played for several Israeli professional basketball teams and went on to coach teams in Israel, Turkey, Russia, and the United States. As mentioned, in 2014, Blatt's Maccabi Tel Aviv won the EuroLeague Championship. That same year, he was hired as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, which he led until 2016.
Israel National News also caught up with an additional torch-lighter, Israeli actor and comedian Shalom Asayag.
Asayag told Israel National News about his excitement ahead of the ceremony: "I've been doing what I do for a long time because I love what it does, that's my purpose, to be an entertainer, actor, and creator, and if on the way it brings things like this, then I'll happily take them."
Asayag was also asked who he would be representing when he lights the torch: "I mainly represent the residents of the periphery at heart, in feeling, since there's something special to come from afar, from a family with a lot of children, and to dream about a sector that no one even understands where it came from and to succeed at becoming famous. So first of all, it's for them, the kids who sit in the periphery and wonder if they'll succeed or not. But it's also for the nation of Israel, especially now."
When asked about the government, the entertainer answered: "I don't deal with politics; I came here for fun, I intend to enjoy and represent everyone the best I can."
The torch-lighting ceremony is the highlight of Israel's official Independence Day ceremony, which kicks off the annual festivities. During the ceremony, various individuals from different sectors of society light 12 ceremonial torches representing the 12 tribes of Israel.