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How to become a walk on college basketball player
How Does a Walk-On Program Work for a Typical College Basketball Program?
ByAndrew Pistone
Published on Tue May 10 2022
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4 min read
Everyone can picture the scene on Signing Day for ascending high school seniors who have been fortunate enough to be offered full ride scholarships at multiple Division 1 college basketball programs. The players are usually flanked on either side by their parents, siblings, friends, significant others, or former coaches that helped them get to where they are today; with the ability to grab one of three hats in front of them on the table and sign their letter of intent to play for the Kansas Jayhawks, UCLA Bruins, or Virginia Cavaliers, for example.
There are other, less ceremonious avenues young men and young women pursue to join college basketball teams though. It can involve texting, calling, or visiting assistant coaches on staff, or powering through difficult conditioning drills in an empty gym. It may entail following current players on the team in an effort to study and mimick the ways in which they get ready for a practice or a game. Regardless, the life of a prospective or current walk-on college basketball player is filled with a lot of hard work.
Scottie Pippen:
6-time NBA Champ...
7-time NBA All-Star...
0 Scholarship offers.
College Basketball walk-on.#PPW #NeverGiveUp
— Prove People Wrong™ (@ProvePplWrong) August 9, 2013
Walk-ons can be classified in a few different tiers by basketball programs. There are preferred walk ons, who usually have a guaranteed roster spot, and enjoy many of the same perks as full scholarship or partial scholarship athletes from a training and educational resource perspective. However, they do not receive any scholarship assistance from the school, and would have to pay their way through college(if they don’t transfer somewhere else with scholarship assistance).
There are walk-ons who are recruited by a college basketball program, and receive interest from the coaching staff—but are not offered financial scholarship assistance, and do not have a spot on the team reserved for them.
At the very end of the spectrum are walk-ons who make it without being recruited. Since they aren’t recruited and wouldn’t otherwise be on a school’s radar, prospects usually have to go out of their way to make themselves known by submitting high school/junior college game film, standing out by asking questions/discussing strategy with assistant coaches to display their acumen for the game, and other additional measures to get their feet in the door. This is the most difficult way to get on to a college basketball team, but most schools do leave the possibility open for talented and ambitious young men and women to get an opportunity in this fashion.
Grossly misunderstood college basketball recruiting fact: Walk-on spots are some of the most competitive spots in all of college hoops. It’s not just a “oh well I’ll take that” sort of thing...you can’t just “walk-on”.
— William Payne 🧩 (@TweetsbyCoachP) September 10, 2018
Kaitlin Cole can attest to this, as she walked on to the highly acclaimed Notre Dame women’s basketball team in 2017-2018. While realizing that she missed playing basketball competitively in college(after averaging over 18 points her senior year in high school), Cole reached out to the team to see if they would be willing to try out any new players. They told her that they would conduct walk on try-outs leading up to that season, and she spent her summer getting back into game shape. That good fortune, coupled with her hard work, paid off.
Welcome home to Toledo’s own @katcole22!#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/YI8JAqRq3y
— Notre Dame WBB 😷 (@ndwbb) December 8, 2018
The concept of athletes “betting on themselves” has been much discussed when it comes to players in their contract years who are heading into free agency, but the term can also apply to a hungry, determined athlete who is comfortable receiving little of the glory and support their teammates might earn. Lamar Hull was a walk-on at Davidson University during the years when another, slightly more acclaimed guard named Stephen Curry was making a name for himself at the school. Hull only got into 12 games in two seasons during his two years with Davidson, but took a very cerebral approach towards how he would get noticed by head coach Bob McKillop and the coaching staff.
In his own words, Hull outlined several aspects of his success, which he was able to parlay into an opportunity to play professional basketball overseas. He highlighted the fact that while players often times look for splashy clips to send to programs in order to prove their worth, coaches are actually looking for players who have a strong command on the fundamentals, and who are in tip top shape.
