Finding Your Passion

Getting a job in the NBA

“My dream is to work in the NBA…”

Do you want to be a Coach?  A Scout?  GM? Trainer?  Analytics?  Coding?  Business?  Player Development? … the options are endless and can be somewhat paralyzing when you are asked about deciding your future.

And while it can always be helpful to have a specialization and I always recommend acquiring useful skills, the important thing isn’t so much about choosing the exact direction that the rest of your career and future will move in but about simply moving in a direction. 

“One of the things I see from people… they’re struggling to find the thing they are passionate about and therefore don’t throw themselves head first into anything.  While you are finding the thing you are passionate about, you can be passionate about something.  So go all in on something, learn everything you can about something.  It might not be your thing forever but you’re pretty sure you’d enjoy it for now.  Even if it’s not for you, you will have learned so much by giving all of yourself to it then had you just sat around.” – Will Guidara on the Learning Leader Podcast

From the time I was a child, I always wanted to work in the NBA.  But I didn’t have a clue as to how to make that happen.  It wasn’t until after college that I decided to dive head first in.  I dove head first into Scouting and along the way of learning the ins and outs, getting experience, and volunteering, I landed an interview with the Boston Celtics as a Video Coordinator.  At this point in my career, I did not even know what a Video Coordinator was.  It hadn’t been ‘popularized’ the way it is now that so many Coaches have come through the ranks. 

I walked into the Video Room in Boston and knew, this is what I want to do. 

I didn’t get the job.

But I had another opportunity that came up with the 76ers, in Communications.  I started to dive head first in when the Trail Blazers came along and offered me a Video job with them.

The thing is, I never knew where I was going to land but the key to landing a job was to keep moving forward and keep diving in and taking whatever opportunities presented themselves along the way.

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GITG101 Book Club, we are heading into Week 5 of Atomic Habits

The GITG101 NBA Training Camp Course is back!  The 4-week Course will begin on Oct 1 and finish on NBA opening night, Oct 22.  Tuesday evenings, 5p PT / 8p PT, more details to come!