Day One

Day One...Where We’re Headed

When you land overseas for the first time, nobody prepares you for the feeling of being lost....not like Apple Maps isn’t working lost, but more, holy shit, what am I doing with my life? lost.

I still remember wandering the streets of Fort Worth after my last D-League game. The season had just ended, my NBA dream was slipping further away, and I had about enough money in the bank to maybe cover gas back to Jersey. People were yelling “Dirk!” at me from across the street, not because of my amazing jumper, but because I looked like some odd version of Dirk Nowitzki. I had given everything to that league...my body, my time, my sanity, and all I had to show for it was an empty wallet and a bad Waffle House habit.

That night, I sat outside a coffee shop at 2 a.m. typing away on my T-Mobile Sidekick, firing off an emotional essay email to my brother in France about how the previous season was a waste. I was done and ready to quit. He wrote back one sentence... “That sucks. Dad’s surgery means he can’t make his trip. Come instead.”

One week later, I was on a plane to Mulhouse, France.

Mulhouse and the Almost-Retirement

I didn’t go with a basketball bag slung over my shoulder. I went with the mindset of a guy who was about to check out. I’d earned that right...at least in my head. I had three years of grinding with zero money and zero stability. I figured I’d relax, drink some French beer, eat a few crepes, maybe flirt with some girls who couldn’t understand a word I said.

My brother, of course, had other plans. He dragged me into his team practice after I hadn’t run a drill in two weeks. My body was fueled on alcohol and cholesterol. But the moment I stepped on that court, something snapped back. I realized, wait a second…I’m good at this. Like, really good.

That practice in Mulhouse was the moment I knew I wasn’t done. All the doubt was gone in two hours. Overseas basketball was different, but the game itself hadn’t changed. I could still do this

That trip reminded me why I kept pushing. And it also gave me my first taste of how lonely and confusing this life would be.

The First Time Abroad

The very first time I left the U.S. wasn’t even as a pro. It was on a college foreign tour with Monmouth. I was homesick before the plane even took off. I hated planes and I hated leaving my comfort zone, but off I went on a plane to France.

Everything felt off...the food, the people, the distinct smell of B.O. everywhere I went. And then in some random gym in the middle of nowhere, it all blew up. One of our guys got elbowed in the mouth, swung back, and suddenly we were in a full-on brawl.

As wild as it was, that fight bonded us. We realized that if you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us. Overseas athletics has a way to force you to grow up really quick.

Poland...Welcome to the Hustle

Fast forward a few years, and I’m signing my first real overseas deal...nine grand a month in Poland. For a guy who could barely scrape together his car payment a week earlier, this felt like I had made it.

Except, payday came, and nothing showed up in my account. Week two, still nothing. Then week three. Every day I checked like a kid refreshing the SNKRS app to get some exclusive Kobe's...and nothing.

When I finally confronted the team, they handed me three grand in cash and sent me packing. Just like that with zero explanation. Just a slap in the face and a “thanks for your time.”

I remember thinking, is this what overseas basketball is? Is this the dream? I was pissed. I was embarrassed. I felt played.

But I wasn’t alone. Every overseas vet has a version of that story...late payments or empty promises. The moments where you wonder if you should just give it all up and go home.

The Truth About Overseas

Here’s the truth...overseas life is beautiful and brutal at the same time. One day you’re playing in front of thousands, signing autographs, living in a city most people dream about visiting. The next, you’re sitting on a disgusting couch, broke, watching The Wire reruns, wondering how you’ll pay rent.

You can feel on top of the world in the morning and completely forgotten by night. And when you’re halfway across the globe, away from family, friends, and everything familiar, that weight hits different.

I’ve lived every part of it. The highs, the lows, the moments where I almost quit, and the ones where I realized I was way too talented to stop.

Why We Built This

That’s why we built OverseasX. So that the next kid who lands in Poland, France, Korea, Australia, wherever, doesn’t feel like they’re on an island. So that when you’re sitting there at 2 a.m., wondering if you belong, you’ve got people to turn to who get it.

This life will test you. It’ll make you question everything. But it’ll also give you stories you’ll tell forever.

We built this so none of us feel alone.