No Plan B

Let's be clear the guy who has done it all when it comes to covering basketball in Germany is Miles-Schmidt-Scheuber. JBBL, NBBL, 1st Regio, Pro B, Pro A, BBL and Euroleague. This first class journalist and multilingual basketball broadcaster represents Boston, Massachusetts very well. He is the voice not only for the top tier pro players in Europe, but also for the American dudes with chips on their shoulders, who make a living in the lower leagues, clawing their way to the top.

Some people just don't have what it takes to get paid to play pro basketball in Europe. Mr. Jeremy Lewis has what it takes and then some. So sit back, relax and jump in the car with me and my partner René as we take a wild rollercoaster ride from the 1st league in the Czech Rebublic to the 1st league in Germany. The death of a close friend during the game we love so much. The politics of college and pro hoops overseas. None of it could keep Mr. Lewis down.

The World has caught up in pro basketball. Shore Adnekan is a perfect example of that. As my insomnia kicked in and I sat in front of my laptop stalking potential pro's, as soon as I saw Big Shore flying around on YouTube, I knew he had the goods. At 6'9", 240 pounds, running the floor like a deer, blocking shots and dunking on everybody I fell in love with his game from the jump. For the chosen few, the dream of playing big time basketball in America for a young guy in London will come true. Mister Adenekan lived out that dream and took it a step further. He went on to get paid to do what he loves to do.

Welcome to the world of Vincent "two two" Golson. The world where he had to navigate through the evil streets I know oh so well and stay focused on his pro basketball dream. Golson is the type of player that is really starring in his own movie. My nephew was shot and killed in Oakland. So the movie doesn't always have the happy ending. This podcast was super special for me. My nephew may be gone, but Golson rep's him and all of the fallen soldiers in the Bay that we lost. He is super quick, has a boss handle, has elite court vision, can drop a jay in your face and is as strong as they come. The hard part is over, if Golson can move through Oakland, he will be able to move through arena's and get buckets in Europe EASY!

When I think about Geno Nesbitt, the new head coach of the Ibbenbueren Bringiton Ballas, I think about how we met in Hamburg. I introduced myself and said, "What up bruh? I'm Slim and you got some hotleggs. "He laughed and said," You have megabounce too homey" A nickname and lifelong friendship came to light. Our claim to fame together is we were the only Americans out there that day, dunking on people and putting on a serious show for thousands of fans in the pouring down rain that Northern Germany is well known for in June. The crazy thing is that everybody knows that my dunks were with tremendous force, imagine a guy at 5'11" unleashing the same type of windmills, it's scary if you're in front of it. Join us as we provide Americans with the "Game" they need to survive pro basketball in Germany.

Imagine if you pulled up to an arena in Europe and as soon as you got out of the nice Audi or Beamer the club provided for you. Your range began in that same parking lot. This is the world that Jermale Jones lives in. We met many moons ago, when he was a rookie chasing a pro hoop dream and being MVP of a showcase I was coaching at. He got my vote because he was fearless. He had that quiet southern hospitality about him, but deep down I could see he was an ice cold killer in between those lines. He was hitting NBA range three's with ease. Many men fell off. Many men gave up on their pro hoop dreams. Many men aren't built for everything that comes with getting paid to hoop overseas. This sharp shooter from Birmingham, Alabama is built for pro hoops overseas without a doubt!

When we talk about the dude out of California, who came to Europe, willing to pay the price of the blood, sweat and tears, that come with getting paid to hoop 7000 miles away from home, then we are talking about Richie Williams. He walked into a little box in Hannover that I crowned the "UBC Dome" as a humble dude, ready to put in that work. Fast forward to 2020 and he is a great pro, an American ambassador of the sport and still that same humble dude. Crazy how two dudes, both from Cali and both living out pro hoop dreams, would meet during that dream and have a life long bond.

Welcome to the world of DaVonté Lacy. The world where once you touch a basketball, you become a weapon. Lacy is the definition of the triple threat position. Give him too much room, he is going to shoot a three in your face. Get too close, he will cross you up, break your ankles and dunk on you. Add on top of that his pro court vision that he uses to drop dimes and make the players around him better and you have a dude, who can do it all. The Pacific Northwest product out of Tacoma, Washington is not only a great basketball player but a great dude off the court.

Join us as we take a journey down memory lane with Matt Reid. This guy knows all about playing hurt and what it takes to help your body recover faster. This isn't something he got from reading a book. He got this knowledge hands on after a ten year stint of pro hoops in Europe. If you're a guy who thinks you come over to Germany, without a great college career behind you and make millions of euros hooping, you have this game twisted. The key to success is move teams up, win championships, be the American who can hit clutch shots and prepare yourself for when the cheering stops. Matt Reid has done all of the above and is here and kind enough to give the next generation the blueprint!

Too many great basketball players have come from the west coast. Add Matt Reid to that long list. A prolific scorer in high school and in college. Matt came to Germany as a humble rookie in the lower leagues and fought his way up all the way to the top doing what he does, getting mad buckets. It's easy to talk about what league you should play in, but Mr. Reid came here to Germany and put in work. He helped quite a few teams win championships and remained humble through his many basketball wars. I have mad respect for a baller who will let his actions speak much louder then his words and the homey Mr. Reid is that dude!

