Report: Knicks In Talks For Exhibition vs. Israeli Club

The New York Knicks might welcome a special visitor to Madison Square Garden.

Oct 25, 2024; New York, New York, USA; General view of Madison Square Garden during opening tipoff between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

There has been a lot of talk about how deep into the summer the New York Knicks will be playing. A report from Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom states that they could take to Madison Square Garden's hardwood against a very unique opponent.

Per Tomer Givati, champion Israeli club Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C. is in talks to play an exhibition game against the Knicks at MSG over the summer. Discussions about such a showdown are said to have been staged "in recent months" and that talks will continue in the near future.

Often referred to as the Reds, Hapoel Tel Aviv has won five Israeli Championships and four Israeli State Cups. The team is currently coached by former Greece men's national team boss Dimitrios Itoudis and features first-round picks recent NBA entrants such as Bruno Caboclo and Ish Wainright. Former Knicks fan favorite Nate Robinson played a season for the team in 2016 and other renowned talents to take the floor for the Reds include Cedric Ceballos and Purvis Short.

The Knicks have six games against international competition on their all-time exhibition docket, prevailing in each in them. Half have been played under MSG's iconic roof, as the Knicks' previously faced the Reds' renowned rival, Maccabi Tel Aviv, during the 2007 and 2009 preseason. In 2010, they traveled Italy to face Olimpia Milano, putting up a 125-113 win over Olimpia Milano.

Six autumns later, the Knicks played their last international game against Brazilian club Bauru Basquete, prevailing by a 100-81 final. Carmelo Anthony put up a team-best 17 points in the international triumph. In addition to the showdowns in the new century, the Knicks won two games over Scavolini Pesaro of Italy and Croatian group KK Split in brief tour of Barcelona in 1990.

If the summer showdowns were to be scheduled, it would be the first summer NBA games against international competition since July 1988, when the Atlanta Hawks faced the Soviet Union men's national basketball team. Since then, all have been staged during the NBA preseason. The Dallas Mavericks were the last team to play such a game away from North America, facing Real Madrid in Spain in 2023.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns as and so much more!

• NBA Veteran Compares Knicks' Move to Luka Doncic Trade
• Knicks Sign 2022 First-Round Pick
• Liberty Stars Step Away From Unrivaled
• Knicks Star Jalen Brunson Wins Player of the Week
• Knicks Get Good News After Josh Hart's Scary Fall