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Ernie Grunfeld was a bridge from the Holocaust to basketball lore.

JL;DR SUMMARY Dan Grunfeld's new book, "By the Grace of the Game: The Holocaust, a Basketball Legacy, and an Unprecedented American Dream," weaves the poignant stories of three generations, including his grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, his father Ernie Grunfeld, a prominent NBA figure, and his journey in professional basketball. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish HistoryHolocaustJewish IdentityGermanyNbaBasketballFamily LegacyAmerican DreamDan GrunfeldErnie Grunfeld

Places mentioned

Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany
"The team that wanted him was from Oldenburg the first state to put the Nazi party in power."
Budapest, Hungary
"who hid in a Budapest attic as Nazi soldiers executed thousands of Jews outside"
Romania
"At the heart of this book is his assimilation into American life on the streets of Queens, and the pride his son whose birth was scheduled around Knicks road trips so Grunfeld could attend the bris takes in retracing his familys steps."
Queens, New York, United States
"At the heart of this book is his assimilation into American life on the streets of Queens, and the pride his son whose birth was scheduled around Knicks road trips so Grunfeld could attend the bris takes in retracing his familys steps."
New York, United States
"My dad was born in Romania under communism, came to the United States, was a gold medalist for the U.S. and played in the NBA."
Germany
"You played in Germany, Spain and Israel in your career."
Spain
"You played in Germany, Spain and Israel in your career."
Israel
"You played in Germany, Spain and Israel in your career."
Bay Area, California, United States
"And now I play once a week, when Im in the Bay Area, and I have a pickup game with some folks that I enjoy playing with."
Pittsburgh, California, United States
"I remember speaking to my grandmother after the terrible shooting in Pittsburgh years ago, and she said, I couldnt sleep."

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Cairo Item ID 84368
Cairo Source ID 35
Retrieved 2026-06-09 05:31:16 UTC
Curated 2026-06-09 08:31:00 UTC