8 Positive Steps Toward a Better Basketball Career

1. Get a Mentor. Riding someone’s coattail is still one of the easiest ways to get into the party. Choose wisely, not all mentors are equal. You want someone who has experienced success at the level you’re looking for. The person must have a sincere interest in helping you succeed. Some mentors are story-tellers. Others are teachers. Hear, listen, and ask a ton of questions.

I find it really cool how Bobby Knight is probably Coach K’s biggest critic, and also his biggest fan. You want this. Your mentor shouldn’t be your best friend and shouldn’t be quick to praise. But when the time comes, your mentor should be really comfortable with giving you all the spotlight.

2. Get Out. Take on something new and unusual–something that forces you to step out your comfort zone. Something like volunteering to work a summer camp in Istanbul. I don’t care what it costs or what you do there. The experience itself will be priceless. But don’t expect to be super comfortable.

Do your research and choose the highest caliber camp possible, but don’t go somewhere where you’ll be treated like royalty. In fact, seek the exact opposite. The reason is this. Once you’ve reached a certain level of basketball expertise, its really challenging to give up being ‘the man,’ to start over being the novice at the next level. But if you are to fulfill your goals, you’ll have to do some rebuilding somewhere along the line. Get used to it now . Get out your comfort zone and learn how to take the next step.

3. Get Schooled. Step out on your own and lead something new. Run a clinic or start an initiative to train local student-athletes. And if you fail to turn a profit or you only have 4 people sign up, so what. The learning experience is priceless. Lose the game, but not the lesson.

4. Get A Passport – One of iBall United’s first blogposts was all about this. Its rare that a team waits around for someone who doesn’t have a passport. the game is more international than ever before. Don’t miss out on some really great opportunities to get exposure and expand your basketball network by not having your passport.

5. Get Feedback. There’s millions of camps out there–way more for players than for coaches. Some people pay $500+ to be one of 500 campers because its hosted by a company with a rap sheet that’s longer than Jay Z’s. If you’re the lucky one that gets offered a job or finds representation on the spot, then Good For U! But if it wasn’t your lucky day, then make sure to leave that camp with alot more than a bunch of unanswered questions about how you did. If you’re gonna spend your hard earned cash, make sure when you do it, you come away with something in return; video, scouting report, or feedback in writing from the coaches or coordinators.

At iBall United, we’re really proud of all the great feedback we’ve gotten from players, agents, and coaches about Euro Pro Select. Many call it the best pro exposure camp they’ve ever been to. At Euro Pro Select, we make sure every player walks away with an advantage. iBall United creates online PRO-File page and uploads all combine video and athletic test results. The PRO-File contains the players’ name in the URL, and is a place where players can list all their pro basketball information. The PRO-file is meant to be a professional recruiting hub, and was effective in helping players get jobs even after the combine. The top players from Euro Pro Select get featured in the PRO-File Report that is shared with our entire international network.

6. Get Video. You would think that for players, this one would be obvious. Apparently not. We’re getting many requests from players to help them find teams and agents. And we also get requests from team administrators to send them information about players. That’s why we created the PRO-File review.

It’s incredible how many players submit their requests without video. I don’t care who your agent is, if you don’t have access to multiple types of videos about your game, then it’s pretty much impossible for anyone to help you get a job. And there’s a specific amount of and way to organize your videos. We’ll be sharing that in an upcoming post. Lastly, if your only videos are on DVD (which they should not) those DVD’s are your property. After your agent or the company you hire makes the highlight reel, get them back!

Coaches aren’t totally off the hook for this. The only reason you’re reading post is because you’re really tuned in to the topic. We live in a day and age that most people need to be entertained to absorb information. Coaches should make a highlight reel of their career, and include some clips from recent interviews or speaking engagements. We live in a media rich world. The more you can display your comfort level behind the camera, the more marketable you are, and visible too.

7. Get Multilingual. Every language you know, opens up more opportunities, more avenues for you to succeed. For coaches and point guards, its pretty much essential for you to be able to speak the native language of the country in which the team is located. Coaches need to speak to owners and pgs need to communicate effectively with coaches. According to this study, Chinese, Spanish, and English are the world’s most widely spoken languages. Russian is 8th and German and French are 10-11.

8. Get a Job. You’re probably thinking, well this one’s obvious. But alot of players miss out on a really good opportunities because of unrealistic expectations about what they should be paid to play. Look, if you’re a guy that is supposed to be getting paid 20k a month to play in Greece, then you’d know it, and you most likely aren’t reading this. I could tell you a story about a guy who signed for next to nothing to play in one of the best basketball countries in the world. In exchange for food, a bed to sleep on, and a month to prove he could play, this guy laid it all on the line. Long story short, he proved it. Now he’s making more money in a month than most will ever make in their entire pro career.