I had completed my second season as a Video Intern for the Portland Trail Blazers. I made plans that summer to go to Africa (Zimbabwe) to work with at-risk children for two months. I planned on leaving after the NBA Draft and returning before Training Camp. The Director of Basketball Operations told me that he’d let me know if I could go. And I told him that I would let him know when I was back.
If you’ve worked in any space within basketball, you’ve likely had your franchise / school / team attempt to control not just your in-season but your off-season as well. And this is where you must have boundaries to take care of yourself.
In my scenario, had the Trail Blazers offered me a full-time job at the time, yes, I would have stayed in town or used my vacation days. But I was an Intern making $9 an hour after a year of working for free, so I was not interested in them controlling my timelines at that point in my life.
It was one of the best decisions I ever made. I ended up falling in love with the people and culture in Zimbabwe and spent 9 of the next 10 off seasons serving and working in Zimbabwe.