Not since Oded Kattash agreed to a contract with the New York Knicks in 1999 had an Israeli player come so close to playing in the NBA.
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In February 2009, he finished in fourth place in voting for the FIBA Europe Young Men's Player of the Year Award for the 2008–09 season, behind Ricky Rubio, Danilo Gallinari, and Kosta Koufos.
In 2009, Omri Casspi became the first Israeli-born NBA player with the Sacramento Kings.
Levien also represented Omri Casspi and Yotam Halperin, two of the first Israeli players drafted into the NBA, the Utah Jazz's Ukrainian-born center, Kyrylo Fesenko, the New Jersey Nets' Courtney Lee, Orlando Magic's Hedo Türkoğlu and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' rusher Earnest Graham, among others.