Welcome to the world of Ricky Easterling. This man has perfected a lost art in the pro basketball world. His jumper from 15 to 17 feet out is automatic. He can shoot threes too, but why pretend to be Curry when you can stop on a dime and hit that midrange jay? I've watched Americans come and go. Some were not built for the pressure and stress that comes with being "The Man" on a team here in Europe. Americans have been sent home for not being able to get buckets in crunch time. Truth be told, a few Americans have been sent home because they were homesick. Mr. Easterling has been getting buckets in crunch time for at least a decade. He is a down to earth humble dude and he can score twenty points in his sleep. It's something about those lefty's that makes them tough to guard and to guard Easterling is truly a nightmare.

Anybody that knows anything about streetball knows that the battles that have gone down in streetball tournaments in New York City will also go down in history. I bet when circus clowns were making fun of a chubby kid named Levi Levine back in the days, they thought they were doing stand up comedy. Little did they know, that little chubby kid was going to grow up, turn that baby fat into ripped muscles, use those same corny ass jokes as fuel to light his own fire, play pro basketball overseas, and travel all over the world. Mr. Levine, I love your handle but what I'm much more impressed with, is your basketball mind. Anybody who can be a player and a coach on a pro level, I'll always respect. I couldn´t do it. I would take 40 shots, not play defense and cuss out anybody who wasn't rebounding if I got to chunking up bricks! LOL!

Jordan Talbert hoops on a even keel. I have the upmost respect for players that can keep their cool when the pressure start's to build up in a pro hoop war. Nothing seems to rattle this great player from Little Rock, Arkansas. He has that very high skill set to go and get paid in another country outside of Germany, but he has fit in very well here. In my pro hoop days, I cursed out teammates, refs, coaches, fans and anybody else who needed a verbal beating, so I salute Mr. Talbert today for doing pro hoops overseas the right way!

Fewer then 2% of NCAA Division 1 athletes go on to be pro's. I wonder what is the percentage of athletes that have gone on to play pro basketball that come from Eupora, Mississippi? Well Quentin Pryor held his own as a pro along way from home. We battled against each other in Wally's All Star game. I felt like I was chasing around Rip Hamilton. Pryor wasn't taking any plays off and O.G. Big Slim was doing his best to catch a dunk and breath at the same time. So today, I salute Mr Pryor, he had his Plan B in check after the cheering stopped.

There is a long list of great players that have come out of  Baltimore Maryland. Add Mr. Wallace to that long list. He has one hell of a motor, he can shoot the threeball, he can create for his teammates and he doesn't take plays off. Devante Wallace loves to play basketball. When you love something and you get paid to do it, that's the best of both worlds!

This week we sat down to talk about a lot of recent things that happened. 2020 was very intense so far. R.I.P. George Floyd. In today's episode, I had to touch on a very serious topic. I have very good friends who are police officers and they do their job well. They protect and serve. I hope the judge throws the book at the officer's involved in causing Mr. Floyd's death. On a lighter note of course I turn back into a goofball and let my partner Rene know how much I appreciate him, as we take a ride down memory lane to Oakland, California and Tokyo, Japan.

They say home is where the heart is. Try to imagine this for a second. 85 people shot and killed in a weekend. 18 murders in 24 hours. You can best believe Mr. Williams has heart.It's not easy to stay focused when you grow up in a city that has no mercy. As he continues on his pro hoop journey in Europe, shout out to Chicago, Illinois. I hope that things will somehow sort themselves out. I've been in evil streets myself before, so to see A-Dub navigate through them and get to live out his pro hoop dream after the long conversations a few years ago makes this episode much bigger than basketball!

.As I sat there at the pro showcase in Germany, drinking a huge beer and thinking to myself, "remember when you were in these dudes shoes?" The American, 7000 miles away from home chasing a dream?. I had a conversation with Arron Williams that night that touched my soul. Rumors were flying that ,"A-Dub had a bad attitude. He was uncoachable. I won't name names but I told a few people," I speak his language, the problem is, you goofy's are AFRAID of him. He will play great for me, trust me" and that he did. The last thing I said to A-Dub was this, "Homey. Listen. I know and feel your pain. Some coaches have hidden agenda's and are selfish. I want you to WIN. I proved to every punk ass coach who didn't believe in me, that I had what it took to get paid to hoop. YOU have what it takes to get paid to play this game. I could care less what anyone else thinks or says". Funny how time flies.

They say everything is big in Texas. One thing is for sure, Montrael Scott has big game. This Dallas,Texas native led the German Pro B in Assists this past season. In the words of his teammate and baller for real Anell Alexis, " Trael has big time game OG, but he is also a great teammate." All real ballers know the respect of your peers and teammates means a lot in the pro basketball world in Europe. Scott's future looks very bright on this side of the pond!

