My definition of a professional basketball player is someone that earns enough money playing basketball that doesn’t need to work to live.
To some people my definition of a professional basketball player is not accurate. To some, the definition of a professional basketball player is someone that earns millions of dollars playing the game. In reality, nothing can be further from the truth. Fact is, there are players in the NBA earling less than a million dollars a season. Does that mean that they are not professional basketball players?
During my basketball career I didn’t ear a lot of money playing. The wage I got paid to play ball was well below the minimum wage for any employer working in a job in Australia or England. But I had a simple lifestyle where the money I earned playing basketball supported me. How did I do it? Well, I used what is termed MINIMALISM.
What is Minimalism?
Minimalism is a movement that gained popularity when Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus created a blog about it. They quit their jobs and down sized everything in their lives. For example, they moved into a smaller apartment, got rid of clothes and items they rarely used and got rid of the “stuff” as they call it. Stuff that had been accumulated during their lifetime. They also stopped buying unnecessary things and only purchased things out of necessity.
Most people these days just accumulate stuff by buying things they don’t really need. Just to feel good about themselves. That’s how the economy works right. Produce stuff so that people buy stuff. People need money to buy stuff so they go to work. It’s a cycle of consumption! By only buying/ keeping what you really need you save money and free yourself from the need to be in stressful jobs with the need to earn more and more money.
For more information about the minimalist movement head on over to Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus website: www.theminimalists.com.
Minimisation and basketball
Having a simple life with limited expenses will enable you to earn a low wage and live well. I’ve said it in many of my articles before. If you want to play pro basketball you need to throw your ego out the door. It is easy to live simply especially if you are young. You don’t need to get the latest gadgets, you can cut down going out, you can cook your meals instead of eating out. It’s a lifestyle change. By doing this you can earn a wage playing basketball and live of it. Hence, being a professional basketball player.
If you can get a basketball team that pays you a reasonable wage. I’m talking about AUD$15,000-AUD$20,000 and pick up your accomodation costs you’ll be doing very well for yourself. If however you have a lavish life this will not work for you!
Majority of my basketball career I needed to work to make a living and that was ok. I usually had a part time job to make enough money to keep me going. Even when I got paid a wage enough for me not to have to work, I still did. What can I say, I love working with web technologies as much as I do playing basketball. Having the extra cash from a job did go along way though.
Agent offering a professional basketball contract
Recently an agent contacted me about a gig going on a team in the top league in Denmark. Accomodation fully paid, with 1 meal per day, all insurances with a payment of USD $2500 per season. Not too much money but the deal is pretty darn good for someone that’s happy to do some part time work. There’s plenty of these types of opportunities in Europe and for someone that can keep their ego in check; you’ll be able to get an opportunity such as this just to get a start. To some people this deal isn’t a good one, but if you are a minimalist this is a great start to the professional basketball dream.
I stick by my definition of a professional basketball player and I believe it is even easier to become a professional basketball player if you have a minimalist lifestyle. If you dream of playing professional basketball trim the crap in your life and turn to simplicity. Give yourself an opportunity to break into the professional basketball ranks. Take what you can get from a team, tailor your lifestyle to fit and realise your dream of playing professional basketball.
