Dan Grunfeld

Dan Grunfeld is a former professional basketball player, writer, and speaker whose life and career have been deeply influenced by his family’s remarkable history. He is the son of Ernie Grunfeld, a basketball legend who played for the 1976 U.S. Olympic gold medal-winning team, was a standout for the New York Knicks, and later became a successful NBA executive. Grunfeld’s grandparents -- Holocaust survivors -- instilled in him a profound appreciation for resilience, family, and the power of sports to unite and inspire.

Grunfeld’s book, "By the Grace of the Game: The Holocaust, A Basketball Legacy, and an Unprecedented American Dream," weaves together his family’s extraordinary journey from tragedy to triumph. It explores how sports became a unifying force across generations, offering hope and healing. The book has been praised for its heartfelt storytelling and its ability to connect the lessons of the past to the challenges of the present.

Grunfeld, an Academic All-American and All-Conference basketball selection at Stanford, played professionally for eight seasons in top leagues around the world, including in Germany, Spain, and Israel. His writing has appeared in media outlets including Sports Illustrated, The Jerusalem Post, Huff­in­g­ton Post and NBC News.

Grunfeld earned his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He lives with his wife and two sons in the Washington, DC area.