“It doesn’t matter if you are a big man or a point guard, you should put every ounce of effort into making your lay-ups and jump shots within the 15-foot range. It seems like that is all I did in my walk-on tryouts. You will be stunned when you tryout and see that many of the players didn’t practice enough or work on these skills during the summer and can’t pull it off.” Via InspriationalBasketball.com
The former Wildcats guard also talked about using his tryout to specifically fill in needs that the basketball team might have. Hull actually recommended tailoring your workout or your footage(if possible) to highlight areas that the team you are trying out for might be deficient in, so that coaches don’t automatically dismiss you due to redundancy.
The good news is that in this day and age, it’s never too difficult to connect with someone who is going through a similar experience or challenge. The prevalence of social media has made it easy for prospective players, or players who actually achieve walk on status, to connect with each other and share encouraging messages. In 2014, two walk-ons at Gonzaga University and Auburn University found each other over Twitter, and formed a bond. Rem Bakamus and C.J. Holmes could talk about busting their tails off in practice, and working with other scholarship players in hopes of getting them prepared for the game, without ever expecting to play in a West Coast Conference or SEC game themselves.
The two players found the interaction beneficial, and decided to broaden the group to include walk-on players from all over the country. Eventually, the underground walk-on fight club reached about 60 players, who became very close despite usually not having met in person.
Even if a walk on position never does reap its rewards on the court, the networking opportunities that present themselves to get into scouting, training or coaching might be worth its weight in gold. Relationships cultivated over this time period could allow a walk on player to develop a career in basketball in many different roles, which could be another important factor for a forward thinking individual.
30 Tips to Make the Team
BEFORE YOU MAKE THE TEAM #1 – ASK HOW THE PROCESS WORKS: Walk-ons generally join the team in two ways, either as a preferred walk-on or through a tryout. A preferred walk-on doesn’t have to tryout—they are borderline offers, favors for influential people or players from successful prep programs. Players that must tryout (MUST already be enrolled in classes at that university), complete compliance paperwork, get a physical and show up to the open tryout on a select date. You may need to weigh out your options after speaking with the schools that you are interested in to see which ones may be your best chance to make the team, it’s not guaranteed and the spaces are extremely competitive. See how the process works at each school.
#2 – OTHER SCHOLARSHIPS AND LOANS: Apply for other scholarships (academic, service, legacy, major) and student loans. Nearly every other college student has to work to secure their scholarships and loans, so can you!
#3 – SEND HIGHLIGHT VIDEO: Walk-on positions are just as competitive to get as scholarship spots, so you can approach the coaches in the same way—they need to see you play. Organize your highlight video and your Student-Athlete Resume, contact the school, find out who the ‘Walk-On Coordinator’ is and forward your information to them for review. Follow-up within a week or two!
#4 – DO THEY NEED YOUR POSITION: Like scholarship spots, walk-on positions are usually slotted for a particular position or two that the team is lacking depth in. Again, if they are stacked at your position, they aren’t likely to add you, choosing another player who can help at a position of need instead. Try back again in a year, and maybe even the next year.
#5 – WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING FOR: When you speak with the Walk-On Coordinator, ask them specifically what they are looking for—size, speed, grades, campus leadership? Each coach and program is looking to add something different—ask them specifically what type of players they need?
#6 – ASK FOR DRILLS: When you speak with the Walk-On Coordinator, ask them for drills, or ask your potential position coach for a few key drills. You can call or email for this information, or if you are already enrolled, stop by the office. It shows you are going above and beyond and willing to do the extra work to be prepared for your tryout. It won’t guarantee you a spot (heck, you may not even get any sample drills), but it will show your work ethic and your desire to be prepared.
NCAA Recruit Tips: 7 Steps to a Scholarship
#7 – TRAIN: Prepare, prepare, prepare! Many players come out and haven’t been putting in the consistent work that the current players have been putting in. Get up early and run, make strides in the weight room. Coaches are looking for skill, size and speed. Those are three ways you can get your foot in the door. Work on your position-specific drills, be in the best shape possible and train just as hard as the current scholarship athletes are training! Focus on improving skill, size and speed!
