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How can i play professional basketball overseas
How to Play Basketball Overseas - Step by Step Guide
The goal of any athlete is to make a living playing the sport they love. In basketball, if you don’t make it to the NBA or the NBA G League, there are hundreds of other leagues around the world where you can live out your dreams of making good money playing basketball. This step-by-step guide will break down the steps on how to play basketball overseas.
Table of Contents
Step 1:
Play at the highest level in your home country
How to play basketball overseas for Americans image by EuroProBasket
You need experience playing at the highest level to get the most interest from teams overseas. So your goal should be to make it to the top level wherever you are currently living and playing.
American Players
Ncaa D1 – Teams overseas know that there is a ranking system in the USA that has Ncaa D1 at the top followed by Ncaa D2 and Ncaa D3. NAIA is still not completely clear to a lot of teams overseas but can still provide good experience.
Canadian USPORTS is becoming more known to teams across the pond. The Canadian NBL is a great option for quality experience.
Juco and high school experience is usually not enough to get serious interest from teams overseas. That is if you are not ranked in the nation such as LaMelo Ball or Brandon Jennings. Go for a 4 year University program at the highest level possible.
AAU and shoe sponsored club teams will help you get exposure to Universities but will rarely get you enough exposure to get overseas.
If your time has passed with University eligibility or it’s just not for you, the best option is getting on a semi-pro team. Make sure you read the last section of the article if you fall under this category.
International Players
Club Teams – For International players, this is the only way to play basketball competitively. Work to get on the best club team in your city or town.
Junior National Team – Your goal should be to play for your country’s national team. The senior team would be the ultimate goal but junior teams will get you exposure.
Step 2: Get Stats
Get stats – How to play basketball overseas image via EuroProBasket
If you go Ncaa D1 and don’t get any minutes, struggle to get stats, then you will also struggle to get interest from teams overseas.
Go D2 and be an All-American. That will get you great playing experience, and quality stats, which could lead to a professional contract.
NCAA, NAIA, USPORTS, international club teams and leagues; got those numbers up while adding value to your team.
Make sure you know where to locate your stats. Keep track of them and add them to your resume at the end of every season.
Step 3: Get Video
Game film is your way to show your talent, athleticism and decision making skills to teams around the world. Video is the 2nd step in your search of how to play basketball overseas.
One Highlight Per Season – Sum up every season you play with a highlight. Teams, coaches, agents…like to get a quick glimpse of how you move and shoot. This will peak their interest and get them to consider watching some of your full games.
Two Full Gamesper Season – This is pretty self explanatory but you need two full games per season played. this is a minimum. Some teams may ask for more. Make sure they are the best games you have played, both on offense and defense.
You should be in control of your own film. Make a YouTube channel, vimeo or sign up for another streaming service. Membership is free and you can upload as many videos as you want.
Acceptable Video – YOU Need to Read This
The quality of the competition is absolutely critical to getting a team overseas to watch your video. Low level and disorganized competition will not gain any attention from clubs overseas.
Open gyms, open runs, YMCA, Juco or high school is not high enough quality to get the interest from contacts overseas. You need to get the highest competition possible. Playing against adults in an organized competitive environment.
NCAA, NAIA, USPORTS are the best options for players from America. International players can use their country’s local competitions. The higher the level of competition the better.
Semi-Pro Leagues in the USA can be good options as well. Not all teams overseas will consider it but many will. It is important your team is organized and the competition is high level. Good effort on defense. Running organized sets and plays on offense.
Overseas Basketball Combine , exposure camps, and showcases in the USA will not get you a team’s interest. Take our word for it, or read this article for reasons why teams do not consider it a viable option to scout players.
More information on why USA overseas basketball combine film will not help you get overseas below.
Overseas Tour game film can work well due to the fact that you are usually playing overseas teams. Be selective on which tour you go on. If you take a tour to Latin America, don’t expect to use the film to help you get on a team in Europe.
Workout videos or clips of yourself working out will rarely get you anywhere. If you have some solid game film and you have had a few months off, it is possible that a team will want to see some workout film to make sure you are in shape. This is usually not the case though.
Mixtapes and slow-mo video clips are cool but not beneficial for coaches and scouts. It will get you some props from your friends and IG followers but will do nothing to get you signed.
EuroProBasket game film – Players in the EuroProBasket program play weekly games against European teams. The leagues that EuroProBasket team plays teams in are recognized around Spain and the rest of Europe. If you are asking yourself How to Play Basketball Overseas, we have your answer here in Valencia, Spain: Register to be part of EuroProBasket’s Professional Placement Program here.
Step 4: Get a Passport
Bosman A, Bosman B, Cotonou passports image via EuroProBasket
You cannot leave your country without a passport, with a few exceptions, which are not worth mentioning for this article.
You will need that passport to travel and on many occasions to register for an international team or league. Take care of that before you start your plans to go abroad.
Dual Citizenship and its Benefits in Overseas Basketball
You may have heard of players being dual citizens or having dual passports. This is one of the first things we recommend our players at EuroProBasket to look into.
If your parents were born in another country or have their citizenship in another country, you are eligible to receive yours as well.
