ÿÈÕ´ó¹Ï Grad Parlays his Studies and Passion into a Career at NBA G League
Jun 28, 2022 By: yunews
A captain on the winning ÿÈÕ´ó¹Ï intramural ultimate frisbee and basketball teams. A semi-professional football player in Israel. A writer for two ÿÈÕ´ó¹Ï campus publications. A commentator for ÿÈÕ´ó¹Ï’s Macs Live (men’s basketball games). A campus ambassador for Gift of Life. And two-time Vice President of the Sy Syms Student Council.
These plus multiple internships helped Benjamin Zirman ’18SB pave his way to where he wanted to be. A double major in business analytics and finance, and now working in data analytics for the NBA, Zirman describes the hard work, perseverance and out-of-the-box thinking that led him to his dream job.
Tell us about your journey. What was your major in college? What were you involved in?
What are some of the challenges for Orthodox Jews in your field? And what have you done to overcome them?
NBA Summer League 2017 in Las Vegas while an employee with RSPCT
There are a lot of events and games on weekends, often on Shabbat, and that is difficult. When I first started and was trying to prove myself, there were events that I couldn’t attend. That stung, because I really wanted to be there and show that I was a team player willing to work just as hard as the next person.
When I was working in the G League bubble, I set up a system where I didn’t have to use my phone or my computer on Shabbat. I manage a team of four people who watch every G League game and make sure the stats are accurate. They text me plays that need to be reviewed if they are unsure what the statistical call should be. For Shabbat games, they would text my coworker instead. If anything came up, he could handle it immediately, and I would review everything after Shabbat. I sometimes worked until 2 a.m. on Saturday nights, but that’s what I had to do.
So it’s definitely a challenge and something that I consistently must make decisions around. But I am very proud of my Judaism and am very happy that I have a found a balance that works both religiously and professionally.