#8 – HAVE YOUR COACHES CALL: Ask your prep coaches to make a call to the coaches or Director of Operations to find out how the process works, what they are looking for and how you can secure a preferred walk-on spot or tryout. In some cases, your coach may be able to get more info that you can get.
#9 – ATTEND SUMMER CAMP: Entering your senior year of high school, if you haven’t had much interest, particularly in your dream school, considering participating in their summer camp. It gives you a few days to network with the coaches and for them to get a chance to see you play. Coaches normally add a few players to their recruiting watch lists based off working with them in camp and after evaluating their size, skill and speed in person. You may not be scholarship-ready but you may be able to network with them and earn a walk-on spot. If you have a select school in mind, this is a great opportunity to get your foot in the door to try to earn a preferred walk-on slot. The earlier the better.
#10 – OFFER TO WORK CAMPS: If you are already enrolled at the university, check with the Camp Director or the Director of Operations in the spring and submit a resume or letter of interest, offering to work summer camps. These part-time positions may be on a week-by-week basis or may last throughout several weeks during the summer. Although they often pay, be willing to negotiate to volunteer if there are no extra positions available. Anything you can do to get your foot in the door, networking with the coaches and decision-makers, will give them a chance to see your work ethic and passion. You may be coaching elementary students or filling up the Gatorade coolers, but this can be an audition to show the coaches how hard you are willing to work to be a part of the program and get inside information on what skills they are looking for, what drills you can be working on and what sizes/speeds coaches are looking to bring in. Again, you might not make the team on the first try but at least they’ll be able to put a name with a face and that always helps.
#11 – MULTIPLE TRY-OUTS: If at first you don’t succeed, try… try again! I’ve been a part of many teams where a player eventually made the squad after trying out more than one time. If you don’t make the cut the first year (don’t play a position of need, aren’t big or fast enough) then use that year to keep training. It is not uncommon for players to have to try out more than once to be able to make the team. Humble yourself and keep showing up!
#12 – STUDENT MANAGER: A similar idea to working camps. Any way you can get your foot in the door, networking with the coaches, understanding what they are looking for, seeing first-hand how hard the players work and what drills they participate in will only help you. It’s not uncommon for a walk-on to make the team after working for a year or two as a manager. If you work hard, are willing to do anything to help the team (laundry, class checks, field set-up) on that level, coaches will take your work ethic into consideration as they are making their decisions. You will have an edge over other candidates who they have no relationship with.
#13 – ACADEMICS COUNT: Most walk-ons have outstanding grades, and their academic standing can help boost the team’s overall GPA and academic standing. Coaches sometimes have enough trouble monitoring their scholarship players and their grades, they will not tolerate a walk-on player who isn’t pulling their weight in the classroom. Don’t let your academic standing be a reason to eliminate you from consideration, coaches are looking to add scholars and leaders, not just average students!
#14 – HOW CAN YOU BRING VALUE TO THE TEAM: Similar to scholarship players, what can you do to separate yourself and bring value to the team? Are you a top scholar, a student leader, a special teams superstar, an undersized speedster, someone who will take scout team extremely seriously? Can you show your toughness and willingness to hustle? Find a way to get an edge—through leadership, academics, toughness or attitude. What is the team lacking, how can you become a specialist at that skill?
#15 – LOCAL PRODUCT: If playing for your hometown team is your dream, guess what—you may actually have a slight advantage over other potential walk-ons. Coaches LOVE adding a local player or two who was a great hometown player in the area who may be choosing to stay closer to home, who is a life-long fan and who has local following. Contact the coaches or have your prep coach contact the Walk-On Coordinator during your junior or senior year and get the conversation going!
Coaches are likely open to it, especially if you were a great player and leader for your high school!