You could possibly be eligible for another citizenship if your grandparents were born in another country. Do some research on your family’s historical background as it will greatly benefit you.
Why having dual citizenship is important?
If you have a European passport for example, you will be considered a European player instead of an import player. No visa is required to register you to a team and there are 3-5 times as many roster spots available for European Bosman A passport holders than there are for import players, or USA passport holders.
If you have citizenship in a specific country, it doesn’t matter the country, and there is a professional basketball league in that country, you will most likely be considered a local player. This has many benefits and will prolong your professional playing and even coaching career indefinitely.
Bosman A – Bosman B – Cotonou – The Differences
Bosman A
These passports are for citizens of the European Union. There are 27 countries in the EU with a few exceptions that are added to the list of Bosman A players. This is arguably the most beneficial passport to have in overseas basketball. You can find some interesting information about the bosman ruling and how it changed European and Ncaa basketball here.
Bosman B
These passports are countries in Europe but excluded from the European Union. Most European leagues have roster spots reserved for players with these passports. Registration to the league is typically less expensive than an import players registration. Players will need a visa to play and work in the country in which the team is located.
Cotonou
These passports are from developing countries, or third world countries in Africa and many Island Nations. Many leagues in Europe (Spain, Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland,ect…) have roster spots specifically for these passport holders. Their registration fee to the league is cheaper for the team. They too need a visa to work and play in the country where the team is located. More about the cotonou agreement here.
Bosman A, Bosman B and Cotonou Countries Table
Bosman A
Bosman B
Cotonou
Cotonou cont…
Andorra (AND)
Albania (ALB)
Angola (ANG)
Liberia (LIB)
Austria (AUT)
Armenia (ARM)
Anguilla (ANL)
Macau (MAC)
Belgium (BEL)
Azerbaijan (AZE)
Antigua (ANT)
Madagascar (MAD)
Bulgaria (BUL)
Belarus (BLR)
Aruba (ARU)
Mali (MLI)
Croatia (CRO)
Bosnia-Herzegovina (BIH)
Bahamas (BAH)
Marshall Islands (MAI)
Cyprus (CYP)
Georgia (GEO)
Barbados (BAR)
Mauritania (MTN)
Czech Rep. (CZE)
Gibraltar (GIB)
Belize (BIZ)
Mauritius Island (MAU)
Denmark (DEN)
Israel (ISR)
Botswana (BOT)
Micronesia (MCR)
Estonia (EST)
Moldova (MDA)
Burkina Faso (BUR)
Mozambique (MOZ)
Finland (FIN)
Montenegro (MNT)
Burundi (BDI)
Namibia (NAM)
France (FRA)
North Macedonia (MKD)
Cameroon (CMR)
Nauru (NRU)
Germany (GER)
Russia (RUS)
Cape Verde (CPV)
Nigeria (NGR)
Greece (GRE)
San Marino (SMR)
Central Africa (CAF)
Palau (PLW)
Holland (NED)
Scotland (SCO)
Chad (CHA)
Papua New Guinea (PNG)
Hungary (HUN)
Serbia (SRB)
Cook Islands (COK)
Rwanda (RWA)
Iceland (ISL)
Switzerland (SUI)
Cuba (CUB)
Saint Kitts (SKN)
Ireland (IRL)
Turkey (TUR)
Dominica (DMA)
Saint Lucia (SLA)
Italy (ITA)
Ukraine (UKR)
Dominican Rep. (DOM)
St. Vincent & Grenadines (VIN)
Kosovo (KOS)
United Kingdom (ENG)
Eritrea (ERI)
Samoa (SAM)
Latvia (LAT)
Wales (WAL)
Ethiopia (ETH)
Senegal (SEN)
Lithuania (LTU)
Fiji (FIJ)
Seychelles (SEY)
Luxembourg (LUX)
Gabon (GAB)
Sierra Leone (SLE)
Malta (MLT)
Gambia (GAM)
Solomon Islands (SOL)
Norway (NOR)
Ghana (GHA)
South Africa (RSA)
Poland (POL)
Grenada (GRN)
Sudan (SUD)
Portugal (POR)
Guam (GUM)
Suriname (SUR)
Romania (ROM)
Guinea (GUI)
Tanzania (TAN)
Slovak Rep. (SVK)
Guinea Bissau (GBS)
Tonga (TGA)
Slovenia (SLO)
Guyana (GUY)
Trinidad and Tobago (TRI)
Spain (ESP)
Haiti (HAI)
Turks and Caicos (TKS)
Sweden (SWE)
Ivory Coast (IVO)
Uganda (UGA)
Jamaica (JAM)
Vanuatu (VAN)
Kenya (KEN)
Zambia (ZAM)
Lesotho (LES)
Zimbabwe (ZIM)
Bosman A, Bosman B, Cotonou Countries List chart by EuroProBasket
Step 5: Make a Player Bio, CV or Resume
Player Resume – How to play basketball overseas image via EuroProBasket
Include Personal Information, picture playing or in a professional outfit
Include stats for every season, as detailed as possible as to not have team searching (remember teams and agents go through hundreds every week)
Add Highlight links and full game links so they are clickable
Add whatever accolades and achievements
Add references if you like
Save it in a pdf and have it on file so you can update it
Make it organized and professional looking
It only needs to be one or two pages
Leave out the self explanation, self scouting and NBA player comparison
Remember, less text is better, English is the 2nd, 3rd or 4th language of the person looking over your bio
Have it ready to send on your phone
We made an article specifically on how to make a basketball resume which can be found below.
