Former UConn Star Doron Sheffer Beat Cancer, Now Living Spiritual Life

Many moons ago, Doron Sheffer was a basketball star at the University of Connecticut playing alongside Ray Allen and Kevin Ollie for head coach Jim Calhoun.

During his tenure from 1993 to 1996 at UConn, Sheffer became the first Husky with 1,000 points and 500 assists over a span of three varsity seasons.

He was eventually drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round of the 1996 NBA Draft, but instead chose to play for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli League, where he won four straight titles.

Fast forward to the present, where Sports Illustrated reports that Sheffer is currently living in the mountains of northern Israel with his family, reinvigorated after winning a battle against testicular cancer.

After having a spiritual awakening during his battle with cancer and traveling the world post-retirement, Sheffer now runs a “spiritual cleansing” business with his wife, Talia, at his home.

Allen still has fond memories of Sheffer and he says he made a big impact on his life.

“Honestly, a lot of who I am came from being around him,” Allen said.

Although he’s living a very different life than his former teammates Allen and Ollie, Sheffer still considers himself a Husky fan and says he was rooting for them during their National Championship run last season.

Photo via Sports Illustrated