How to become a pro basketball player in europe

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:

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.

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.

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 Games per 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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

• 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.

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

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.

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.

• 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.

EuroProBasket Basketball Academy | Pro Placement | Tryouts | Camps

Your Shot To Go Pro

Our programs

Sign up

Men`s Programs

Women`s Programs

Players’ review

• 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.

  Danielle Pratt

• Europrobasket is a great place for anyone who wants to start a pro basketball career…Brad always make sure his players go to the right situations, he puts his time, effort and connections into it.

  Blaise Haman

• Europrobasket is the best academy you can go to. Definitely get your moneys worth…europrobasket got me into one of the best leagues in Europe…I went there 2 years removed from college. I seen a player come in and two days later he was on a team.

  Aluk Adub

• 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.

  Chris De Souza

• EuroPro is an all around professional and unique experience that truly simulates a European basketball season. The academy is everything its advertised as and if you come prepared you will definitely see positive results!

  Malcolm Parrish

• Europrobasket Academy is a great way to get you professional career started. Europrobasket simulates what being on a professional team is like with 2 practices a day & weight room sessions every day. Brad & his staff will make sure they do everything they can to help you accomplish your goals.

  Deejay Irving

• Europrobasket made it easier for my son to transition from college basketball to playing in Spain. He is now living out his life-long dream of playing in Europe as well as learning the culture and language of Catalonia. What an amazing opportunity.

  Ramona Colas – Mother of Gerald Colas

• 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!

  Rachaun Thompson

• 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.

  Marquis Gaines

• 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.

  Hasain Bunnell

• 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.

  Dušan Ognjenović

• 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.

  Don Stephens

• Europrobasket is the best organized academy in Europe. The whole staff is fully dedicated to players, and that is a great chance for the players to learn a lot of things for their future career. Brad is a very good man and he will do everything for players.

  Milos Stojanovic

• I had great experience In Europrobasket to start my carrer in Spain. They always take care everything and do best support for players.

  Isao Kinoshita

• My experience was great. I did my research on the acadmey for year. Also talked with past players that had nothing but good things to say. Everyone at Europro has your best interest at heart. The coaches are the best I have ever worked with.

  Dominique Neil

• I would like to thank the Europrobasket staff for helping my son with the opportunity of playing professionally. Whatever questions I had as a supportive parent, Brad answered them and was straight forward about everything the program had to offer.

  Janet Vanderhorst – Mother of Lee Vanderhorst

• I was fortunate to visit Europrobasket a year before attended the camp as a participant. Even after my signing I still communicate with Brad and I never feel as if I am bother. I like what he is doing for the basketball community and I know it will only grow bigger.

  Tashawna Higgins

Last SignedSee more

Europe’s most advanced training and educational institution

Hundreds of players have received opportunities to continue their overseas basketball careers after taking part in our programs. Of those hundreds of players, even more have received professional and semi professional tryouts with European league teams. Every player has improved day after day with our team of expert euro Head Coaches, Strength and Conditioning Coaches, Physical Therapists and European player personnel Scouts. All of whom are professionally certified with a background of collegiate and professional playing experience. Multiple Europrobasket players have received NCAA Scholarship opportunities and opportunities to complete Europe master’s degrees while competing with overseas teams in European basketball leagues.

Valencia The center of European Basketball

Both Valencia Basket’s men and woman’s teams are in the highest division in Spain, the best National leagues outside the NBA and WNBA, and they also compete in the Euroleague and Eurocup, the best International leagues outside of the NBA and WNBA. L’Alqueria del Basket is the largest and most modern basketball facility in Europe. The most Elite players train here. The best NCAA Universities visit us here. The biggest overseas clubs and teams in Europe play games here. The largest and most important basketball tournaments are organized here. The best international basketball academy is located here. Join Europobasket in the center of European Basketball!

Guaranteed Improvement

At Europrobasket we don’t guarantee you a team. We guarantee you a lifetime experience filled with new knowledge and insight into European basketball. We guarantee you improvement in every aspect of your game whether it be mental, physical or social. We guarantee you contact with International players, coaches, trainers and teams, all from Europe. We guarantee the beginning of a basketball journey that could take you anywhere in the World. With our experience and your hard work, your basketball dreams will become reality. Join the Europrobasket International Basketball Academy family.

