This past summer has already come and gone way too fast and I can say the exact same thing about my last two seasons as a professional basketball player. It is crazy to think how quickly time flies when you are having fun and that is exactly what I have been doing for the last two years of my life.
My first season was pretty well documented about all the struggles of living abroad for the first time in my semi-adult life. I learned a ton about the world and myself and I truly believe I did the best I could to experience and immerse myself into the culture while dealing with a difficult basketball situation of riding the pine for eight months.
My second season presented a whole host of new struggles as I found it difficult to find a job because of being too loyal to my first agent who did not do his best work with me. Slovenia presented a whole host of new issues of a language barrier, extreme isolation and yet another coach who signed me but refused to play me. After being fired, I was able to clear my head and enjoy Christmas with my family for the first time in almost five years with no athletic obligations.
On New Year's Day I signed with a team on Malta, one of the most beautiful Islands in the Mediterranean. It was a semi-pro league and from the start I was able to establish myself as the best player on the island, which was supposed to happen given my basketball resume.
Living conditions were not the greatest and I was forced to learn public transportation for the first time in my life, but I once again immersed myself in the culture and made sure I explored this amazing island that is a walking art and history lesson. After five incredible months I was able to bring home a championship and do some traveling through Scandinavia before heading home for the summer.
Upon my return home I got straight to work and began working on my side hustle of teaching the youths of America basketball and life skills. Thanks to Goodman Community Center and my wonderful sponsors, I was able to host a free clinic in Madison to start off the summer with 60 kids in a gym.
The rest of the summer was a blur, which featured road trips, long days on the lake and a little tomfoolery at a couple of music festivals. Life is going really well for me at the moment, as I have been able to relax and not have to worry about finding a job this year thanks to the hard work I put in last season and the work of my new agents, and I finally signed a contract before Oct. 15 for the first time in my professional career. I will be heading to play for Baerum Basket in Norway's first division. I head out Aug. 30 and cannot wait to get back to work and hopefully bring another championship home with me.
On my next blog I will feature what it is like to pack your life in two suitcases and how to make the best of long travel days.
