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How to become a pro basketball player without college


What is A Professional Basketball Player?

A professional basketball player is a paid athlete who plays the sport of basketball.

Professional basketball players are responsible for playing hard on the court in games and in practice and doing their best to represent their team in public. They are obligated to play at their best level in every game they are on the court. They must also report to practice and participate whenever they are scheduled by the coach.

Professional basketball players can play a variety of positions, including point guard, shooting, guard, and power forward. They must be able to perform the necessary skills in all areas of the game, including ball handling, shooting, and passing.

To become a professional basketball player, one must possess great physical fitness and endurance. Running speed and jump height are two crucial factors for any basketball player, and some take special courses aimed at improving the distance they can jump vertically, going as far as walking around with weights on their feet for entire days.

Professional basketball players are traditionally tall as this gives them a competitive advantage in the sport, but some shorter players have also managed to find success in the leagues. Traditionally, joining a team for a player of medium to short height would be more difficult than for one who's exceptionally tall.

Becoming a professional basketball player takes a lot of hard work and dedication to perfecting your skills and being in peak physical condition.

What Does a Professional Basketball Player Do

When it comes to the most important skills required to be a professional basketball player, we found that a lot of resumes listed 21.2% of professional basketball players included championship, while 13.0% of resumes included role model, and 10.1% of resumes included nba. Hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.

How To Become a Professional Basketball Player

If you're interested in becoming a professional basketball player, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 83.7% of professional basketball players have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 2.8% of professional basketball players have master's degrees. Even though most professional basketball players have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Top Professional Basketball Player Jobs Near You

Professional Basketball Player Career Paths

As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a professional basketball player can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as basketball coach, progress to a title such as team leader and then eventually end up with the title development director.

Professional Basketball Player

Basketball CoachTeam LeaderDirector

Development Director

9 Years

Basketball CoachTeam LeaderTraining Manager

Director Of Training

7 Years

Basketball CoachTeam LeaderPresident

Board President

6 Years

Head Basketball CoachHead Football CoachAssistant Principal

Athletic Director

5 Years

CoachLead TeacherAssistant Director

Assistant Director Of Development

5 Years

Account ExecutiveGeneral ManagerRegional Director

State Director

8 Years

Top Careers Before Professional Basketball Player

Camp Counselor(28,182 Jobs)

12. 7 %

Internship(51,064 Jobs)

10.9 %

Captain(4,430 Jobs)

Top Careers After Professional Basketball Player

Head Basketball Coach(22,008 Jobs)

10.9 %

Basketball Coach(14,517 Jobs)

10.5 %

Assistant Basketball Coach(14,795 Jobs)

10.2 %

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Professional Basketball Players in America make an average salary of $51,882 per year or $25 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $109,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $24,000 per year.

Average Professional Basketball Player Salary

$51,882 Yearly

$24. 94 hourly

$24,000

10 %

$51,000

Median

$109,000

90 %

What Am I Worth?

How To Become a Professional Basketball Player Career Overview

States With The Most Professional Basketball Player Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active professional basketball player jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where professional basketball players earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Professional Basketball Player Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California1,386$67,255
2Pennsylvania1,098$66,403
3Texas852$53,917
4Minnesota834$38,137
5Florida799$47,469
6Massachusetts762$66,075
7Ohio616$48,717
8New Jersey587$73,666
9Indiana579$35,214
10Illinois578$50,810
11North Carolina479$51,877
12Wisconsin476$44,088
13Georgia422$42,526
14Colorado420$35,943
15Michigan411$59,582
16Maryland379$64,418
17Virginia356$60,295
18Washington328$29,266
19Tennessee325$42,727
20Missouri321$38,272
21Iowa300$51,254
22South Carolina297$47,613
23Arizona294$56,843
24Oregon235$44,864
25Connecticut207$68,013
26Kentucky202$41,949
27Kansas178$47,831
28Utah176$51,200
29Alabama166$34,309
30Louisiana161$49,830
31Oklahoma149$44,750
32Maine148$39,831
33Delaware146$66,308
34West Virginia134$48,424
35Mississippi125$39,403
36North Dakota124$56,608
37Arkansas122$44,750
38Nevada116$56,484
39Nebraska114$37,162
40New Mexico105$51,934
41Rhode Island89$67,347
42Idaho80$28,322
43New Hampshire75$64,026
44Montana75$41,782
45South Dakota70$44,532
46Hawaii68$49,702
47Wyoming59$40,840
48Alaska56$90,150
49Vermont49$60,587
50New York14$63,842

Professional Basketball Player Education

Professional Basketball Player Majors

Business

15. 5 %

Communication

15.1 %

Kinesiology

12.3 %

Professional Basketball Player Degrees

Bachelors

83.7 %

Associate

10.2 %

Masters

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 21.2% of professional basketball players listed championship on their resume, but soft skills such as dedication and teamwork are important as well.