• Meet the people who can help you
• Train with the European Professional coaches and trainers that can prepare you
• Play against the European Teams that can expose you
• Showcase yourself to the European Teams, Coaches, Scouts, GM’s and Agents that can sign you
• Live your dream of playing overseas basketball

Sign Up

Who trains here

Maciej LampeNBA and Polish National Team

Queralt CasasWNBA and Spanish National Team

Tornike ShengeliaNBA & Euroleague

Luka MitrovićEuroleague

Artemis SpanouGreek National Team

Our Partners

where to study, salary, pros and cons

Author: Professional Guide

Updated by October 31, 2022

Basketball player is a professional basketball player. Such a team game is popular, first of all, in the USA. In Russia, it is somewhat inferior to football and hockey, but still quite in demand. By the way, the ProfGid career guidance center has recently developed an accurate career guidance test that will tell you which professions suit you, give an opinion about your personality type and intelligence.

See also :

Brief description: who is a basketball player?

The basic rules of the game of basketball are usually known to everyone: two teams enter the field, the one that scores more points wins. Points are given for hitting the ball into a basket hanging at a height of 3.05 meters from the floor. The number of points that is counted for each hit depends on the distance from which the throw was made. In the process of moving around the field, players must dribble the ball, beating it off the floor, and not hold it in their hands.

Features of the profession

A professional sports career requires a lot of energy, effort, time and dedication. A basketball player must always be in good shape, his salary and popularity largely depend on the performance of his performance on the field, and he must work closely with other team members. The main duties of a basketball player are as follows:

• Daily attendance at training.
• Compliance with the regime of the day and nutrition.
• Participation in matches.
• Participation in non-match events of the club.
• Regular medical examination, following the recommendations of the doctor and trainer.

A basketball player must be prepared for the fact that he will periodically have to change the clubs he plays for, participate in international competitions from his country, and even during the match, cooperate with different groups of players (frequent substitutions are very common in this game).

Pros and cons of the basketball profession

Pros

1. Prestigious profession with a decent salary.
2. Opportunity to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
3. Opportunity to travel, communicate with representatives of different countries and peoples.
4. The joy of victories and the support of the fans.

See also:

Cons

1. The need for talent or extensive experience to gain recognition and sign expensive contracts.
2. Negative emotions from defeats.
3. Occupational diseases (herniated disc, knee problems, Schlatter's disease).
4. Age restrictions on career length.

Important Personal Qualities

In order to successfully fill the position of a basketball player and succeed in this field, an athlete must be in very good physical shape, he must not have serious chronic diseases, he needs excellent endurance, concentration, speed of movement and reactions, perfect coordination. Most often, very tall athletes become successful basketball players. Analytical thinking, the ability to follow the strategy developed by the coach, make decisions quickly, and work together with the rest of the team members will also not interfere.

Basketball training

Russian universities and colleges do not offer basketball training as such. You can learn how to play basketball in sports schools, and then improve your skills in basketball clubs. In parallel, you can get a sports education (including to successfully work as a coach after completing a career in big-time sports). In this context, the specialty "Physical Education" in colleges (code 49.02.01) or the same name in universities (code 49.03.01). A certificate is sufficient for admission to a secondary school, in addition to it, the results of the Unified State Examination in the Russian language, biology and physics are required for admission to a university.

Courses

Stremlenie Basketball Club

It is necessary to think about where to get the profession of a basketball player, if you have the appropriate inclinations, from childhood. Therefore, most basketball schools offer training for children and teenagers. One of these schools is the Stremlenie basketball club, where individual and team trainings are held. Members of the club also take part in competitions.

The best universities for basketball players

1. MSPU
2. RGSU
3. MGOU
4. RGUFKSMiT
5. RGUFK them. P.F. Lesgafta
6. RSPU im. A.I. Herzen

Read also:

Place of work

Basketball players play for basketball clubs, national teams. At the end of their careers, they work as coaches (both in adult clubs and in children's sports schools).

Salary of a basketball player

The level of income of such an athlete directly depends on his talent, experience, professionalism and fame. The more useful a basketball player can bring to the club, the higher the salary will be offered to him.

Basketball player salary for October 2022

Salary information provided by hh. ru portal.

Russia 100000-250000₽

Career growth

Building a career for a professional athlete is about improving your skills and getting more and more lucrative offers from clubs. With age, it may also involve a change from activity to coaching.

Professional knowledge

1. Human anatomy, physiology and biochemistry.
2. History of physical culture.
3. Psychology of physical culture.
4. Management of physical culture and sports.
5. Biomechanics of motor activity.
6. Rules of the game of basketball.
7. Team strategies when playing basketball.