YOU MAKE THE TEAM, HOW TO EARN PLAYING TIME:
#16 – PLAYBOOK, FILM JUNKIE: Earn the respect of your coaches and teammates by knowing the playbook better than any other player and by becoming a filmroom junkie. Although you may not be as naturally talented as other scholarship players, understanding the playbook backwards and forwards can only help you, and can help you assist your coaches and teammates during games. Many walk-ons become future coaches, and that begins with learning the importance of having a high IQ in your sport in terms of fundamentals, strategy, core philosophy and personnel. Being one of the smartest and most prepared players in the meeting room will help you get on the field at some point. Film will also give you an advantage, so once you understand how to get the most of it and you will be able to anticipate plays better in live games, you may pick up on tendencies quickly and be able to communicate those to your coaches or teammates. This can be one of your best angles to get some playing time!
#17 – MAKE TEAMMATES BETTER: Be serious in meetings and during practice on scout team, do whatever you can do to make your teammates better. Don’t be frustrated as a player on scout team, take great pride in it, it IS your way to help the team! The more prepared they are, the more reps they are able to get in during practice, the more successful they are likely to be. Initiate extra reps after practice with your teammates, offer to help, stay late or come in on off days to help the starters! You will be improving as well and getting a step closer to some playing time!
#18 – FIRST THERE, LAST TO LEAVE: Coaches appreciate players who are ready to come to work every day. A key way to earn respect is by being the first player there and the last player to leave. Get in extra reps for yourself, or as mentioned above, help make the starters better by initiating extra reps after practice or on off days. Coaches will take notice! Those 15 or 30 extra minutes of drills will add up over the season and you will become a better player. Ask your coach for drills that you need work on and can do on your own, they love nothing more than players who take initiative to get better and who take action instead of just talk about making improvements!
#19 – WAIT FOR CHANCE: A lot of walk-ons may go into the process thinking that playing time in-game is your chance. That’s going to be a goal you will work towards down the road. Realize that scout team IS your chance. The role of scout team is very important to coaches, and can make a difference in the success of the team. Take pride and ownership of your unit, just as you would of your position group if you were a starter. Keep it competitive versus first and second teamers. Play fundamentally sound, if coaches can trust you in practice to not make careless mistakes they’ll be more likely to trust you in game situations! Your first goal is to be the most outstanding scout team player and getting playing time in that way. Many walk-ons may not even see practice time, let alone game time.
Realize that this is your first goal! The better you do preparing the team through scout team, the more likely your coaches will trust you in live game situations down the road!
READ: What 20 Years, 100+ Coaches Taught Me About the Recruiting Game
#20 – DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE: A lot of walk-ons join the team trying to be ‘too cool.’ They are sometimes bigger divas than the top recruits. Humble yourself, keep a positive attitude and do whatever you can do for your teammates and coaches to be able to make a difference. Drop the diva attitude, a humble attitude will get you much, much further!
#21 – CONSISTENT AND DEPENDABLE: Another thing coaches are looking for are players who are consistent and dependable—in everything that they do. In your unit, if you can be the player who provides consistency, stability and reliability to the team, you will earn your coaches respect. Take it a step further, once you are part of the team and hanging out with the other players outside of the facility, be the voice of reason in situations where starters and scholarship players may need guidance. If you are around negative situations or altercations, help remove the starters and scholarship players from the environment—never be the one who escalates it. You will be off the roster immediately, be the ‘voice of reason’ when your coaches aren’t around.
#22 – DO THE DIRTY WORK: Special teams, rebounding, blocking, toughness, extra work…. Again, everyone wants to be the leading scorer, rusher, playmaker but there are key skills that COACHES are looking for that can help win games. They may not get the glory or the fans, but they are critical skills in helping the team win. Do those tasks that most other players think they are too good for— blocking, rebounding, cheerleading from the bench, running scout team. Get in there and get your jersey dirty. Make a difference in those skills that actually help change the game.
