Hardwood - Basketball Forum: What path do players from other countries take to become professional basketball?

Forum >> Basketball >> What path do players from other countries take to become professional basketball?

Post ID	Date & Time	Game Date

#13099	01/19/2021 1:36:06 pm	Jan 19th, 2017
admin Joined: 01/24/2017 Posts: 2385 Hardwood Administrator	What path do players from other countries take to become professional basketball? Usually, in the states, it's high school and probably playing on an AAU team. Then college for at least a year -- but I guess there is the G-League option now. Then NBA drafts you or thru free agency, you catch on with a NBA team, their G-League affiliate or maybe you end up playing overseas. Wondering how this differs in Europe, Australia China and the rest of the Americas? I guess the NBA has some academies in Africa now, right? Steve

#13103	01/19/2021 2:00:51 pm	Jan 19th, 2017
kauffdaddy Joined: 11/30/2020 Posts: 693 Inactive	Overseas basketball works almost identically to overseas soccer: Young talents get signed by the club early (not always straight to the main team, sometimes to a developmental one or something similar). It's a totally different system to what we (Americans) are used to.

#13117	01/20/2021 11:38:11 am	Jan 21st, 2017
basoy6658 Joined: 12/23/2019 Posts: 180 Azusa Pacific Cougars IV.3	In my country there are only two paths substantial right now. Option 1: Highschool > Got Scouted and Transfer to the US to finish HS > Commit to a D1 College > NBA. Several players have done this in my country but haven't succeeded. The closest bet right now is Kai Sotto who has Committed to the G-League Ignite instead of a D1 program. Option 2: Local Highschool > College/University > PBA > NBA Draft/Summer League/Training Camp Invite/FIBA Perfomance > NBA. Updated Wednesday, January 20 2021 @ 11:39:20 am PST

#13119	01/20/2021 2:26:08 pm	Jan 21st, 2017
admin Joined: 01/24/2017 Posts: 2385 Hardwood Administrator	Yeah...I remember Kobe Paras -- he signed with UCLA originally, but has bounced around Creighton and then Cal State Northridge. Steve

#13122	01/20/2021 5:41:02 pm	Jan 21st, 2017
Evaristo Joined: 01/06/2021 Posts: 52 Inactive	A promising player usually plays for a famous club since he is around 12. Sometimes even before that age. (For example, Gasol brothers for Barcelona) There are other basketball clubs that are good to develop kids without being affiliated to any top senior team. I guess they get public money from the town to do that. High school and University basketball is just for fun here.

#13124	01/21/2021 2:30:14 am	Jan 21st, 2017
Divac Joined: 01/16/2020 Posts: 320 Gettysburg Bullets VI.19	In Czech Republic players start around 6 or 7 years old. They join their local club and play there organized games against other teams in the region. Best teams from region make it to National Championship. Usually good players from smaller worse teams join the better ones in the region. For example Písek usually takes players from Strakonice (Vít Krejčí) or České Budějovice and other cities. Ostrava has guys for example from Příbor (Jan Veselý). Around 16 or 17 year old guys go to more highlighted countries like Slovenia (Jan Veselý, Tomáš Satoranský) or Spain (Vít Krejčí). Sadly scouts don't care about our league. Few players go to USA (Jiří Zídek) but usually to study not to be drafted. For example I played in local league against NAIA champion from 2002.

#13125	01/21/2021 8:11:56 am	Jan 21st, 2017
Frankebasta Joined: 02/04/2018 Posts: 54 Rice Owls V.16	same in Italy as in Spain Varsity teams are non existant. All prospects are playing in the youth teams of professional ones. Same as in soccer, or any other major sport really

#13126	01/21/2021 9:47:11 am	Jan 21st, 2017
basoy6658 Joined: 12/23/2019 Posts: 180 Azusa Pacific Cougars IV.3	Nice to know Steve, Kobe Paras has been a disappointment to many fans here in my country they felt he just didn't put the work after he got offers from D1 schools he looks very promising at that point. He's struggling right now here in my country on how to play and where. But at least he's getting called up for the National Team when our Best Players aren't available.

#13145	01/22/2021 10:11:29 pm	Jan 28th, 2017
admin Joined: 01/24/2017 Posts: 2385 Hardwood Administrator	Love Jiří Zídek (Jr.) -- a true Bruin champion! Steve

#13326	01/31/2021 8:11:49 pm	Mar 2nd, 2017
naph Joined: 02/29/2020 Posts: 578 St. Marys Gaels II.1	Australia has a number of different structures. Most players start playing for a club. They are normally fairly amateur, ranging widely in coaching quality (often just a parent of one of the players). There will also be school level competition, but this is usually less well organised than the clubs. There are a very few basketball scholarship schools (I think my state has one) That have a more dedicated development program, but that is rare. Some players will go to skills camps or additional training sessions put on for dedicated/talented players. As they get a little bit older if they show enough promise they will play in junior state leagues. These have more organised clubs/coaching/more $$$ etc. The best players from the state level competitions get brought together to play in the national juniors competitions (U16, U18, U20). A few players go to the USA during high school to go and play for a basketball prep school. (Ben Simmons, Josh Green) but most of these have American heritage and its not overly common. If a junior is really talented they may get the option of going to the Basketball Centre of Excellence (CoE - formerly the Australian Institute of Sport) to finish high school. Most, but not all of the very best talent in the country goes through there. After school age there are a number of pathways: - Go to a US college (becoming more common) - Get signed to a NBL team as a development player (some do this and still maintain their College eligibility) - Play for an NBL1 club (Lots of semi-pro leagues are now under the NBL1 banner) - Sign internationally somewhere (Europe/NBA/Wherever)