Famous basketball players

1. Michael Jordan, one of the Chicago Bulls' most popular players, was on the club's winning streak six times in the NBA.
2. Shaquille O'Neal, recognized as one of the best players in the history of the NBA, also known for releasing rap albums and appearing in several films.
3. Clyde Drexler, one of the best basketball players in the NBA, Olympian with 20,000 points in his entire career.

See also:

Examples of companies with vacancies for a basketball player

Go get an education, you're too late to be a basketball player - The Jay's - Blogs

NBA players who started playing basketball very late

We all know basketball players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Michael Jordan. They played basketball all their lives, they were talked about even during their school years and no one was surprised by the fact that sooner or later they would get into the world's major basketball league.

But what about the players who first picked up an orange ball not at age three, but in high school, or worse, in college? What chances do they have to achieve at least some success in the basketball field, and do they exist at all?

Everyone has a chance. This is the beauty of basketball. Today we will talk about athletes who got acquainted with basketball much later than most players.

Joel Embid

When I started: 2011 (15 years)

Statistics for career: 22.8 + 9.9 + 2.8 + 2.0 (Blocks \ Blocks)

Achievements: All-Rookie First Team, All-Star, NCAA Defensive Player of the Year.

Process already looks like the top 3 center in the entire league. In today's NBA, if you're a center and you don't have a good and consistent shot, you're in for the fate of Hassan Whiteside. Old-school centers are no longer interesting to anyone, their actions are predictable, there is no threat from them on the arc, therefore this gives more freedom to the defending team. And that's why players like Anthony Davis, Karl Towns, DeMarcus Cousins ​​and Joel Embiid sat down on the "basketball Olympus".

But if in the case of the first three centers, the ascent took 15-20 years, then Embiid needed only 7.

Initially, "The Process" wanted to become a volleyball player and try his hand at the European Championships. But when the young Embiid was 15 years old, he picked up a basketball for the first time and began to copy Hakim Olajuwon's style of play. Joel liked the game so much that in the same year he went to a basketball camp organized by Luc Mba a Mute in Cameroon.

As a result of this camp, Luke was so impressed with Embiid's game and potential that he invites him to try himself in America.

At the age of 16, Joel Embiid moves to the USA and decides to become a professional basketball player.

In the states, the "Process" continued to progress and got into one of the best student organizations - Kansas. In his only college season, Embiid scored something like 11+8, entered the top 30 students and entered the draft with a back injury.

At first, Joel did not work out in the NBA, just because of the unfortunate injury, and for the first two years he almost completely lay in the infirmary. But after the recovery and after the last season, we see a top center, who is undoubtedly far from his peak and will continue to progress.

Dennis Rodman

When I started: 1983 (21)

Statistics on the career: 7.3 + 13.1 + 1.8 + 0.6

Achieving: Member of the Glory Hall, 5-fold champion NBA, 2-time Defensive Player of the Year, 2-time All-Star, 7-time defensive top five.

The best rebounder in basketball history, ready to rip opponents' elbows out with the ball, only got to know basketball in high school. And it is very difficult to call this acquaintance the beginning of his basketball career. Rodman, a model of his school years, did not really know how to dribble, and his shots from under the basket left much to be desired, not to mention the shots from the middle. As a result, throughout his school career, Rodman sat on the bench. Also, young Dennis tried to get into the school football team, but failed there too.

Of course, after such a school "performance", no college offered Rodman an athletic scholarship. As a result, Dennis graduates from high school and goes to work as a janitor at the local airport. And just at that time, the young player has a so-called "growth spurt" and decides to try his hand at basketball again, despite the fact that he did not feel very comfortable in his new two-meter body.

A friend of the Rodman family, he got a position as head coach at a small college in Texas, and offered the young Dennis a scholarship. As a result of his first and only semester (Rodman was expelled for poor progress), the young player scores 17 + 13! Agree, very good numbers for a player who a couple of years ago could not get out from under the basket.

The most interesting thing is that during high school, Dennis was only 170 cm tall. But by the time he went to college at 21, Rodman was already 204 cm tall! It's amazing how he has grown so much in just 4 years.

After his first undergraduate performance failure, Rodman was given a second chance at an Oklahoma college whose team was NAIA. There he spends three fruitful years, gaining 25 + 15, becomes the leader in rebounds and gets into the 19th draft. 86, where he was drafted 3rd overall by the Detroit Pistons in the second round.

Everything that happened next is history. Dennis went from a calm and reserved player who did his job in the Pistons, like other "bad guys", into an outrageous, media player.

