Picking the Right Team or the Right Person?
Getting a job in the NBA
“Pick the person you want to work for, not the company you want to work for. Because I don’t care how cool the company is, if you’re not working for the right individual who has wisdom to impart and is willing to impart it onto you, you’re going to grow much less.” – Will Guidara
That is a loaded statement with a lot to unpack.
“Pick the person you want to work for, not the company you want to work for”
There are two sides to this when looking for a job in the NBA or in basketball. One, I completely agree to pick the person and not the company. And two, if there’s only one company (team) offering you a position, I’d recommend you take it.
What will help you grow the most in your career will be the individual investment of another person. None of us would be where we are without someone believing in us and giving us an opportunity. That is why it is always so important for you to put yourself in positions to meet people and gain experience.
When you have the opportunity to work for someone who is invested in your success and well-being, your opportunities for growth become endless (so long as the person investing in you is on the right track as well).
As I’ve shared before, I was hired as an Intern for the Trail Blazers by Kaleb Canales and Tim Grass. The General Manager was Kevin Pritchard. And one of the lead scouts was Chad Buchanan. All of them were invested in my growth. In my first 3 seasons, due to each of their investments in me, I was able to elevate a position and in responsibilities each year. But after 5 seasons, they were all gone to other teams and new management and staff came in. I changed roles once and then was left in that role for 10 seasons. I don’t ‘blame’ anyone for the lack of opportunity, it was my decision to stay with the team and understand the situation I was in. I chose to stay in Portland rather than taking other opportunities but staying in Portland also left me in a situation where I had less opportunity to grow.
In your careers, you’ll always have to weigh what you value. I chose location and community over the potential of more career success. And when I reflect, I’m 90% sure I’d do the same thing. There were a lot of things I valued outside of basketball. But at the same time, I think my window closed a few years in Portland before my time ended there and I likely would have been better served, leaving on my own earlier.
The second part, where I recommend choosing the company over the person is when it is your dream to work for an NBA team (or otherwise) and you have one opportunity. Opportunities to work in the NBA are minimal so even if it is not ideal, it may be worthwhile to get your foot in the door. This allows you to at least taste and experience it and know if it is something you want to do long-term. Eventually, you are going to want to get yourself in the right situation with the right people but there is nothing wrong with taking a season or two of pure opportunity and see if it is something you want to build upon or walk away from.
Again, you always have to assess your own situation and values. Do you love your job working in high school or college? You may want to keep it. Do you love your current job but it’s always been a dream to work in the NBA? You may want to take the leap.
I think the key for yourself is always being confident in whatever decision you make, committing to it, and moving forward in it. You’re not making a right or wrong decision on what team or level you are working at. You are making a choice.