Basketball Star Chaim Galbut Heads to Duquesne, Dunking in a Yarmulke and Aiming for History
From viral yarmulke-clad posters to a Division I roster—Chaim Galbut is taking his "kosher energy" to the Atlantic 10. Can this 6'7" Miami forward become the first Sabbath-keeping Orthodox player to survive four years of D1 hoops?
Move over, ordinary recruits. Chaim Galbut, the 6'7" forward from Miami who's been going viral for throwing down monster dunks while rocking a yarmulke, just committed to Duquesne University.
And he's not just showing up for a season or two. The observant Orthodox Jew is gunning to become the first Sabbath-keeping Orthodox player to complete four full years of Division I college basketball — without missing Friday night or Saturday games because, well... Shabbat comes first.
After a standout senior year at Miami Country Day School, Galbut took a gap year in Israel focused on spiritual growth (because priorities). Now he's set to join the Dukes for the 2026-27 season, where he'll try to balance high-level hoops with strict religious observance.
Duquesne coaches actually discovered the athletic wing through his social media highlight reels, you know, the ones where he's posterizing defenders with that signature kippa staying perfectly in place. Talk about scrolling your way into a D1 offer.
In a sport where travel schedules and weekend games rule, pulling off a full four-year career while keeping Shabbos is no small feat. If he does it, it'll be a genuine milestone for Orthodox Jewish athletes.
The Jewish basketball world is buzzing, with plenty of "make us proud" messages flying around. Chaim's story is already inspiring, a kid who refuses to choose between his faith and his passion for the game.
Big congrats to Chaim Galbut. May his yarmulke stay on, his dunks stay loud, and his four years at Duquesne be nothing short of historic.
(Now we just wait to see if the Atlantic 10 is ready for some serious kosher energy on the court.)