#23 – THERE FOR THE RIGHT REASONS: A key piece of advice that I give elite scholarship athletes is “Chase greatness and everything else will come.” This applies to walk-ons as well. Over the years I’ve noticed that a good percentage of walk-ons are ‘in it’ for the wrong reasons, they aren’t necessarily there for the love of the game. Those players never last or see playing time, the walk-ons who are eventually put in a position to earn playing time are the ones who are chasing GREATNESS first—not the popularity contest, media, or any of the other fringe benefits. Be there for the right reason—the love of the game and your school—and you’ll succeed!
#24 – BIGGEST CHEERLEADER: It cannot be stated enough how important ENERGY and MOMENTUM can help your team. As a walk-on, you may not see much playing time but you do play a major role during competitions. Clap it up— when things are going good, when the team is facing sudden change or adversity or when the game is on the line. Even when a key player makes a critical mistake, be the first one over to tell them to keep their head up and that they’ll make the play next time. Keep your teammates confident and focused and bring the energy to the sideline! In and out of quarters or halftime, between time-outs—CLAP IT UP! That is your job, and YES, it can help win!
#25 – DON’T HARASS STAFF: Many walk-ons are some of the most popular and fun players on the team, they’re happy to be there. Other walk-ons think they have to be DEMANDING in order to earn respect. I’ve come across my fair share of walk-ons who always tried to demand extra equipment, gear, exceptions and it’s something coaches don’t want to hear about. Treat your academic counselors, equipment managers, trainers and other staff with respect or you could find yourself cut from the roster for having a disrespecting attitude. You can’t demand respect, go earn it.
#26 – MENTOR YOUNGER PLAYERS: Once you are on the team and a veteran, take some of the freshmen under your wing, especially at your position. Coaches are always looking for leaders within the team, and you will be helping your position out if you can help mentor a rookie and show them the ropes, on and off- campus. Tips for class, practice, film, game prep, laundry, cooking, rides, breaking the ice…
#27 – HELP WITH RECRUITING: On official visit weekends, recruits are paired up with hosts, and there are some occasions where coaches would pair up a player with a walk-on, they are at times the funniest or most personable players on the team. They may actually have more passion or school spirit, and it can be infectious. Anything you can do to help the team, including hosting a prospect or helping during official visit weekends will be a help to your coaches.
#28 – PARENTS: Coaches don’t usually respond well when parents call to complain about playing time or petty stuff. They ESPECIALLY don’t like it if it’s for a walk-on, particularly if you aren’t a key scout team or special teams player. In my experience, we once had a parent who constantly complained that their walk-on son should be starting ahead of the current starter… a player who would go on to win multiple Super Bowl Championships as a starter. Appreciate your opportunity and keep the complaints about playing time to a minimum. Champions never complain their way out of a problem, they work their way out!
#29 – NEVER EMBARRASS THE TEAM OR THE COACHES: Especially in the news—arrests or incidents with the police will be another quick way to find yourself off the team. Again, you may not even have the opportunity to give the coaches your side of the story if there is a pattern of bad behavior or legal incidents. Some coaches tolerate legal issues with scholarship players and may give them second or third chances but most won’t tolerate issues with walk-ons. You are there to bring positive light to the program, never negative attention!
#30 – HAVE FUN: Most importantly, HAVE FUN! Playing at the collegiate level, in the sport that you love, will be a life-changing experience. To many walk-ons, it’s an experience they’d actually pay for at the end of the day. I’d give up many things to go back to those four seasons in undergrad with my team! If every other regular student has to find scholarships or loans or depend on their family, then you are simply doing the same thing and getting the chance to live out your dream—being part of your college team! Enjoy it!
Go get an education, it's too late for you to become a basketball player - The Jay's - Blogs
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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.
Joel Embiid moves to the USA at the age of 16 and decides to become a professional basketball player.
In the states, the "Process" continued to progress and ended up in 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 0.2 + 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 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", turned 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.
Khakim Potzhavon
When I started: 1979 (16 years old)
Statistics for career: 21.8 + 11.1 + 2.5 + 3.1
Achievements for Career: Member of the Glory Hall, 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 16, 2-meter 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!
