How to Play Basketball Abroad: A Complete Guide

First, obtain a passport.

Except in a few rare circumstances that are too complicated for this article to discuss, you cannot leave your nation without a valid passport.

Your passport will be required for travel and frequently for team or league registration abroad. Prior to beginning your travel planning, take care of it.

The Advantages of Dual Citizenship for International Basketball

Players who hold several passports or citizenships may be well-known to you. One of the first things our players at EuroProBasket are advised to look at is this.

Read More: basketball training camps in Finland

You too may get your citizenship if your parents were born abroad or hold citizenship in another nation.

If your grandparents came from another nation, you might be able to obtain citizenship there as well. You will gain a lot of value from learning about your family’s past.

Why is it vital to have two passports?

For example, you will be regarded as a European player rather than an import player if you hold a European passport. There are three to five times as many roster spaces available for European Bosman players, and registration with a team does not need a visa. passport holders compared to import players or holders of US passports.

It doesn’t matter which nation you are a citizen of; if there is a professional basketball league in that nation, you will probably be regarded as a local player. This will extend your professional playing and perhaps coaching career indefinitely and has numerous advantages.

Bosman A

EU nationals are eligible to apply for these passports. With a few outliers that are added to the list of Bosman A players, there are 27 nations in the EU. In terms of playing basketball abroad, this passport is possibly the most advantageous. Here you may read some fascinating facts about how the Bosman verdict affected basketball in Europe and the NCAA.

Bosman B

The nations listed on these passports are in Europe, however they are not members of the EU. Players with these passports are guaranteed slots on rosters in the majority of European leagues. Generally speaking, league registration is less expensive than that of an import player. In order to play and work in the nation where the team is based, players will require a visa.

Cotonou

These passports originate from several island nations, emerging nations, and third-world countries in Africa. Particularly for these passport holders, numerous European leagues (Spain, Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland, etc.) have roster spaces available. For the team, their league registration price is less. To work and play in the nation where the team is based, they also require a visa.

Step 2: Create a player bio, resume, or CV

Add your personal information and a photo of yourself acting or dressed professionally.

Provide as many specific statistics as you can for each season to avoid team searches (keep in mind that teams and agents receive hundreds of leads each week).

Make the complete game and highlight links clickable by adding them.
Add any honors and accomplishments you may have.
If desired, include references.
Keep it on file and save it as a PDF so you can make updates.
Organize it and give it a polished appearance.
It should just be one or two pages long.
Do not include the self-justification, self-scouting, or comparisons to NBA players.
Recall that the individual reading your bio may speak English as their second, third, or fourth language, so less material is preferable.
Prepare it for sending on your phone.
You may see our post, which we wrote especially on the subject, below on how to create a basketball resume.

The Third Step: Networking – How to Play Basketball Abroad

Utilize your present connections with teammates, trainers, and coaches.
Make and use social media accounts; most people you know overseas have Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook profiles. Some people are on Instagram.
If you can, make your own website with all of your statistics and links to videos.

Step 4: Locate a Representative – How to Play Basketball Abroad

An agent that specializes in basketball will have the connections to assist you launch your career abroad. That being said, there’s a lot you should know about foreign agents. We go over every aspect in the piece that follows.

Step 5: Top Chances to Play Basketball Abroad

Go to the nation where you wish to play.

You’ve tried working through Steps 1 through 7 of the foreign basketball playing guide. You are still without a team. These are your choices.

Go to Japan and show yourself to teams if you want to play there. Although it is a risky and costly endeavor, your chances of being given the chance to join with a team are greatly increased if you can go into a gym and try out.

This method obviously has drawbacks. Many teams limit the number of import players they will accept. There’s a chance you’re not a perfect fit for the team because higher level teams have different demands.

Exposure Camp or Showcase

In the USA, showcases are mediocre at best. More hits than misses. Too many players, disorganized basketball played mostly on the break. The majority of teams lack the funds to send a general manager or coach to the US to look at players. For athletes with professional expertise, it is far less expensive and lot easier for them to get in touch with an agency.

Given the time difference, watching live streaming requires some time out of a busy individual. Avoid falling into the trick that a lot of US camps and combines try to sell players.

Agent exhibitions may be a wise choice. Typically, the agency will only be interested in one or two of the best players.

Basketball Schools & International Tours

Although these possibilities require a larger financial outlay, how much is a basketball career worth to you? Imagine yourself in the midst of a nation or area where you would like to live and play hoops.

One of the drawbacks of touring is that mastering a solid beat in a matter of days or a week might be challenging. There’s not much time for you to rehearse and become comfortable with your tour crew. You will spend several hours traveling back and forth between locations. Since teams sign players at different periods of the year, it is very difficult to schedule tours. So, when is the best week for the tour? You can guess just as well as they can.