Step 6: Network – How to Play Basketball Overseas
Use current contacts with coaches, trainers and teammates
Create and use social media accounts, most contacts abroad have facebook, linkedin and twitter. Some have instagram accounts.
Create your own website with all of your stats and video links if you can.
Step 7: Find an Agent – How To Play Basketball Overseas
A basketball agent will have the contacts to help you get your career started overseas. There is a lot you need to know about overseas agents though. We covered every detail in the article below.
Step 8: Best Opportunities to Play Overseas Basketball
Best opportunities to play overseas basketball image via EuroProBasket
Visit the country you want to play
You’ve attempted Steps 1 through 7 of how to play basketball overseas. You still don’t have a team. Here are your options.
If you want to play in Japan, go to Japan and present yourself to teams. It is a big risk and very expensive but If you can walk in a gym and tryout for a team it makes your chances much higher that the team will give you an opportunity to sign with them.
There are obvious downsides to this option. Many teams only allow a certain amount of import players. Higher level teams have specific needs and there is a chance that you are not that exact fit for the team.
Showcase or Exposure Camp
Showcases in the USA are hit or miss. More miss than hit. Too many players, un-organized open run type of basketball. Most teams cannot afford to send a coach or GM to the US to scout a group of players. It is much easier and less expensive for them to contact an agent for players with professional experience.
Live streams mean a busy person needs to take time out to watch, taken into account the time difference. Don’t fall for the gimmick many camps and combines in the USA try to sell to players.
Agent showcases can be a good option. Usually only the top one or two players will be interesting for the agency.
Basketball Academies & Overseas Tours
These options take more of an investment but what is a career in basketball worth to you? Put yourself in the middle of a country or region that you are interested in living and playing basketball.
Downsides to a tour is that it can be difficult to get a good rhythm and perform in just a week or 10 days. You don’t have much time to practice and get accustomed to your tour team. You will be moving from one location to nother with many hours of travel. Tours are really difficult to time as teams sign players at different times of the year, so when is the best week for the tour? Your guess is as good as theirs…
Some are organized and done by professionals, most are disorganized and can be very uncomfortable and in some cases scary.
A basketball academy is your best all around option. If you want the most legit shot at going pro then why not select the best basketball academy, with the longest history of helping players sign with teams in Europe? Located in the largest basketball facilities in Europe in collaboration with one of the biggest clubs in Europe. EuroProBasket will help you get to the next level.
The best and most secure opportunity to start your professional basketball career overseas is with EuroProBasket International Academy. Here are 21 reasons why.
Sign up for the most successful professional placement program here:
Essentials to Play Basketball Overseas
Essentials to play basketball overseas image via EuroProBasket
For many players these essentials to play basketball overseas will just be reminders. but still crucial to your success playing basketball overseas.
Complete Your Collegiate Playing Career
No one is going to deny that for an American player the most important and useful experience you can have is from a University basketball program.
There is no better place to get high level coaching and competition then in the American University system.
You cannot substitute the 4 years of basketball knowledge, coaching, experience, physical growth and mental maturity that a collegiate basketball career will give you.
That’s not to mention the actual degree that you can receive, paid for have you, from the University you attend.
Stay in school if you want a better chance at playing professional basketball.
Stay Prepared – How To Play Basketball Overseas
The worst thing that can happen is that you get a tryout and are not in game shape
You should be lifting weights, conditioning (running, sprints, hills, stairs, bike, plyometrics) skill work, playing 1v1 and 5v5.
Get with other overseas professional players and workout with them.
If you are not sure how to prepare, hire a professional basketball trainer that can help prepare a plan for you.
Be Active Networking and Making Contacts
Everyday is a new opportunity to meet someone that can help you in your pursuit to play basketball overseas.
Use your current contacts with coaches, teammates and trainers to reach new contacts.
When you meet people involved in basketball, exchange contact information with them. Reach out to them and develop a relationship.
Use social media to make new contacts around the world.
These are the suggestions on how to play basketball overseas by International Scout and CEO of EuroProbasket International Academy in Spain, Brad Kanis.
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Europrobasket is definitely the place where dreams can become reality, everything advertised is what is produced…actual coaches and GM’s come to the practices and even better we go play against teams that are looking for players.
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Europrobasket is an extremely professional organization that really does provide players with great opportunities to start their career overseas. It genuinely was a great experience and I would recommend it to anyone who is serious about playing overseas.
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Europrobasket is a very professional organization and was glad I attended the summer league they put on. They provide real opportunities to get a start in Europe just have to bring your game and the right attitude. I would recommend this organization to anyone who is looking for a real opportunity to play overseas!