DIKMBA MUTOMO
When I started: 1984 (17 years old)
Statistics for careers: 9.8 + 10.3 + 2.0 + 2.8
Achievements: member of the NBA glory, 8-time 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 on careers: 19.0 + 10.8 + 2.2
Revolutions: 5-time NBA champion, NBA, NBA, 5-time champion 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 (I, as a fan of all Boston teams, simply 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)
Statistics for career: 12.2 + 6.6 + 2.9 + 1.1
Achievements: the most progressive player NBA, 2-fold 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 + 1.00003
Achievements: 2x Defensive Player of the Year, All-Star, 4x Block Shot Leader, 3x Defensive Five.
Mark Eaton's story is probably 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 Eton 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.
As you can see, everything depends on desire, hard work and everyday training. If you are over 20 years old and you are an African seven-footer, then you have a good chance of getting into the world's major league. But if not, you still have a chance. 1 out of 100,000, 1 out of 1,000,000, but it's there. Train, improve, love basketball and you will succeed!
Thank you for your time!
where to study, salary, pluses and minuses
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 effectiveness of his performances 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 sessions.
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 clubs for which he plays, participate in international competitions from his country, and even during a match, cooperate with different groups of players (frequent substitutions are very common in this game).
Pros and cons of the basketball profession
Pros
Prestigious profession with a decent salary.
Ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Opportunity to travel, communicate with representatives of different countries and peoples.
The joy of victories and the support of the fans.
See also:
Cons
The need for talent or extensive experience to gain recognition and sign expensive contracts.
In order to successfully fill a basketball position and be successful in this field, an athlete must be in very good physical shape, must not have serious chronic diseases, must have excellent stamina, concentration, movement speed 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.
Training for a basketball player
Universities and colleges in Russia do not offer training for a basketball player 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
MSPU
RGSU
MGOU
RGUFKSMiT
RGUFK them. P.F. Lesgafta
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 November 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.
It’s not just a “oh well I’ll take that” sort of thing...you can’t just “walk-on”.
Lamar Hull was a walk-on at Davidson University during the years when another, slightly more acclaimed guard named Stephen Curry was making a name for himself at the school. Hull only got into 12 games in two seasons during his two years with Davidson, but took a very cerebral approach towards how he would get noticed by head coach Bob McKillop and the coaching staff.
You will be stunned when you tryout and see that many of the players didn’t practice enough or work on these skills during the summer and can’t pull it off.” Via InspriationalBasketball.com
In 2014, two walk-ons at Gonzaga University and Auburn University found each other over Twitter, and formed a bond. Rem Bakamus and C.J. Holmes could talk about busting their tails off in practice, and working with other scholarship players in hopes of getting them prepared for the game, without ever expecting to play in a West Coast Conference or SEC game themselves.
Organize your highlight video and your Student-Athlete Resume, contact the school, find out who the ‘Walk-On Coordinator’ is and forward your information to them for review. Follow-up within a week or two!
You can call or email for this information, or if you are already enrolled, stop by the office. It shows you are going above and beyond and willing to do the extra work to be prepared for your tryout. It won’t guarantee you a spot (heck, you may not even get any sample drills), but it will show your work ethic and your desire to be prepared.
In some cases, your coach may be able to get more info that you can get.
These part-time positions may be on a week-by-week basis or may last throughout several weeks during the summer. Although they often pay, be willing to negotiate to volunteer if there are no extra positions available. Anything you can do to get your foot in the door, networking with the coaches and decision-makers, will give them a chance to see your work ethic and passion. You may be coaching elementary students or filling up the Gatorade coolers, but this can be an audition to show the coaches how hard you are willing to work to be a part of the program and get inside information on what skills they are looking for, what drills you can be working on and what sizes/speeds coaches are looking to bring in. Again, you might not make the team on the first try but at least they’ll be able to put a name with a face and that always helps.
If you don’t make the cut the first year (don’t play a position of need, aren’t big or fast enough) then use that year to keep training. It is not uncommon for players to have to try out more than once to be able to make the team. Humble yourself and keep showing up!