  • Championship, 21.2%
  • Role Model, 13.0%
  • NBA, 10.1%
  • Training Sessions, 9.1%
  • Leadership, 6.1%
  • Other Skills, 40.5%

Choose From 10+ Customizable Professional Basketball Player Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Professional Basketball Player templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Professional Basketball Player resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

Professional Basketball Player Demographics

Professional Basketball Player Gender Distribution

Female

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among professional basketball players, 17.4% of them are women, while 82.6% are men.
  • The most common race/ethnicity among professional basketball players is White, which makes up 78.0% of all professional basketball players.
  • The most common foreign language among professional basketball players is Spanish at 40.4%.

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Updated September 9, 2022

How to Start a Career of a Pro Basketball Player – Sports Ecyclopedia

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Meta Description: Do you want to have a pro career dribbling and shooting a ball into a basket? Read the post and discover how to become a professional basketball player.

How to Start a Career of a Pro Basketball Player

Do you like basketball and want to become a professional player to start a career? Well, the process of becoming a pro basketball player isn’t simple and consists of three crucial parts. Scroll down below and discover how to start a career as a professional basketball player.

A: Training

Doubtless, if you want to become a pro player, it’s not enough to be a good player. You have to be the best. Therefore, you need to train hard and never miss a chance to gain your skills.

Start Early

Professional basketball players who started late are rather an exception. Most pro players started their path from school and college basketball. Therefore, if you’re a student, join a team in your educational institution and start training.

Sometimes it may be hard to combine sports and education. If you don’t want to neglect education to become a basketball star, the question, “Can I pay someone to do my homework online?” will appear in your head. Feel free to delegate your assignment to professional writers to achieve great results in basketball.

Learn the Rules

For sure, it’s impossible to become a great player if you don’t know all the rules perfectly. To not get fines playing a game, you should spend a lot of time learning the rules. It will also help you understand basketball, both physically and mentally, to know what to expect from a rival’s team.

Have a Good Shape

Basketball is an intense sport, so that your body should be in good shape if you want to become the best basketball player. Do not hesitate to jog every morning, work out in a gym, and jump with a rope to prepare yourself for tough games with professional basketball players.

Play as Frequent as Possible

Experience is one of the most important things that can help you achieve great results. Try to play basketball with different people to discover various playing models and types of players. Consequently, you’ll have vast experience to smart out other players and shoot a lot of balls in a basket.

In case you’re a student, it may be hard to allocate enough time to play basketball. Therefore, feel free to ask your mates, “Guys, help me with my science homework so that I could play today.” Real friends will support you in your desire to become a professional player.

Gain your Dribbling and Shooting Skills

Mainly there are two ways to throw a ball in a basket. You can outsmart competitors, reach a rival’s team basket, and put a ball into the basket. Alternatively, you can shoot it from a greater distance. Therefore, you should train hard to improve your dribbling and shooting skills to become the one whose name is always first on the table.

Become a Team Player

A lot of players want to shine and always try to put a ball into a basket by themselves. It’s a big mistake, as basketball is a team game. If you want to win games, you have to be a team player and always cooperate with your teammates.

Try never to miss games. In case you have a lot of homework, feel free to delegate it to professionals. To find top-notch essay writers online, ask your friends, “Don’t you know someone who can write my essay for me cheap?”

B: Job Opportunities

Even if you’re an amazing basketball player, you need to use all the possible job opportunities to start a career. Keep on reading the post and discover the most effective ways to start a pro basketball player career.

Create a Video

For starters, you need to showcase yourself. The best way to show your professional skills is to create a short video. You can cut the best moment from your games and combine them in one short video clip. If you don’t have video-editing skills, ask a professional to create an engaging clip for you.

Find an Agent

In case you want to improve your chances of becoming a professional player significantly, you need to find a good agent. Ask your teammates if they have an agent who can take you on and surf the Internet. Waiting until an agent will contact you by himself is the worst idea.

Get New Connections

Unfortunately, there is no well-planned guide on how to manage your network. However, you can be 100% sure that having a large number of connections will help you find people who can boost your career or share some helpful contacts.