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I couldn’t of been more happy attending Europrobasket. I’ve been to a few overseas camps in Vegas the past few summers none of them were close to Europrobasket. If you’re looking to be become a pro this is where you need to be. You’ll be thankful you did!
Michael Williams
Europrobasket was a blessing from God. You will have individual coaches with experience. I accepted an offer and now I’m playing professional basketball in Spain. I recommend Europrobasket for anyone that wants to begin their professional basketball career.
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Europrobasket is a great way to start your professional career it teaches you how to become acclimated to the European lifestyle and also the way of play. Its diverse coaching styles and drills makes this Academy one of the best options for an up-and-coming player to seek a professional career.
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Europrobasket gave me what I needed to start my professional career in Europe. Was well organized! With very good staff members. I recommend this program if you want to play in Europe.
Damion Hooks
Europrobasket is one of the best camps in Europe. Good opportunity for young players. All staff, coaches, hotel and food, gym for praktice and all programs are prepared and designeg for players to progress and make them better.
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Europrobasket International Academy is an outstanding organization that helps place players on professional basketball teams. They do as much as they can to put you in a position to succeed as a professional both on and off the court. I highly recommend this academy to any basketball players who are serious about playing professionally.
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The NBA Academy now has a Russian basketball player.
This has never happened - Interception - Blogs
Editor's Note: You are reading a user blog called "Interception", which talks to future Russian basketball stars. Subscribe to know them all.
Russian center Yaroslav Nyagu is playing in the NBA Global Academy this season. In the summer of 2021, he was invited by Spanish, German, French teams, Euroleague and Eurocup participants, American colleges from the NCAA were invited, but Nyagu chose an academy in Australia.
What are the conditions there, why is this place unique and what gives its players - in a new video on the YouTube channel "Interception".
If you chose the YouTube option, please don't forget to like the video and leave a comment. It helps in promotion.
If you prefer to read, then below is the full text with comments by the main characters.
Yaroslav Nyagu was born in September 2003 in Rostov-on-Don. His dad used to go in for swimming, and not only did it, but became a master of sports. In addition to swimming, Sergei Nyagu is also a master of sports in judo.
Attention, the question is: what sport did dad send his son to? There is no time to think - three, two one ... Yes, you are right - for swimming. And judo!
But everything changed when in the first grade Yaroslav went to basketball. Then the coach came to the class and asked who would like to come play for a trial workout. The boy came home, told his parents, and they said: "Well, try it." Or rather, grandparents insisted on trying, and that's how Yaroslav ended up in basketball.
Yaroslav: “I came to the first practice. At first, I just did it, I didn’t think that it would turn out that way. Then, in the third grade, I moved to Krasnodar, and I had to look for a coach there. It so happened that they contacted the coach from Lokomotiv, who was involved in youth, and so I got on the sheet to Lokomotiv. And then, when I grew up, I was 14 years old and I could go to a boarding school, then I, one might say, finally got into the system.
Sergey: “We have arrived in Krasnodar. He played basketball, he succeeded, he liked it. And swimming in parallel, until the seventh grade I was engaged in swimming. That is, we arrived, started looking for a coach, found several coaches, it was a long way to travel. The stadiums "Spartak" and "Trud" were next to us, there was one coach, Evgeny Vladimirovich, and now we got to him. And they studied with him, it turns out, until the seventh grade. He was later noticed by Lokomotiv coaches.
Since childhood, Yaroslav's schedule was scheduled literally by the hour: training in the morning, school after it, and evening training after school. Home, sleep, and all over again.
Sergey: “I, as a professional athlete, all my life seeing his size, height at that age, understood that I needed to go in for sports. He played swimming and basketball at the same time, and the moment came when I gave him a choice. Well, in principle, he himself said: “I will play basketball, I want to, I like it, I don’t want to do anything else.” It was just the 6th or 7th grade, around this time he decided that he would follow this path. Basically, I'm all for it."
Yaroslav was a stubborn child. He gradually came to the forefront in the youth team, and in 2021 he even participated with her in the youth Euroleague. He looked great there, was one of the leaders and… attracted the attention of European teams.
Just at that time Yaroslav was graduating from school and began to think in what direction to develop his career. In Russia, the rights to him belong to Lokomotiv, so here he is a restricted free agent. But you can leave Russia...
Nyagu had offers from Spanish, French, German teams, Euroleague and Eurocup participants. In addition, American colleges were called.
There were two problems with the latter: first, none of the colleges can compare with the top European training systems; second, Nyagu did not speak English very well. The universities said that this was not a question at all, that they would help with everything, but for admission you need to pass an English exam via video link, and no one can help with this. Therefore, proposals from the NCAA could not be seriously considered.
Yaroslav was looking at Europe until his representative called him and told him that there was interest from... Australia. From the NBA academy. It turned out that the scouts of the academy have been following him for a long time, they know his capabilities and invite him to Canberra.
