Saturday, October 17th, 2009 at 6:41 am  |  26 responses

Casspi Wasn’t a Sniper

Casspi wasn’t ready to enter the NBA in 2007, primarily because he was busy serving his required three years in the Israeli army. He was discharged shortly before last June’s draft. “He was a sniper in the Israeli army, so how much pressure can be on him now?” said Scotty Sterling, the Kings’ scouting director. “He wasn’t in combat, but he said they taught him to shoot a rifle. But he said he’d rather shoot a basketball than a rifle.”

Casspi quickly corrects the record, saying he wasn’t a sniper. Still, the story has been making the rounds. “I don’t know where that rumor started,” Casspi said. “I wasn’t a sniper. It’s not true. I was in basic training. But I did hold a gun, and I shot a lot.”

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  • ab_40 Posted: Oct.17 at 6:43 am
    since when does slam post on weekends?

  • blk_majic Posted: Oct.17 at 7:32 am
    everydays a weekend with slam

  • Hursty Posted: Oct.17 at 7:54 am
    Everyone serves in the Israeli Army. If he learnt how to shoot with scope rifles, then technically it’s a sniper rifle. But you can scope up an AK-47 or M16 and it becomes a sniper capable rifle.

  • Hursty Posted: Oct.17 at 8:06 am
    Ok, I’m semi-right I believe.
    The Israeli Army’s standard sniper rifle IS a modified assault rifle – it has 20 round detachables!
    So technically, he COULD have used a sniper rifle… but without the scope.
    “Not a bad weapon for suppression fire in an urban application”. That rifle is called the Galil.
    The other standard sniper rifle used by the Israeli military is more of a support weapon in terrorist threat situations, although it can also be used in conventional battlefield warfare.
    It’s called the T.C.I. M89-SR, and it’s semi-automatic. Looks like more of a “Bourne Supremacy” type weapon than the other.

  • LeoneL Posted: Oct.17 at 8:13 am
    Rest of the league, you have been warned.

  • T Money Posted: Oct.17 at 9:03 am
    I would have lied.

  • Hursty Posted: Oct.17 at 9:34 am
    The only teams that are gonna fu*k with the Kings this year after beating they’re @sses are gonna be the Cavs – Delonte, Chicago – James Johnson and Detroit – um, yeh (they just like to fight people apparently).
    DAMN this is a potentially really violent rookie class.

  • slamfan4life Posted: Oct.17 at 10:43 am
    I really wanna see someone fight james johnson…that 20-0 MMA record would be fun to seee ARTEST Vs. Johnson anyone?? hah

  • Seth Posted: Oct.17 at 1:44 pm
    Hursty, are you the guy on the bus that is scaring everybody because you’re reading Soldier of Fortune magazine and wearing a big coat when it isn’t cold out?

  • T.DOT Posted: Oct.17 at 2:03 pm
    יעלה מכאבי

  • Anton Posted: Oct.17 at 2:41 pm
    So what? Lots of NBA players have shot guns.

  • lou Posted: Oct.17 at 3:29 pm
    @ anton, Yea but he wasn’t holdin it sideways and talking sh*t. lol

  • Hursty Posted: Oct.17 at 5:03 pm
    Anton- yeh, but they don’t go carrying them around in public like West and Omar from The Wire…
    Seth – never heard of the magazine, I have played the game though. And it’s never cold really where I live.
    ps – I wear Kevlar breastplates for fun. Makes me look more buff.

  • Jukai Posted: Oct.17 at 7:11 pm
    Hursty: Sniper training is far different from regular army training. I’ve heard from a lot of my military friends that you don’t become a sniper unless you’re already a little ‘off’

  • Young Chris MP3 Posted: Oct.18 at 1:37 am
    Don’t mess with the Zohan!!!

  • Hursty Posted: Oct.18 at 1:49 am
    Jukai: Doesn’t suprise me. But read what I wrote again. He can still be training with a “regular army rifle” with scope capabilities. It’s all in the wording.

  • Jonathan Boyko Posted: Oct.18 at 11:34 am
    Just to set record straight from IDF veteran. The modified assault rifle comments referenced to above *is not* a sniper rifle. In the IDF if you use a scoped assault rifle (either M16A2E3 or M4A2/3) you are considered a “marksman”, which makes you a regular combat soldier, fighting with your platoon, only difference being you can shoot with somewhat better precision. On the other hand, snipers in the IDF use either the M-24SWS or M-82A1. The Border Patrol or SpecOps also use the SPR rifle – all those being actual sniper rifles. These snipers in many cases operate on their own or as a support group to a larger force.

  • T.DOT Posted: Oct.18 at 3:19 pm
    יעלה מכאבי dont mess with the zohan lol

  • Jukai Posted: Oct.18 at 7:07 pm
    Israel uses the SPR? Like, the MK12? Didn’t know that.

  • Hursty Posted: Oct.18 at 8:29 pm
    Jonathon – Thanks. That was enlightening to say the least. So he’s not a marksman. But he would have used a… rifle with scope? I’m a little confused.

  • Anton Posted: Oct.19 at 1:04 am
    Automatic rivalry with that Iranian player in Memphis. Will Hamed deny the use of nuclear-colored shooting sleeves?

  • Hursty Posted: Oct.19 at 2:45 am
    Don’t worry Anton, OKC will make it all ok. They have Thabo Sefolosha. He’s Swiss. Third party mediation.

  • Anton Posted: Oct.19 at 3:05 am
    Haha. Steve Nash(Canada) will double check with Ben Gordon(England) if it’s okay to get involved.

  • Hursty Posted: Oct.19 at 6:59 am
    Should be fine as long as the Germans (Dirk Nowitzki) don’t get offended. You know they get a little upset when out of the loop.

  • michael muhhamad jordan charah Posted: Nov.2 at 9:19 pm
    Casspi never wanted to have a gun and be in the army. Unfortunately, Israel is surrounded on all sides by Arab countries that want to wipe out Israel and the Jewish people. Therefore it is necessary for everybody to serve in the army, to defend their homeland. But look at Casspi, from the army to dropping 15 points in his first game – an inspiration to all.
    -baller23

  • michael muhhamad jordan charah Posted: Nov.2 at 9:20 pm
    DID EVERYBODY GET THEIR TICKETS YET??? TO THE GUN SHOW!!!! ft. omri “sniper viper” casspi

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