3 Things You Need to Get an NBA Job

Seemingly every day, I receive a message in my email, on LinkedIn, or even Facebook and Instagram where someone has tracked me down and asks, ‘How do I get a job in the NBA?’

Sometimes I’m sent a ‘copy and paste’ (they’re easy to spot and rarely responded to) and sometimes someone simply has done their research and found someone with a story they can relate to.

My story is that I grew up in the cornfields of Indiana where my first word was ‘dada’ and my second word was ‘ball.’ Like millions of other young kids, I dreamed of playing in the NBA one day and dedicated my life to that goal. But at some point in life, athleticism, speed, and strength catch up to you… or better yet, you don’t catch up to it and you realize that making the NBA is likely not possible. My dream transitioned from playing in the NBA to working in a Front Office and being a General Manager of an NBA team one day.

Fast forward through my high school playing days, trying out for a D1 college team and being passed on, and then simply becoming a ‘regular’ student with a Business degree and winding up working in a college Admissions Department.

After about 6 months of working in Admissions, I opened my Bible and saw a note I had written in it. It was my Mission Statement I had written 5 years earlier where I had written about my calling to the NBA. It felt like more than just a dream to me. And I knew I needed to take a leap of faith to achieve it. Completely dissatisfied with my current job and situation, I asked myself, ‘What am I doing? I’ve got to get there (NBA).’

I found an on-line scouting course where I learned how to break down game film and learned from long-time Scout Frank Burlison. Frank then connected me with the Head Coach at Liberty University, Ritchie McKay. Coach McKay gave me no promises but let me simply come and observe practices and write self-scouts on the players. I was e-mailing him my scouting reports and soon, he was welcoming me into his office and going over the reports with me. To this day, I still wonder why and how a Division 1 Head Coach would give me the time of day but speaking to Coach recently on a phone call while we both recounted that original meeting, he told me, ‘I saw someone who was passionate and humble.’

In the meantime, I received a phone call from someone at SMWW who had a connection in Boston, ‘John, how would you like to work for the Boston Celtics?,’ he asked.

They had just acquired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen… and now, John Ross?!

The Video Coordinator of the Celtics, Brian Adams (current Head Coach of the Agua Caliente Clippers) called me and we talked on the phone a couple of times. He told me he’d set up a Skype interview with me and the staff because it wasn’t in the team’s budget to fly me to Boston for an interview. I told him I’d be in Boston that weekend and I promptly bought a ticket, found a place to stay and made my way to Boston.

I walked into Boston’s Practice Facility and was in awe. Championship banners, retired jerseys, Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge greeting me in the hallway. And then Brian took me to the Video Room where the Video Intern would work. There were about 20 TV’s and basketball on every one. I knew without a doubt, this is what I wanted to do.

Unfortunately, at the time, the Celtics selected someone else to be their intern and I was back in Virginia answering telephone calls and helping prospective students with their financial aid.

I applied for 18 other internships and jobs in the NBA from video positions, to business operations, to public relations and was rejected for every one.

I started applying for G-League internships, just trying to get my foot in the door somewhere, when I received a call from Kaleb Canales, Video Coordinator of the Portland Trail Blazers (current Assistant Coach of the New York Knicks). There was a Video position available in Portland and on a Saturday afternoon, I accepted their offer, an unpaid internship for the 2007–2008 season. And on Sunday, I packed all my belongings in my car and started the drive from Virginia to Oregon.

There were 3 things that I feel helped give me the opportunity to be hired and after working 13 years in the NBA, these same 3 things are now what I look for when I am interviewing Video and Basketball Operations Intern hopefuls.

1. Experience — Get involved wherever you are at!

There’s a million people out there who share your dream to work in the NBA… to one day be a Head Coach or GM. And to many, it’s just that, a dream.

What I look for in a prospective intern is that they love basketball more than the dream itself. If you love basketball, you will work for your college, help out the local high school team, or even volunteer at summer camps and the YMCA. The dream may keep you going for awhile, but the love of the game will carry you through the ups and downs.

I would never have gotten my opportunity with the Blazers if I had applied and told them I was an Admissions Counselor with a dream of working in the NBA. Instead, I was able to let them know that even though I was working a full-time job, I was also volunteering for a D1 college and taking classes to learn how to break down game film.

2. Skillset — Have something to offer!

As I’ve stated multiple times, many people share your dream. So the question is, ‘What sets you apart?’

There’s a lot of good people out there who love basketball and reach out saying they’re ‘willing to do anything!’ In theory, that sounds great, but we don’t need you to do anything, we need you to be skilled at something.

If we receive 1,000 applications for a Video Internship, I can likely eliminate 900 of them by those with no video experience.

To go back to my story, even if I had said, ‘I am willing to do anything and I’m currently writing scouting reports for an NCAA team,’ I don’t think I would have gotten the job. The Trail Blazers weren’t looking to hire a scout. They weren’t looking for someone to do ‘anything.’ They were looking for someone to help break down game film and that was something specific I could help with.

3. Character — Character matters more than you think!

The first thing I do when I receive an application that checks the first two boxes of experience and skillset is to look at someone’s social media accounts. I check your Twitter and Facebook, I call your references and coaches who you have worked with along the way.

My resume and references weren’t just basketball coaches but professors, co-workers, and those who lived daily life with me.

Having ‘superior’ basketball references is overrated and can even hurt your chances. I feel like one of the reasons I received my opportunity with the Blazers was that I had people who vouched for and spoke highly of my character and integrity and I also didn’t have any connections in the NBA or media that could end up being a conflict of interest.

None of this guarantees you will get a job or internship in the NBA but it can help put you in a position to give yourself the opportunity. And that’s all you can ask for, to give yourself a chance to get on the phone with someone in the NBA. And if you’re crazy, maybe even tell them you’ll be in town that weekend. After all, I didn’t get the internship with Celtics but without flying to Boston on my own initiative, I likely would have never gotten my opportunity with the Trail Blazers. After meeting with the Celtics, Brian called Kaleb and let him know I’d be a good fit in Portland. And the rest is history. Or at least part of my story.

So get some experience, improve your skillset, and get ready to pack your bags!