If you’ve ever listened to my podcast or ever had a conversation with me about my experiences overseas, you have probably heard more bad than good. The reason being is because there actually are a lot of cons of playing overseas professionally and I feel like they should always be highlighted. The truth should never be sugarcoated. This lifestyle is not easy and anyone interested in living or or learning about it should get a transparent understanding. I also believe I should spend time shedding light on the pros of being a pro.
One of the biggest and most simplest pros of being a professional basketball player is the fact that you are getting paid to play the game of basketball. Whether it be a hundred dollars or one million, you are getting paid to play the game that you love. That is not a light statement because many people cannot say that. That is a blessing I remind myself of whenever I find myself complaining too much. Every basketball player grew up with dreams of playing in the NBA, and when they couldn’t fulfill that dream their goals became simplified and they just wanted to be professional athletes. Although I never made it to the NBA, I feel beyond blessed to be able to provide for my family playing the game of basketball. Speaking of providing, you can make a very good amount of money playing basketball overseas. Now, I don’t want to mislead anyone, just because someone plays professional basketball does not make them rich. In this profession the salary can vary vastly depending on where you play and how successful you are as a player. In most cases (when things go right), you can find yourself making six figures after a few years of working yourself up the ladder of success. If you find yourself in rarefied air, you can end up making one or two million a year. I understand these numbers may not impress most people reading this because we are used to hearing about 200 million dollar NBA contracts, but those salaries are a great alternative when you don’t get the opportunity to play in the NBA. I won’t share some braggadocios story about how rich I am because in all honesty I am not, but I can admit I am not “broke”. I can say I’ve made enough to take care of my family, pay the bills, and still have a bit left over to enjoy life. Anybody who is reading this with a job can understand the importance of those three things.
Another pro is that I get the rare opportunity to travel the world at someone else’s expense. This game has taken me places that I could not have ever imagined going, and when I say never imagined, I mean literally! That’s because a lot of the places that I end up playing in are countries or cities I am learning about for the first time. I knew absolutely nothing about Malaysia, Romania, or a small town in Finland called Kauhajoki (good luck pronouncing that). Being exposed to so many different cultures has shifted my perception about life. I used to believe the way of life in America was the only way to live, but I’ve been able to accept and adapt to any culture I’ve been thrown into. I’ve also been able to take advantage of my free time and travel for very cheap. I’ve driven to Paris, taken a train to Helsinki, and flown to Greece for about 100 dollars. These unique experiences would not be possible for me without the game of basketball.
Lastly, one of the coolest pros is the connections you make with other pros. Only a small percentage of people truly understand what it’s like to be an overseas athlete. Even with this platform and all this transparency, you can’t fully grasp the feeling unless you’ve been there. I make an automatic connection with my teammates because regardless of the contract details we are all in the same boat. We’re American, we’re black (all have been in my personal experiences), and we’re in a country that’s normally not used to seeing people like us. Just those facts can bond us because we’re all we got. Now, not every teammate I’ve had has been a great connection. Some have been assholes, unprofessional, liars or just don’t want anything to do with me. When that’s the case it doesn’t bother me because we’re colleagues and we have a job to do. As long as the job is getting done there’s no issue. But when you’re lucky, there’s the guys that you build a brotherhood with. The ones that make the experience a little better because even if you guys are going through hell, you’re going through it together. You spend a lot of time isolated on the other side of the world so having somebody in your corner that can relate to you always makes the nine or ten month stints go a bit smoother.
There are so many ups and downs in this lifestyle, if you truly enjoy the game you will be able to embrace every part of it. These are some of good things I remind myself of when I am dealing with the lows. I hope reading this you were able to get a glimpse of the positive light that comes from this life.
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