Today, we’re going to be shedding some light on what it´s like to play basketball professionally overseas.

If you have friends, family or teammates that have played, then I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of stories. Today we’ll be doing our best to stay as unbiased as we possibly can be about playing overseas.

We’re going to be talking about a few different topics regarding playing professional basketball overseas. Specific things on the agenda are to talk about style of play and quality of life. We will also provide some pointers for those of you who think you might want to play on a professional level.

How is the style of playing?

The style of play in Europe is much different than in the states. It’s probably closer to the style of the NBA but there is much less isolation.

A lot of offense in Europe is centered around motion.. ending in a ball screen. They like to have a lot of their players moving around before they get into the final action of a ball screen.

On the defensive side, players are more handsy and guards pick up full court. Teams guard ball screens like defenses in college. They will hard hedge or high wall.. compared to the NBA where a majority of the bigs low wall on the ball screen.

That being said, let´s talk about quality of life. This is mainly determined by where you are located and what you are looking for. One thing is for certain.. for those of you who are looking to play, you will be going far from home. This may not seem like a big deal to you, as I´m sure some of you have played hours and hours away from your home towns; however, what I mean by far from home, is it is far from the US.

Is it much different than the US?

Most places in Europe have a 6hr time difference (from eastern time), making the ability to connect with friends and family difficult. On top of the time change, there is the probability that not many teammates speak english. (This is rare... most teams will have english speakers, but depending on the country there could only be a few.)

There is also a cultural difference that is very noticeable. It’s not like going north to south or east to west... many people in Europe act a lot differently than the people in the United States. Even though this may seem obvious, it’s more prevalent than one might think.

However, for those of you that are talented enough to be given the opportunity to play basketball professionally we have some advice for you.

Engrain yourself in the culture as much as possible.

Don’t barricade yourself in your room. Make friends with your teammates, and make friends with the locals. It’ll be far more enjoyable if you set out to enjoy your time when you’re not on the basketball court.

Sightseeing

Even if you’re not much of a tourist person, go out and see the world. You’re getting paid to play in a foreign country. There won’t be much else to do outside of playing basketball, so find ways to spend your time. Europe is filled with history, I’m sure somewhere near where you’re living has something that’ll interest you.

Build For The Future

Realize that what you’re doing is a job. We understand that playing basketball as a profession is a dream come true for a lot of people. But know when to call it quits and when to continue. Many people try to play because it delays “real life”. We suggest you don’t do this. If you can continue to play and make good money, or you’ve created a life that suits you, then more power to you. We hope everyone who wants to get there ultimately can, but be sure to know what’s best for your life, and for your family and friends.

We hope that this was helpful for you.

We know that not everyone has access to someone that has played or is playing professional basketball overseas.

That´s what we are here for... to help and ease your transition and give you a better understanding of what you´re in for.

By the way, this is currently me, Dante! I am playing professionally in the Netherlands.

Our goal is to give you as much advice and knowledge as we possibly can.

I also recently wrote an article about how to move from good to great in life on and off the court. Be sure to check it out here!

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