Howard Lassoff

Howard Alan Lassoff (; October 15, 1955 – February 7, 2013) was an American-Israeli basketball player. He also played in Israel for 14 years.

Early life and education Lassoff was born in Philadelphia to Irving and Hilda Lassoff. He was the second of four children. He had an older sister Debbie and two younger brothers, Barry and Louis. He spent his early years living inside the city of Philadelphia. Eventually the Lassoff family moved to Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, where his love of basketball began.

Initially interested in tennis, Lassoff grew to 6 feet 10 inches tall. He became interested in basketball while a student at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. He became the starting center on the Lower Merion Team. In 1974 his high school team competed in the Central League first Half Championship. Lower Merion lost in the final game.

While in high school, Lassoff starred for the US in the 1977 Maccabiah Games in Israel, where his coach was Dolph Schayes and with Danny Schayes, Ernie Grunfeld, and Willie Sims also on the team it won a gold medal.