MADE IN ISRAEL
NY native forged friendship with NBA finals coach on Euro squad
G lenn Consor was a new York basketball junkie who used to take the 7 train from Flushing to the Garden to watch his idol Clyde Frazier. He starred at Bayside High School and Boston University, where he became Rick Pitino’s first point guard in 1979 and ’80, then became so popular pl aying for Maccabi Haifa they called him Magic Consor in Israel.
Which is where, years ago, Consor met backcourt teammate and roomate David Blatt — the same David Blatt who coaches leBron James and the Cavaliers.
“He was maybe a poor man’s version of [Matthew] Dellavedova,” Con- sorsor told The Rumble. Rumble “I was a point guard, and he was your typical Princeton point guard. not a great shooter at all. not real quick. But really good on defense. And was very smart. So they moved me to the 2 guard spot and Dave played point.
“David is a brilliant guy. When he came over there — it was my second year — I couldn’t speak a word of Hebrew the two years that I was there. When he came there, he couldn’t either, and in three months, he picked up Hebrew. The guy’s a genius genius.” ”
The man once known as Magic Consor now is the Wizards’ color analyst, with an impressive resume television networks everywhere should covet. Consor has analyzed more than 2,200 games, college (March Madness) and pro, on TV and radio over past 24 years (NBA TV, Comcast Sportsnet, ESPN Regional, Westwood One). In addition, he scouted for the Pacers and Bullets from 1991-98.
“My st r engths ar e, because of my scouting background, breaking down games. Telestrating,” Consor said.
The They res resumed ed tt heiheir friendship last summer in las Vegas, where Blatt was coaching the Cavs’ summer league team and Consor was attending the NBA broadcasters meetings.
“And since that dinner, we text each other almost every day,” Consor said.
Consor was asked what it would mean to him if Blatt won an NBA championship.
“I’m very proud of what Dave has done and how he has persevered and taken a path that is very different than the normal NBA coach experiences,” Consor said.
It would be Magic.