Yaroslav: “It was like a lifeline for me. Because at first we chose between Spain, America and staying in Russia. It was clear to us that in America I would not be able to study at universities, because English was a zero level. Europe - in principle, the same thing, only there is also a contract for 5 years. And while we were thinking, there was an option with Australia. You can tell how you came to the camp here. There is no contract, you can leave whenever you want, and I will be able to improve my English so that in the future I will either go to Europe or America. It turned out to be the perfect option for me.”
Sergey: “I had mixed feelings — feelings, far away, coronavirus… Very far away! But today I do not regret anything, a great decision. This is a great experience - both for basketball development, and for the development of a person as a person, for the development of his psyche, language skills. First of all, of course, basketball skills, but everything else in the appendage. Great experience, nothing to regret, just glad that it all worked out.
There is a slightly different approach to training, everything is based on positive emotions, on support. Well, the other hemisphere, the atmosphere. I like training, everything is fine, it is developing. Very, according to him, good guys, with whom he sparred, with whom he could develop his playing skills. Qualified employees. In general, the level NBA Academy - the name speaks for itself.
Let's figure out what kind of beast this is - the NBA Global Academy.
The National Basketball Association started building its academies five years ago. Today there are six such centers: two in China, one each in Mexico, Senegal, India and Australia. The league provides coaches, scouts, fitness specialists to academies, shares programs and sends technical devices. In a word, it contains academies at the highest level.
It's not officially mentioned anywhere, but the Chinese and Indian academies are mostly involved in promoting the sport as such. The association invests millions of dollars in the maintenance of these academies, but the very presence of the organization in national markets brings even more. The real talent search is carried out in academies located in Latin America and Africa.
At the top of all these academies is the Australian NBA Global Academy. The most talented guys from all other academies get there, as well as the most promising Australians.
In theory, the most promising Europeans should also go there. But with them, everything is a little more complicated. The fact is that all more or less talented players from the Old World are quickly snapped up by clubs and their training systems. The choice is clear: in the clubs they are offered some money, and sometimes not even some, but a serious salary. Under such conditions, it makes no sense to go to Australia, because you can progress in Europe.
Therefore, the Global Academy has long focused on talent from Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and some other parts of the world. Before Nyagu there were not only Russians, but even Europeans. The more surprising this story.
Yaroslav: “When I arrived, I was in quarantine for 15 days, I guess. In general, they usually sit there for 7 days, but then they found out that when I flew to Australia, a man was sitting next to me, whose crown was found. They gave me another 7 days of quarantine, that is, at first I just sat in the same room for 15 days. They brought me food there. By the way, my suitcase was lost while I was flying. That is, I was still without things at all. But, in principle, they brought me all the things, the equipment of the academy on the second day, they brought me exercise equipment, elastic bands, dumbbells.
Then, when I got out of quarantine, all the guys went home, they had holidays. Someone went to America to play, to watch universities. Then, probably, the rest of December, 15 days, I just trained with one kid, he came from Qatar, and one coach. We had individual training. then two Chinese arrived, the Australians slowly began to pull themselves up, and we were taken on a short trip. We went to all sorts of beaches, we were shown the places where the Australian Aborigines lived. It was interesting. The house was rented very large, I did not even expect. I thought we would live in some kind of kennels. We went there for 10 days.
When we returned, half of the boys also returned. We slowly started training, similar to the main ones. Coaches began to pull themselves up slowly. Then, when everyone gathered, it was unexpected for me that there were 30 people at one training session. At first, I didn’t understand how the coaches had time to develop someone when there were 30 people, in fact it’s hard to play even five on five. But here everything is very fast, breaks are given to us for 30 seconds, to drink water - run-run, then back. Everyone runs, you can't walk at all. The game in this regard is also very different from Russian basketball, everything is very fast here. The first workouts, I generally stood: “How am I going to run like that now?” It was very unusual.”
Now you may be wondering how Yaroslav communicated with teammates if he did not speak English at all. Nukak ... Gestures, separate phrases and Google translator.
He knew some basketball terms. Plus, the coaches gave him a notebook so that he would write down in it some points that related to vocabulary in training - in order to explain something, there were no special problems.
Yaroslav: “Classes started at the end of December, I guess. I had 2-3 classes a week, 2 hours each session. At first, the classes were incomprehensible, I learned more from the fact that I talked with the boys, I tried. They say a word, I don't understand it, I translate it and memorize it. More from this. Then a teacher who knows Russian began to come to me. He himself is from Australia, but his wife is from Grozny. We began to study with him, and after that progress was visible. Of course, not as much as we would like, because training, fatigue, and studying English hard are also hard. But I already understand everything in training, I can convey what I need. Maybe not perfect English, but what I want, I can already convey.
Yaroslav now has 5 classes a week - 2 hours each. Rest - only on Saturday and Sunday. Given the training schedule, it's pretty hard, but Nyagu manages.
Yaroslav: “Here, you can say, it's always English. Sometimes, even when I was just starting to teach, I was so tired of thinking about every word, what does it mean, that I just walked around for several days, was silent, did not say anything, nodded. I already thought that we should start teaching them Russian.”
The Academy operates within the Center of Excellence. This is the Center of Excellence, which operates under the Australian Institute of Sports - the country's main sports institution. Its graduates over the years have included Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Joe Ingles, Patti Mills, David Andersen, Ryan Broekhoff, Joshua Giddy and just about any Australian top athlete.
