Tamir Goodman is returning from Israel to play in the United States.
Goodman, the Orthodox player who was nicknamed the “Jewish Jordan” by Sports Illustrated during his junior year at Baltimore’s Talmudical Academy, has signed with the Maryland Nighthawks of the new Premiere Basketball League.
He most recently moved up to play professionally with Maccabi Tel Aviv after appearing in lower divisions in Israel. Goodman, 25, served in the Israeli army.
Goodman was awarded a scholarship with the University of Maryland, but left in 1999 when the team could not accommodate his requirement to refrain from playing on the Jewish Sabbath. He played as a freshman for Towson University in Maryland, but left after claiming the coach threw a chair at him.
The Nighthawks have agreed to excuse Goodman from play on the Sabbath and have arranged their home schedule so he will only miss two games.
