Checking in on Ryan Turell and potential history

Ryan Turell is trying to make the difficult transition from Division III college basketball to the pro leagues. He also is trying to become the first Orthodox Jew to play in the NBA. Right now, he is learning on the Detroit Pistons’ G League team, the Motor City Cruise.

In the early days of the NBA, there were many Jewish players. It was known as ‘The City Game’ as most players came from the playgrounds of the big cities, and Jews were a good portion of the population.

One its biggest stars was Dolph Schayes (1948-64), who led the Syracuse Nationals (now 76ers) to the 1955 NBA title (defeating the then-Fort Wayne Pistons in the finals). His son, Danny Schayes, was a long-time backup center in the league.

The genesis of the Warriors sprang from the South Philadelphia Hebrew Association team that Eddie Gottlieb ran back in the 1940s.

However, none of them were Orthodox Jews. Teams traveled a lot on long road trips back in those days, with many games on Friday and Saturday, during the Sabbath. However, considering the number of Jews in the NBA at the time, it is a bit surprising none of them were Orthodox.

Ryan Turell, the leading scorer in NCAA Division III last season, is trying to make history, and become the first Orthodox Jew to play in the NBA. But the leap from D-III college basketball to the professional ranks is a big one.

Ryan Turell drafted by Cruise

The 6-foot-7, 190-pound Turell was the first pick of the Cruise in the G League draft, taken 27th overall, becoming the first Orthodox Jew to be drafted in the G League. The native Californian had averaged 27.3 points for the Maccabees at Yeshiva University in New York City.

The Cruise have been accommodating to his religious beliefs, as his father, Brad Turell, told the Forward. 

"“The Pistons/Cruise organization has been amazing in every aspect of not only respecting Ryan’s religious followings, but helping enable it in the most accommodating way,” said Brad Turell. “We could not be more thankful to them.”"

While the G League is not the NBA, it is a big upswing in quality of play compared to Division III basketball.

To start the season, Turell has appeared in 11 of the Cruise’s 12 games but is only receiving an average of 7.3 minutes a game. He is scoring 2.9 points a game but, per 36 minutes, he averages more than Buddy Boeheim, a two-way player (splits time with Pistons).

But Turell is beginning to adjust to the high-level pro game. Look at this sweet move:

What might have been the best part of the play is, note how excited the Cruise players on the bench are for Turell. The Cruise players have obviously embraced him.

Turell’s impact off the court with Motor City Cruise

Turell is beginning to play more. He scored nine points in 12 minutes on December 2 and on December 4, Turell played 10 minutes for the Cruise. It was a good time to get some PT, as the 4th was Jewish Heritage Night at the Wayne State University gym, the Cruise’s home court.

The Cruise have embraced Turell’s background. In addition to holding the Jewish Heritage Night, they sell kosher hot dogs and invited Jewish day schools to play at the Pistons practice facility.

While Turell is pretty far back in the Cruise’s rotation, he is a big fan favorite. The Orthodox community in Detroit and surrounding area have embraced having one of their own playing in the G League.

At one game, it was reported almost 20-percent of the crowd were Jewish fans. When the Cruise traveled to Cleveland for a game, a local day school bought 170 tickets.

"“Jews love basketball. They really do,”  Turell told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency after a recent game. “The Jewish community is incredible, them coming out and cheering me on. It really means the world to me. And it’s special, because it’s bigger than basketball.”"

Turell is slowly increasing his playing with the Cruise, so it will be interesting to see how he progresses during the G League season.