Since the players can enjoy the same things that are available to Australian Olympians, most professional basketball clubs - not only in Russia, but in general - do not even dream of such conditions.
Yaroslav: “We have pools with ice water, hot water, there is a pool where you walk against the current. Treadmills, some other things, I don’t even know what they are, they look like some kind of space ones. And it's all in the public domain. The pool is normal, Olympic. The gym is constantly open, everything is as close as possible to the best conditions.
Accommodation - in separate cottages on the territory of the center, entrance - with chips, according to NBA protocols, taking into account COVID-security. The food is adapted for the players - for all kinds of allergies, intolerances, and so on. And, again, access to the refrigerator with food - 24/7.
The center focuses on the development of the body and skills. Players in training work with special heart rate sensors that track heart rate and other indicators. Then all this is summed up, entered into a special application and a personal training schedule is developed.
It turns out that there are team workouts, but there are individual ones - and these individual programs are developed based on the readiness of the athletes' bodies for certain loads. But if suddenly the load seems insufficient to someone, then access to the hall is 24/7.
Each player is assigned specialists who keep track of everything, and there is also a general curator who keeps track of everyone. They build programs to develop physical skills, athleticism, determine cardio loads, prescribe individual nutritional supplements and develop diets.
They teach running and jumping techniques. So that the players would not be retrained in the NBA later, like one big guy from New Orleans, but to immediately come to the league and be able to do everything. Cross-training to strengthen the body, and sand training to strengthen the ligaments and joints. In addition, the study of psychology and physiology in order to understand how to work with your own body.
The academy also monitors mental health. There is a psychologist at the base, and this is important, because Australia is a separate continent, therefore, the home of most players is across the ocean. To help them cope with the psychological burden, there are specially trained doctors. They talk with the players, help and let them go on vacation.
In addition, the academy has non-traditional things for basketball. Tell someone in Russia about it - they will laugh, but at the academy the guys do meditation, yoga, and before each workout they lie down on the mats and ... listen to music, listen to themselves, their body and tune in to work.
Yaroslav: “Probably the most important difference is that coaches don't need wins here. That is, we do not have such that someone plays less, someone more. If we go to a game, everyone plays strictly to the minute. Everyone gets the same time, there is no one who sits and does nothing. This is probably the most important thing. And they let you do almost anything you want. If you are big without a throw and throw a three, then you will not sit on the bench and you will not sit for the rest of the game. This is the biggest difference from Russian clubs, no one owes anyone.”
Members of the academy also have days off. At noon on Saturday, training ends, and until Monday they try not to touch them.
Yaroslav: “On Saturday morning, training ends, probably by 12 am, and the rest of Saturday and Sunday we have days off, we can do whatever we want. They don’t pay much attention to what we do on the weekends, the main thing is not to get killed. The people here are too kind, when I first arrived, I did not understand, they were making fun of me or something. People have a completely different behavior, attitude. They understood that I did not know English, everyone helped me, absolutely everyone. Everyone is constantly walking, smiling, joking, even suspicious somehow all kind.
As for the schedule of the academy players during the week, it is very busy. Monday - two workouts and school, Tuesday - the same, Wednesday - training, procedures and a match, Thursday - two workouts, school and a rocking chair, Friday - the same, Saturday - training with a rocking chair.
There is no limit on staying at the academy, that is, Yaroslav Nyagu did not sign any contract. He can leave the academy whenever he sees fit, both this year and later. And he will be able to choose: NCAA, NBA draft, Europe or even Russia again.
So far, the most logical option seems to be an American college, because many top programs invited Yaroslav. But, in any case, it's too early to talk about it.
If you like to learn more about Russian basketball and Russian basketball players, subscribe to the telegram channel "Interception".
More videos about Russians abroad:
• Is Samson Ruzhentsev the next Russian in the NBA? He didn't wait for CSKA, left for the USA and entered the top 50 schoolchildren
• Pavel Savkov is third in the 2002 European ranking. He moved to Spain at 16 and trains with the Basques
• There are 8 Russians in the NCAA this season. How are they?
• Yegor Demin moved to Real Madrid at the age of 15. Experts consider him the best player born in 2006
• The Russian guy gets advice from LeBron and plays on the same team with Bronnie. Getting to know Timofey Rudovsky
Photo: Yaroslav Nyagu's personal archive; lokobasket.com
Basketball is not just a game for Kirilenko and sex for Kurtinaitis
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Basketball is not just a game for Kirilenko and sex for Kurtinaitis
Basketball is not just a game for Kirilenko and sex for Kurtinaitis - RIA Novosti, 06.11.2011
Basketball is not just a game for Kirilenko and sex for Kurtinaitis
On the day of the 150th birthday of James Naismith, the man who invented basketball, R-Sport correspondent Nadezhda Perepechko asked a banal question to Russian players and... RIA Novosti, 06. 11.2011
On the day of the 150th birthday of James Naismith, the man who invented basketball, R-Sport correspondent Nadezhda Perepechko asked Russian players and coaches a banal question, "What is basketball for you?" and heard non-trivial answers from the army team Andrei Kirilenko, Viktor Khryapa and Alexei Shved, Khimki defender Vitaly Fridzon, coaches Rimas Kurtinaitis and Evgeny Pashutin.
