Hello everyone and welcome back to my series of blogs where I will be informing you about everything you need to know about Overseas Basketball! If you missed last week's blog it is hyperlinked<<<<. Why don't ya just give it a click?
Last week I introduced myself and gave a little background on my journey. I hope you enjoyed perhaps making a new friend or relating to me in some form or fashion.
Last week I also discussed exactly what overseas basketball is. Just to give you a brief overview... Playing basketball overseas is simply playing basketball outside of your respected country. But it is your job, and you are getting paid for it. Now, not everyone gets that type of opportunity and that is what this blog is going to be about.
So, the question arises... How can I get the opportunity to play overseas basketball. The answer to that question is so simple yet complex. You would think the obvious answer is "Be good at basketball and find an agent." Well, yes that helps but I want to get more in depth of how you can get that opportunity as well as be successful and even pitch to you what coaches may be necessarily looking for.
There truly are simple ways to get noticed. I have 8 steps that you should take that will allow you to be seen and may give you the opportunity to showcase your talent.
Step 1 : You need experience playing at the highest level in your Country.
As stated in my last blog, these are grown men who are making a living off of playing the sport they love, and you are someone who could potentially take that away from them. They will be training hard, and most of them have played at the highest level in their country their entire life. Whether its division 1 basketball or playing pickup basketball with NBA players. You must have some experience with playing with high level players, especially if you have never played at the highest level before.
I want to highlight one player in particular. His name is Keve Aluma and he is currently playing overseas basketball in Japan. He is a perfect example because he went through the entire process. Going from a mid-major division 1 school (Wofford) to being my teammate for one year at a high major division 1 school (Virginia Tech) . He worked extremely hard getting his body right and expanding his game just so he can continue to play professionally. He is the definition of hard work and never giving up and he will have a very successful career wherever he goes.
Step 2: Create Videos of yourself playing
This step is important in any process because you are branding yourself. You want people to know what your game is like. Here is a 1-minute video explaining the steps you need to take to create a highlight tape that will benefit your exposure. Be sure that your content sticks out and showcases skills that you can provide for the organization. NOT JUST SCORING.
Step 3: Find an agent
This could be one of the harder steps because good agents are hard to come by. Be careful when looking for agents because there will be scammers and there will be people who will try to come into your life for the benefit of themselves. I will be honest, after research, I do not trust a lot of these websites. My recommendation is to maybe talk to a coach. Maybe your high school or college basketball coach might know a few people who has those types of connections with agents that want to better your future. Go to someone you can trust because you do not want to regret it later.
Step 4: Be consistent with your workouts
Train hard but train smart as well. When you have a workout that you are doing, get in a groove. Do it for a few weeks and if you do not see any results in your game or your body then you change it. MASTER THE BORING. Do not get off course because you believe what you are doing is extremely boring and pointless. Trust the process, it will come.
Step 5: Network
This helps with finding an agent as well. It is important that you know people in this day and age. It is also important that you keep a good name for yourself. That means not doing something you are not supposed to be doing and treating everyone the way you want to be treated because, all it takes is one person to say that you did them wrong or you are a terrible person. Then word gets around and no one wants to sign you.
Step 6: Choose a country
Do your research on your own for where you potentially want to play. Find out where it is located, their climate, what language do they speak. Get as in depth as you can so you can be better prepared if/when that opportunity arises. Find out who is on the team and DM (direct message) that individual and ask questions concerning the team and the country.
Step 7: Get a passport
Having a passport is essential because, without it you will not be able to board a flight out of the country. You never know when you will get that call so it is important to have that passport at all times.
Step 8: Visit the country on your own
This last and final step is very overlooked. It is overlooked because you believe that there is no need to visit if you are already signed and you're going to be there for the coming months. I believe that you should visit to just look around and see what you are getting yourself into. Relax, enjoy the new things that you have never seen and just embrace the journey!
Thank you all for reading my newest blog, I really am enjoying doing these for you guys and I hope you are getting something out of it. Be sure to join me next time as we discuss get into our third blog titled "Deep dive into the Euroleague" where I will be discussing everything the Euroleage has to offer! #overseasbasketball #besafe #D1athlete #hoops #secondblog
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