‘I want to be a Jewish hero!’ US basketball’s new 6ft 7in yeshiva boy star
My parents were shocked because my dream was to play Division 1
V AS US college basketball’s leading scorer, he is poised to become the sport’s latest superstar.
But Yeshiva University’s Ryan Turell has his sights on making history — as the first Orthodox Jewish player in the NBA.
Averaging 28.1 points per game in college games, he is suddenly one of the sport’s hottest properties.
The 6ft 7in senior guard plays with a yarmulke on his crop of curls.
He turned down offers from colleges renowned for basketball to go to Yeshiva University play for the Division III Maccabees.
They recently achieved a recordbreaking 50-game winning streak.
His decision to study marketing at the Jewish university, based in New York City’s Washington Heights neighbourhood came as a surprise to his parents.
“I went to Jewish schools my whole life. I grew up religious. I keep kosher,” Mr Turrell told the New York Times.
“I was like, ‘What are we doing here? I want to go to Yeshiva.’ My parents were kind of shocked because my dream was to play Division 1.
“But I told them, ‘I want to be a Jewish hero.’”
He also opened up about the antisemitic abuse he receives occasionally on the basketball court and slurs like “Jew boy”, telling the New York Times they fuel his competitive side.
And he does not regret his decision to join the Maccabees, he told the Atlanta Jewish Times last month.
“I love the decision I made,” Turell told the outlet.
“I don’t regret it for a second. Hopefully it inspires kids to choose religion and stay religious. They don’t have to go to a D-I place. They can come to Yeshiva and still succeed.”
He added, “This is something I definitely embrace. I have a goal in mind and I’m not just trying to do it for myself. I’m trying to do it for all the Jews around the world who want to make it.”