Where basketball meets the Holocaust: Dan Grunfeld on his family’s unique history

His new book examines the legacy of the genocide on his and his father's storied careers.
Dan Grunfeld (right), author of a new book (left) about his family's legacy with basketball and the Holocaust. (Supplied photos)

Former pro basketball player Dan Grunfeld spent years confirming this one basic fact: that his father, Ernie Grunfeld, an acclaimed NBA player-turned-executive, is the only son of Holocaust survivors to play in any of the Big Four pro leagues.

As far as he can tell, it’s true. And that unique situation, in which generational trauma mixed with generational athleticism, fuelled his book, By the Grace of the Game: The Holocaust, a Basketball Legacy, and an Unprecedented American Dream, coming out later this month.

Grunfeld joins The CJN’s sports podcast, Menschwarmers, to discuss these topics and more.

Check out By the Grace of the Game on westsidebooks.com and follow Grunfeld on Twitter @dan_grunfeld.

Credits

Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is “Organ Grinder Swing” by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network—find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers, and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter @cjnpodcasts.

Author

Support Our Mission: Make a Difference!

The Canadian Jewish News is now a Registered Journalism Organization (RJO) as defined by the Canada Revenue Agency. To help support the valuable work we’re doing, we’re asking for individual monthly donations of at least $10. In exchange, you’ll receive tax receipts, a thank-you gift of our quarterly magazine delivered to your door, and our gratitude for helping continue our mission. If you have any questions about the donating process, please write to [email protected].

Support the Media that Speaks to You

Jewish Canadians deserve more than social media rumours, adversarial action alerts, and reporting with biases that are often undisclosed. The Canadian Jewish News proudly offers independent national coverage on issues that impact our audience each day, as a conduit for conversations that bridge generations. 

It’s an outlet you can count on—but we’re also counting on you.

Please support Jewish journalism that’s creative, innovative, and dedicated to breaking new ground to serve your community, while building on media traditions of the past 65 years. As a Registered Journalism Organization, contributions of any size are eligible for a charitable tax receipt.