Kirilenko's best match ahead
"Basketball was originally just a game, which later turned into my job. It's very nice to play when you get pleasure from it and still get paid for it," said Kirilenko.
AK-47 is the only Russian who has been registered in the best league in the world for a long time. On June 30, 1999, a graduate of St. Petersburg Spartak and Moscow CSKA, he was selected under the 24th number of the NBA draft by the Utah Jazz club. At that time, the Russian was the youngest European basketball player drafted by the NBA team. Kirilenko moved overseas and stayed there for ten years.
"My career is not over yet, so it's a bit hard to sum up anything. The beginning of my career was very interesting, I got into professional basketball at a fairly young age. The first years were quite difficult to adapt and get used to, after all, the men were healthy , I had to butt, push. Then I reached such a level when I began to keep up with everything, I had already gained experience, it was already easy, - says Andrey. - At the age of 20, I got to America, and the same thing practically began: again I had to get used to to the game, to push again. And like this, ten years have passed. Now, of course, it was already easier to return to Russia, you already know all your moments when you can beat. But at the same time it’s harder, because everyone is preparing for you, everyone knows that you can, and every team builds defense based on your strengths.In every game you need to find it and overcome it.I hope Andrei Kirilenko has not yet played his best match.Although I have no matches, the ones I remember the most, I played a lot of games, there were both good and bad ones. I think that all the matches give you some experience, some motivation to continue to be better and better."
Pashutin: even without a hand he would have remained in basketball
Evgeny Pashutin, being a player, received a terrible injury to his right hand, tearing his tendons. But he managed to return to big basketball and for many years became one of the leaders of the Russian national team. “Then there was no thought of quitting basketball. The injury, overcoming it, once again proved to me how much I love this game. I will not leave basketball. Everything is interconnected and symbolic. Inside myself in my head, I always kept that I was in this game forever.
Of course, this injury threw me back, but the love of basketball helped me recover, the game gave me the opportunity to return," says the UNICS coach.
According to Pashutin, "the best game on Earth" became the meaning and purpose of his life. Completing his sports career in 2003, Pashutin became the youngest coach in Russia.Although it is always difficult to move to the other side of basketball, it is always difficult to become a good coach from a player.“The first year there was a desire to jump out onto the floor on my own, but now it has passed. I understand that the guys are doing everything better now, all the players are high-class. There are probably still such thoughts in my head, but basketball is now moving forward every year, the players are more dynamic, more athletic, their reaction speed is much faster. You have to mind your own business," he continues.
Pashutin does not have one idol, because "there are a lot of good basketball players". “Now the standard of Russian basketball is Andrei Kirilenko, he can play from first to fifth position, he is a unique person and player. God created him for basketball, like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant in America, we have Andrei Kirilenko. Vitya Khryapa is a player of the same At that time it was Sabonis, Tarakanov, Tkachenko, Marciulionis, the great sniper Kurtinaitis, point guard Eremin, the sniper of all snipers, the best sniper in the history of our basketball Belov. his individual, "says Eugene.
The coach is sure that even now in Russian basketball there are many talented players who can become European stars: "We still have a whole group of players who, for some reason, have not shown themselves in everything. Aleksey Shved, Nikita Kurbanov, Anton Ponkrashov and, of course, the phenomenal Andrey Vorontsevich, who improves from game to game. Everyone has a chance, but to become European stars, you need to work hard. "
Fridzon with EuroBasket bronze and dream of Russian championship
The Khimki defender has the 2008 Russian Cup in his piggy bank, the 2010/2011 VTB United League gold medal, and the 2011 European Championship bronze medal in the national team. We played, maybe we were a little unlucky. I was at the Olympics. These are the brightest moments for which you live. It's a shame that there are fewer awards with the club. The victory in the VTB United League is also a lot for me, but still I I can’t become the champion of Russia in any way. I played in the final five times and took second place. It’s a shame, but I hope I still have ahead of me. I hope that our team will go to the Olympics. I can talk about this game endlessly, I live it, " says Fridzon.
25-year-old Fridzon can no longer imagine himself without everyday training, games, creaking sneakers and an orange ball: “Basketball is my life. I have been practicing for a long time and cannot imagine myself without it. led me into it. I've been a fan of the game ever since."
Basketball sometimes replaces a woman - Kurtinaitis
In 1988 at the Olympics in Seoul, the forward of the USSR national team and the current coach of Khimki near Moscow Rimas Kurtinaitis climbed to the highest step of the podium. As Kurtinaitis himself says, he was lucky to play under the leadership of the "father of Soviet basketball" Alexander Gomelsky.
"Of course, the 1988 Olympic Games, when we became champions, are more memorable. Our coach Gomelsky is a man with a capital letter, only the best words can be said about him. I am grateful to him for what I have achieved in my life. Basketball - this is a hobby, work, love, most of the time it even replaces a woman. My whole life is in basketball. I worked as the Minister of Sports, but left this job, realizing that I could not live without basketball, "Kurtinaitis admits.
