The Baseline

In this episode of The Baseline, we welcome Abby Meyers and Spencer Weisz — two Ivy League standouts who took their Princeton grit and turned it into pro success in Israel 🇮🇱. Abby, a rising force in the Israeli women’s league, and Spencer, a seasoned vet with a decorated career, open up about the grind, the transition overseas, and the power of identity in their journeys.

Whether you’re an Ivy League athlete 🎓, a Jewish baller repping overseas ✡️, or someone who loves seeing basketball connect cultures — this episode brings a double dose of insight and inspiration.

💬 What we talk about:

– Life on and off the court at Princeton 🐅

– The jump from college to pro basketball 💼🏀

– Navigating identity, purpose, and pressure abroad 🌍

– Lessons from Israel’s competitive leagues 🇮🇱

– Future goals and reflections from two basketball minds 🧠

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts & more.

📲 Follow us on Instagram @thebaseline.podcast ❤️ Subscribe, rate, and tag us in your stories — we might repost you!

In this episode, we sit down with Amin Stevens — a true globetrotter whose basketball journey spans continents and cultures 🌍. From his college days at Florida A&M to a pro career that’s taken him across Europe and the Middle East, Amin opens up about life as an overseas hooper, including his time in Israel and the lessons learned far from home.

Whether you're a hooper chasing international dreams 🏀, a fan of global hoops, or just looking for some real-life inspiration — this episode delivers perspective, heart, and hustle.

💬 What we talk about:

– The grind of playing pro ball overseas 🇮🇱🌐

– Adjusting to new cultures and new systems ✈️

– Staying mentally locked in away from home 🧠

– Life lessons from a decade abroad 🔁

– Advice for players chasing a similar path 📈

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts & more.

📲 Follow us on Instagram @thebaseline.podcast ❤️ Subscribe, rate, and tag us in your story — we just might repost you!

In this episode, we sit down with Alex Leder — a Jewish-American guard with a deep connection to Israel and a journey that goes far beyond the stat sheet 🏀. From growing up in the U.S. to making his mark on the Israeli court, Alex opens up about the grind, the culture shock, and the pride he feels repping something bigger than himself.

Whether you’re a player overseas 🌍, someone navigating your identity, or a hoops fan who loves a good underdog story — this one’s for you.

💬 What we talk about:

– Adjusting to professional basketball in Israel 🇮🇱

– Representing his heritage through the game ✡️

– The mental side of the overseas grind 🧠

– Growing as a player and a person 🛫

– What drives him on and off the court 🔥

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts & more.

📲 Follow us on Instagram @thebaseline.podcast ❤️ Leave a review & tag us in your stories — we might repost you!

Season 2 of The Baseline is here, and we’re kicking things off with a dynamic episode! Hosts Jonathan Rears and Meir Cohen reintroduce the podcast, share our renewed vision for connecting the basketball world, and dive into some of the most exciting stories in the global hoops scene.

Joining us as a special guest is EJ Mildwurf, our behind-the-scenes mastermind who’s stepping into the spotlight to share his perspective on basketball’s global influence. Together, we explore the sport’s impact across borders and cultures, highlighting the stories that make the game so much more than just what happens on the court.

We’re also debuting our brand-new segment, The Shot Clock—a rapid-fire Q&A that keeps the energy high and the insights flowing.

Get ready for another season of powerful storytelling, in-depth discussions, and all things basketball.

👉 Catch the episode now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen!

On this weeks episode, Jon and Meir have the opportunity to hear from Tamir Goodman, whose inspirational story has been shared around the world of Jewish hoops many times. We discuss his career and challenges, and how he has used his experience to guide others.

On this week's episode, Jon and Meir are in the studio for a solo episode to discuss the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA playoffs so far. We dive into each series and give you our takes on each one, including the disappointing Bucks, and the Lakers surpassing expectations. Winner league playoffs are heating up, and so is our coverage as we discuss the playoff environment here in herzliya, and much more. We wrap up with our favorite basketball movies, and our NBA finals predictions.

On our fourth episode, Lior Berman joins us to discuss what it is like playing in a Division I college basketball program in the United States. Lior has many ties to Israel, and spoke to us about how the team has traveled to Israel in the past, and the insights his teammates have gotten from a place almost none of them had been before. Lior plays for a prestigious program, one with much success in recent years. We discussed playing with a top NBA draft pick, Jabari Smith. Additionally we spoke about the play style of college versus overseas and in the NBA. We wrapped up with discussion of the current NBA season, and Liors favorite players to watch. We hope you enjoy!

For our third episode, Israeli League MVP Maurice Kemp joins us in the studio to discuss how the game of basketball is changing, his style of play, and stories from his unique experiences on the court all over the world. This episode is one you don't want to miss! Maurice is a great storyteller, and additionally taught us a lot about how the players are treated all over the world! Tune in. Trust us.

In our second episode, Maccabi Raanana superstar Jason Siggers joins us in the studio! We discuss everything from his greatest memories playing basketball, to adjusting to the unique culture, people, and food of Israel. Jason is an amazing interviewee  who goes into detail telling us about his experience playing a dropping 40(!) points on the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder. We hope you enjoy!

On the inaugural of "The Baseline", we interview Ofek Reef, former point guard at Yeshiva university, and current player for Hapoel Akko in Israel. on this interview we discuss his part in the historic 50 game winning streak with Yeshiva University, and discuss some of the unexpected events from his basketball career, along with his future playing here in Israel.