Should You Work in the NBA For Free?
Working in the NBA
Should you work in the NBA for free? This is one of the more challenging questions you’ll face. And we can substitute NBA for basketball or sports in general. And it is not just a question you’ll face once but likely over and over.
I always say that you need 3 things: a skill set, experience, and likability.
To get experience and even to gain a skill, likely you will need to start volunteering or working somewhere unpaid. The value comes in the experience and the relationships you develop. From someone going from the ground floor up, this is almost a necessity.
But the challenge in regards to NBA teams is that as long as they can have you as part of the team and not pay you, they will. Many interns or staff support are unpaid because the demand for those jobs is so high. And the experience you can get from that is unmatched. But you might get invited to come back for free the next year and the next year and so on and that is where you have to make real decisions.
I never recommend working for free somewhere longer than 1 year / season. If you agree to keep working for free, there will never be an incentive for the team to pay you. Your value will be as an unpaid staff support. The franchise is not invested in you and you are replaceable at any moment.
It is a tough decision I’ve seen many have to make. Do I stay on for a second year unpaid or do I walk away?
Obviously, only you can make these decisions, but if you believe in yourself and what you have to offer a team, walk away. Look for a better opportunity.
And one of the keys is to look for the next opportunity while you are in your current situation. It’s always easier to get the next job while you currently have one. If you’re in college, use your .edu e-mail address while you have it. If you’re with an NBA team, use that e-mail while you have it. Looking for other opportunities not only may present a better one for you but also might make your current team pay up to keep you.
For other teams to see value in you, you need to see the value in yourself at whatever level you are at. Volunteer, do the work, gain the experience, acquire the skill set, and then find a team / franchise / person who believes in you and will pay for what you have to offer.