But it is worth noting that this did not affect his game in any way. Rodman became the best defensive player of the championship 2 times, got into the top five defensively 7 times and became the best rebounder 7 times in a row. Well, it’s not worth talking about his five championships, everyone already knows about it.

Interesting fact: Father Dennis Rodman has 48 children.

Another interesting fact: Dennis Rodman is the oldest of them.

Moving on.

Hakim Potzzhivon

When I started: 1979 (16 years)

Statistics for the career: 21.8 + 11.1 + 2.5 + 3.1

Achievements for Kharmer: Member of the Hall of Slava, 2- 2- 1x NBA Champion, 1x NBA MVP, 1x Finals MVP, 12x All-Star, 2x Defensive Player of the Year, one of the top 50 basketball players of all time.

The Dream, until the age of 16 he was exclusively fond of football and handball. And it was a football career that helped Hakim with footwork and body balance in the future.

At the age of 16, the two-meter-high Olajuwon is invited to take part in a basketball tournament (even though Hakim has never played it). There, a basketball coach notices him and informs Hakim's parents that their son may have a good career, but in Nigeria he will remain only budding. Hakim begins to train hard with his coach in order to achieve something in professional sports. Here's what he said about basketball:

Basketball is something unique. When I took the ball in my hands, I immediately knew that this is what I want to do all my life, you know? After that moment, any other sports lost their meaning for me.

As a result of all this, the parents of a young basketball player sent him to America, where Houston College was waiting for him to watch. Hakim impressed coach Guy Lewis with his game and he accepted the young player into the squad.

Season 1980/1981 Olajuwon missed out because he was still too young to play in the NCAA (17 years old). But over the course of the next three years in college, Hakim screwed up and showed the entire student league who's boss in the paint!

He becomes the Final Four MVP, also earns the NCAA Southwest Conference MVP, and the Rockets begin to fold the 1983/1984 season in order to take Hakim with the first pick in the upcoming draft.

If you are reading this and think that Hakim was very good, you are right. But do not forget that The Dream achieved all this in 5 years from the moment of his first basketball game!

What happened next - you yourself know everything again. Hakim became one of the best centers in the history of basketball, an innovator and creator of new offensive techniques in the paint. Seriously, show me one player in the history of basketball that has played better than Hakim in the post?

Olajuwon led his hometown of Houston twice to the championship, became the most valuable player in one of the finals, the most valuable player in the league and was twice recognized as the best defensive player. Great career, great player!

Dikembes Mutombo

When I started: 1984 (17 years old)

Statistics for careers: 9.8 + 10.3 + 1.0 + 2.8

Achiors: Member All-Star, 4-time Defensive Player of the Year, 2-time rebounding leader, 3-time block shot leader.

Another African who started playing basketball very late.

Until the age of 17, Dikembe "not in my house" Mutombo was fond of exclusively football and did not see himself anywhere except on a wide lawn (or sandy wasteland) with goals along the edges. So his youth passed, if not for his older brother, who invited him to play basketball.

Basketball meets Dikembe in style. In the first game, Mutombo cracks his chin and tells his brother that he will never play this "stupid game" again.

But still, after a couple of weeks, the brother again persuades Dikembe to play. And from that moment began the basketball adventure of one of the best defensive players in the league. Mutombo started playing in the African League and achieved excellent results. A vivid confirmation of this is a sports scholarship from Georgetown.

Mutombo enters the NCAA at the age of 21 and immediately shows excellent results. In his very first season, Dikembe manages to make 12 blocks in ONE game! And in general, the period 1988-1990 was one of the best in history for Georgetown. Under the ring, along with Dikembe, was another future member of the hall of fame - Alonzo Morning. Their bunch was even nicknamed "Rejection Row".

College career can be called successful. Mutombo was named to the NCAA East Division First Team as well as the All NCAA Third Team, and was selected with the 4th pick in the 19 draft91, aged.. 25 years old.

But even with such a late start, Mutombo had a long and fruitful career, spending as many as 18 seasons in the league!

He achieved everything, almost everything. Dikembe never received the coveted ring, but few would say that his career was not a success.

Throughout his career, the Congolese basketball player has demonstrated high professionalism, quality defense and incredible block shots. Mutombo was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year four times, was elected to the league's All-Stars three times, and took part in the All-Star game eight times.