Coaches sometimes have enough trouble monitoring their scholarship players and their grades, they will not tolerate a walk-on player who isn’t pulling their weight in the classroom. Don’t let your academic standing be a reason to eliminate you from consideration, coaches are looking to add scholars and leaders, not just average students!
Coaches LOVE adding a local player or two who was a great hometown player in the area who may be choosing to stay closer to home, who is a life-long fan and who has local following. Contact the coaches or have your prep coach contact the Walk-On Coordinator during your junior or senior year and get the conversation going!
Being one of the smartest and most prepared players in the meeting room will help you get on the field at some point. Film will also give you an advantage, so once you understand how to get the most of it and you will be able to anticipate plays better in live games, you may pick up on tendencies quickly and be able to communicate those to your coaches or teammates. This can be one of your best angles to get some playing time!
A key way to earn respect is by being the first player there and the last player to leave. Get in extra reps for yourself, or as mentioned above, help make the starters better by initiating extra reps after practice or on off days. Coaches will take notice! Those 15 or 30 extra minutes of drills will add up over the season and you will become a better player. Ask your coach for drills that you need work on and can do on your own, they love nothing more than players who take initiative to get better and who take action instead of just talk about making improvements!
Keep it competitive versus first and second teamers. Play fundamentally sound, if coaches can trust you in practice to not make careless mistakes they’ll be more likely to trust you in game situations! Your first goal is to be the most outstanding scout team player and getting playing time in that way. Many walk-ons may not even see practice time, let alone game time.
In your unit, if you can be the player who provides consistency, stability and reliability to the team, you will earn your coaches respect. Take it a step further, once you are part of the team and hanging out with the other players outside of the facility, be the voice of reason in situations where starters and scholarship players may need guidance. If you are around negative situations or altercations, help remove the starters and scholarship players from the environment—never be the one who escalates it. You will be off the roster immediately, be the ‘voice of reason’ when your coaches aren’t around.
Get in there and get your jersey dirty. Make a difference in those skills that actually help change the game.
Clap it up— when things are going good, when the team is facing sudden change or adversity or when the game is on the line. Even when a key player makes a critical mistake, be the first one over to tell them to keep their head up and that they’ll make the play next time. Keep your teammates confident and focused and bring the energy to the sideline! In and out of quarters or halftime, between time-outs—CLAP IT UP! That is your job, and YES, it can help win!
You can’t demand respect, go earn it.
They ESPECIALLY don’t like it if it’s for a walk-on, particularly if you aren’t a key scout team or special teams player. In my experience, we once had a parent who constantly complained that their walk-on son should be starting ahead of the current starter… a player who would go on to win multiple Super Bowl Championships as a starter. Appreciate your opportunity and keep the complaints about playing time to a minimum. Champions never complain their way out of a problem, they work their way out!
To many walk-ons, it’s an experience they’d actually pay for at the end of the day. I’d give up many things to go back to those four seasons in undergrad with my team! If every other regular student has to find scholarships or loans or depend on their family, then you are simply doing the same thing and getting the chance to live out your dream—being part of your college team! Enjoy it!
This is the beauty of basketball. Today we will talk about athletes who got acquainted with basketball much later than most players. 
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. 
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. 
86, where he was drafted 3rd overall by the Detroit Pistons in the second round. 
Hakim impressed coach Guy Lewis with his game and he accepted the young player into the squad. 
Great career, great player! 
Mutombo started playing in the African League and achieved excellent results. A vivid confirmation of this is a sports scholarship from Georgetown. 
But despite all his dimensions - he was just terribly clumsy! 
Well, after a hard day, Giannis and his brother went to the football field and chased the ball until late. 
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. 
It was he who suggested that Mark try his hand at basketball and did not lose. 
The conversation is said to have marked a turning point in Mark's career. 
1 out of 100,000, 1 out of 1,000,000, but it's there. Train, improve, love basketball and you will succeed! 
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. 
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. 
At the end of their careers, they work as coaches (both in adult clubs and in children's sports schools). 