Try To Get Overseas

Don’t explore job opportunities in your area only. Feel free to look for ways to start your career in a basketball club in Europe, Latin America, Australia, etc. It can be the first step on your career ladder to lead to more prestigious clubs in the US.

Final Step: Achieve Great Results

When you become a professional basketball player is not the time to relax. If you want to become a well-recognized player, you need to work hard every day and focus on basketball only. The professional league is highly competitive so that the only way to succeed is to achieve impressive results.

 

 

where to study, salary, pros and cons

Author: Professional Guide

Updated by

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.

  • Professional knowledge
  • Famous basketball players
  • Examples of companies with basketball vacancies
  • 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 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 the 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 December 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 starring 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, it's too late for you to become a basketball player - The Jay's - Blogs

    This post was written by a Sports.ru user, every fan can start writing (you can do it here).

    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 Embiid

    Started: 2011 (15 years old)

    Career stats: 22.8 + 9.9 + 2.8 + 2.0 (points/rebounds/assists/blocks)

    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, "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 is 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, precisely because of an unfortunate injury, and for the first two years he spent almost all of his time 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

    Started: 1983 (aged 21)

    Career stats: 7.3 + 90 20 2.6 + 1.0002 Achievements: Hall of Famer, 5x NBA Champion, 2x Defensive Player of the Year, 2x All-Star, 7x Defensive Top Five.

    The best rebounder in the history of basketball, ready to rip opponents' elbows out with the ball, was only introduced to 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 ring.

    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.

    Hakkim Potzhavon

    When I started: 1979 (16 years)

    Statistics for career: 21.8 + 11.1 + 2.5 + 3.1

    Achievements for careers: Member of the Slava hall, 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 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 send 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!

    Dicembe MUTOMO

    When I started: 1984 (17 years old)

    Statistics for career: 9.8 + 10.3 + 1.0 + 2.8

    Achievements: member of the NBA glory, 8-fold 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-fold champion NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, NBA, 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 career: 12.2 + 6.6 + 2.9 + 1.1

    Achievements: The most progressive player of NBA, 2-time achievement 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 (age 21)

    Career stats: 6.0 + 7.9 + 1.0 9.2 + 1.0 5(0)0003

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

    Mark Eaton's story is perhaps the most amazing of all the players featured. Despite his rather impressive height (224 cm), Mark preferred to play water polo (???) than basketball.

    After Eaton graduated from high school, he went to college to major in auto mechanics. Immediately after graduation, Mark moves to Anaheim, where he begins to work in his new profession.

    After three years of carefree life as an auto mechanic, he is found by Tom Lubin, who was fixing his car at Mark's. Tom was a chemistry teacher and assistant head coach at a small college in California. It was he who suggested that Mark try his hand at basketball and did not lose.

    In two years of college, Eton averaged 14 points and led his college to victory in the California Collegiate Championship. After that, Mark chooses the Phoenix Suns in the 19 draft.79 in the fifth round. Eton had the right to refuse and return to college, which he did.

    But this was not a small college somewhere in the middle of California. Eton received an offer from the famous UCLA, which he, of course, accepted.

    Career at the main college of Los Angeles did not go up, but flew down with terrible force. In two years, Mark spent only 42 minutes, gaining 1+2 in 11 matches. And of course, no one wanted to take him in the draft. Nobody but Utah. The leadership of "Jazz" was guided by iron logic - everything can be taught to the big, the main thing is that it is big.

    Fun fact: Wilt Chamberlain was in attendance at UCLA once Eaton played. The great center saw the frustrated Mark and gave the young player some advice, in particular: to "score" on attacking actions and focus on protecting his own ring, collect rebounds and pass the ball to faster partners, instead of competing with the same fast opponents. The conversation is said to have marked a turning point in Mark's career.

    "Utah" did not lose. In his first season, Mark becomes the team's starting center while setting a new league record for blocked shots in a season. In the 1973-1974 season, Mark averaged 5.5 blocks per game and also grabbed 11 rebounds and was named the best defensive player.

    Eton's career can hardly be called great. But the fact that he was an excellent defensive player should not be in the slightest doubt. Two titles of the best defender of the league and fixed by “Utah” 53rd number is a vivid confirmation of this!

    Players who also started late: Dirk Nowitzki, Shaquille O'Neal, Manute Bol, Michael Olowokandi, Steven Adams.


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