Tim Dancan

When he started: 1991 (15 years)

Statistics for career: 19.0 + 10.8 + 3.0 + 2.2

Achievements for career: 5-time champion NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, 5-time champion NBA, NBA, 5-time NBA, 5-time champion NBA, 5-time NBA 2-time MVP, 3-time Finals MVP, 15-time All-Star, 15-time All-Star (10 times first), 15-time Defensive Five, Rookie of the Year, 2003 Athlete of the Year, NCAA Player of the Year .

Tim Duncan is the best basketball player of the 2000s and possibly the greatest basketball player of the 21st century. Try to convince me of this as much as you like, but such a stable, unselfish and simply excellent player is very difficult to find. Duncan is a hard worker who does an enormous amount of work from game to game, from season to season, without requiring any attention and encouragement from the basketball community.

But it all started in the Virgin Islands, when young Tim, looking at his sister Trisha, who was a swimmer, wanted to follow in her footsteps. Duncan trained hard day after day and dreamed of taking part in the 1992 Olympic Games.

But his dream was not destined to come true. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo swept through the Caribbean and caused damage to many countries, including Tim Duncan's native Virgin Islands. And everything would be fine, but the same hurricane destroyed the only pool on the islands and Duncan now had nowhere to train.

You say - hey, if he lives on an island, then the ocean is around! Why shouldn't he train there? It's very simple - Duncan is terrified of sharks. That is why his swimming career ended so early.

At the age of 15, Duncan picks up a basketball for the first time and starts playing for the school team. And here is what his first coach said about Timmy:

Duncan was huge. He was big and tall, I haven't trained players like that for a long time. But despite all his dimensions - he was just terribly clumsy!

Gradually Tim began to improve, averaging 25 points in his senior year at school. His game has attracted a large number of universities and colleges from all over America. And Wake Forest offered the young player an athletic scholarship.

In college, Duncan begins to develop his usual playing style. Simple but effective. Duncan combined many aspects of the game, such as high-quality post play, open mid-range shots, and tough defense. It was this style that helped not only him, but also his team, to show good results in the NCAA.

Duncan, one of the few superstars (if not the only one) who spent all four years of college! All because he promised his mother, who died the day before Tim's 14th birthday, that he would graduate from college and get an education.

In the end, over 4 years in college, Tim was 97-31, scored over 2,000 points, 1,500 rebounds and 400 blocks and was automatically selected for the 1998 draft, where he was selected with the first pick of the San Antonio Spurs.

With the Spurs, Duncan first became David Robinson's assistant, then became a team leader himself for many years. San Antonio is a 15-year dynasty, just like the New England Patriots (as a fan of all Boston teams, I just had to compare the two franchises). And all this time, the main face of the team was Tim Duncan, the man who achieved everything in the NBA.

Yannis Antetokunmpo

When I started: 2007 (13 years old)

Statistics for the career: 12.2 + 6.6 + 2.9 + 1.1

Achiors: the most progressive player NBA, 2-Rap All-Star Team Member, 2nd NBA Team.

Giannis was born in Grezzi, in a family of Nigerian immigrants and until the age of 13 he played only football, having absolutely no idea what basketball is and who needs it at all.

Yannis and his family had a hard time, to put it mildly. There was a catastrophic lack of money, so he and his brother sold all sorts of trinkets, watches, bags on the streets, trying to somehow help their parents with finances. Well, after a hard day, Giannis and his brother went to the football field and chased the ball until late.

That was until 2007, when basketball appeared in the life of the young Antetokounmpo.

The young player fell in love with the game and started devoting all his free time to developing his basketball skills. And it paid off! Two years later, in 2009, Giannis starts playing for Fylatlitikos youth team.

In 2012, The Greek Freak made the main roster, spent a mid-season in the Greek League Two and entered the 2013 draft, where the Milwaukee Bucks nonetheless were selected.

Giannis' NBA career developed over three seasons. The coaching staff worked very competently here, which, as Antetokounmpo performed in the league, gradually loaded him with new baggage of knowledge and skills. Giannis soaked it all up like a sponge and as time went by, his minutes played and his role in the team increased.

Now Giannis is the future of basketball, the second LeBron, the man who can make the Eurostep from the three-point line. I'm afraid to imagine what will happen to this player in the future, because Giannis is only 23 years old! And he is already a franchise player and will progress in each next season.

Mark Eaton

Started: 1977 (21 years old)

Career stats: 6.0 + 7.9 + 1.0 9.0 + 1.00003

Achievements: 2x Defensive Player of the Year, All-Star, 4x Block Shot Leader, 3x Defensive Five.