The Lithuanian was not only an emotional player, but also remained the same coach, sometimes it seems that now he will take off his jacket and run out onto the court himself.
"There are moments when you want to jump out onto the court. Sometimes you catch the ball in your dreams. You dream of career moments, but reality is reality, in such years no one runs seriously anymore. In principle, in my heart I am the same basketball player as and was thirty years ago. The biggest idol for me at one time was Sergey Belov. Then, like everyone else, we wanted to become like Michael Jordan," he continues smiling.
Basketball gave Khryapa a friend
The friendship between rivals on the parquet of army man Viktor Khryapa and Sergey Monya from Khimki has long been legendary. Once upon a time, it was basketball that united them.
"My friendship with Monya has been carried over since Saratov, where we played together. I'm glad that we manage to maintain relations at such a good level, despite the fact that a lot of time has passed. In CSKA, we have a good atmosphere in the team, but that's all all the same, everyone cannot be good friends. They are always counted on the fingers, and Sergey is one of them, of the few," Khryapa notes.
Basketball cannot be called an ordinary profession, the mode and schedule of games is transferred to everyday life. The captain of CSKA is grateful to his family, which always supports him. “My whole family lives according to my schedule, so first of all I need to say a big thank you to them for accepting my schedule and supporting me in my difficult sport,” says Khryapa.
"Swedish" family
As a child, CSKA forward Alexei Shved had no choice of what to do: Lesha's father is an honored coach of the country, and her mother played and coached together with her husband. Their eldest daughter Evgenia is a vice-champion of the world and Europe, a participant in two Olympics, the second daughter Victoria also left a mark on the basketball court, playing abroad and in her own championship. After the bronze number 23 for the Russian team at EuroBasket 2011, experts began to call the army team "white Jordan", and not only because of the game number.
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This has never happened - Interception - Blogs 
His dad used to go in for swimming, and not only did it, but became a master of sports. In addition to swimming, Sergei Nyagu is also a master of sports in judo. 
And then, when I grew up, I was 14 years old and I could go to a boarding school, then I, one might say, finally got into the system. 
He played swimming and basketball at the same time, and the moment came when I gave him a choice. Well, in principle, he himself said: “I will play basketball, I want to, I like it, I don’t want to do anything else.” It was just the 6th or 7th grade, around this time he decided that he would follow this path. Basically, I'm all for it." 
The universities said that this was not a question at all, that they would help with everything, but for admission you need to pass an English exam via video link, and no one can help with this. Therefore, proposals from the NCAA could not be seriously considered. 
There is no contract, you can leave whenever you want, and I will be able to improve my English so that in the future I will either go to Europe or America. It turned out to be the perfect option for me.” 
Qualified employees. In general, the level NBA Academy - the name speaks for itself. 
They brought me food there. By the way, my suitcase was lost while I was flying. That is, I was still without things at all. But, in principle, they brought me all the things, the equipment of the academy on the second day, they brought me exercise equipment, elastic bands, dumbbells. 
We slowly started training, similar to the main ones. Coaches began to pull themselves up slowly. Then, when everyone gathered, it was unexpected for me that there were 30 people at one training session. At first, I didn’t understand how the coaches had time to develop someone when there were 30 people, in fact it’s hard to play even five on five. But here everything is very fast, breaks are given to us for 30 seconds, to drink water - run-run, then back. Everyone runs, you can't walk at all. The game in this regard is also very different from Russian basketball, everything is very fast here. The first workouts, I generally stood: “How am I going to run like that now?” It was very unusual.” 
Sometimes, even when I was just starting to teach, I was so tired of thinking about every word, what does it mean, that I just walked around for several days, was silent, did not say anything, nodded. I already thought that we should start teaching them Russian.” 
Treadmills, some other things, I don’t even know what they are, they look like some kind of space ones. And it's all in the public domain. The pool is normal, Olympic. The gym is constantly open, everything is as close as possible to the best conditions. 
But if suddenly the load seems insufficient to someone, then access to the hall is 24/7. 
To help them cope with the psychological burden, there are specially trained doctors. They talk with the players, help and let them go on vacation. 
This is the biggest difference from Russian clubs, no one owes anyone.” 
How are they? 
11.2011 
xdlkab05 
Now, of course, it was already easier to return to Russia, you already know all your moments when you can beat. But at the same time it’s harder, because everyone is preparing for you, everyone knows that you can, and every team builds defense based on your strengths.In every game you need to find it and overcome it.I hope Andrei Kirilenko has not yet played his best match.Although I have no matches, the ones I remember the most, I played a lot of games, there were both good and bad ones. I think that all the matches give you some experience, some motivation to continue to be better and better." 
I will not leave basketball. Everything is interconnected and symbolic. Inside myself in my head, I always kept that I was in this game forever. 
" 
led me into it. I've been a fan of the game ever since." 
They are always counted on the fingers, and Sergey is one of them, of the few," Khryapa notes. 