Most coaches love to come up with new terms to label a player. When I was flying around dunking on people, they loved to call me a "Tweener". A power forward in a guards body. Or a "Slasher" C.J. can stretch the floor. His size, quickiness and those point guard skills helped his team get plenty of wins this past season. What I love about his game is his great defense and the fact that he takes pride in being the guy who isn't afraid to guard the other team's best player. It was a breath of fresh air to talk hoops with a dude who loves to lock people up. Cleveland, Ohio has produced many great basketball players. Add C.J. Oldham to that long list!

"The 614"  If you ask "Bigslim" the best player in the world hails from Akron, Ohio. One of the best players in the world is also from Ohio, Columbus that is. Elijah Allen is the definition of "The Triple Threat" position. Leave him open, he is going to drain a three in your mouth. Get too close, he is going to take you off the dribble and get an easy bucket with that wonderful handle he has. Try to double him, he is going to pass right out of it to a teammate with his great court vision.

Kevin Yebo aka "KG", a 16-year-old is hooping at my after school program in the hood in Bonn, Germany and he is doing it all. He has a sweet handle, he has a smooth jumper, he is swatting peoples shots out of bounds, he is dunking on people. I pull him to the side and spit: "You know what young homey? You have the tools to get paid to do this s*it" He just looked back at me and said: "Thanks a lot Joe, I appreciate that man."  Shout out to my man Asat AKA "AJ" and the homey Mike Sharma. All of those days when I was hung over and didn't want to come and hoop and "AJ" called me cussing me out: "Ogee,where in the ???? you at, we are in front of the gym"? And me rolling 160 km screaming through my cell: "Hold tight,I'm on my way homey." It all paid off thanks guys! LOL!  Shout out to Andrej Mangold, he came and talked to my young guys when he was a pro playing in Bonn and did me a personal favor for my guys and I really appreciate that. Yebo was one of the young dudes that was LISTENING!

Welcome to an XXL-Episode with Emmanuel "Cookaman" Holloway. They say if the shoe fits, then wear it. The nickname "Cookaman" fits Mr Holloway without a doubt. Cartersville, Georgia must be very proud of this combo guard who has NBA range, can create off the dribble with the best of them and can be that vocal leader who has no problem to straight up "cook" defenders. It was truly my pleasure to be in front of 5000 fans in the AWD Arena in Hannover; Germany, as soon as he let go of another 3 from damn near half court, I was spot on screaming: "EEEEEEEE HOLLOOWAYYY"

Chris Frazier is a pure shooter. Markus Hallgrimson is the other guy who came out of that  DODDS system here in Europe that can teach anybody in the world how to shoot a basketball. Frazier walked into that gym in Würzburg, Germany as a 15 year old, cocky and confident (Not ARROGANT) like most haters thought. I knew the first time I saw him shoot a basketball, he was different. Before one of our games, I put my arm around him and whispered into his ear: "Listen, your job is to get buckets, I want you to play like Ray Allen but please, keep your teammates involved, but when I wink at you go one on one and take over the dod gam game". He looked at me with fire in his eyes and simply said,"Ok, Coach Joe, I got you." At the end of that game and 50 points later, I walked up to his dad and said,"Sir, I think your son has the potential to be a pro." As I drank my big beer that night, I thought to myself, now I know how that evil Dr. Frankenstein felt I've created a MONSTER! LOL!

Lamar Mallory has filled up the stat sheet during his pro basketball stint here in Europe and in the land down under. 20 points and 10 rebounds is normal for him. His numbers could be much higher too. He is athletic enough to pick up 10 blocks on any given night, but he is all about doing what he has to do to help his team win. One of my homeys hit me up when he was playing here in Germany a few years ago in Lich. He screamed through my cell phone, "Ogee Jumping Joe this dude Mallory is dunking on people, the same way you did". At first I thought, ok you have to be kidding me. I broke a backboard and sent glass flying in Giessen. NOBODY has dunked on people the way I have. After seeing the footage, I found out my homey was right. Lamar puts people in the rim so I did what EVERY retired pro ball player should do, I swallowed my pride and decided that everytime Lamar catches a body, I'm going to cheer and live through him. He represents Dayton,Ohio very well.

Not only did "Baby Shaq" Viktoria Krell fly thousands of miles outside of her comfort zone to live out her hoop dream in United States, she also dropped 2006 points (2nd all time at LWC in Kentucky) and snatched 1219 boards (1st all time) putting Heilbronn, Germany and womens basketball on the map.

If you put in that work, you can be a good Basketball Player. If you want to be a damn good Basketball player you work overtime. Tyseem Lyles puts in that extra work. This Brooklyn, New York native has what all great Basketball Players have, a serious work ethic. Those long hours in the gym. Last Summer payed off. He led his Team to the 1st reg north title a chance to move up to the pro B and was player of the year.

Anell Alexis is truly the son of a gun. His father Wendell Alexis is the man who won multiple championships in Berlin and is one of the best pro basketball players in the history of Germany. Those are big shoes to fill. Anell doesn't have to fit into those shoes. He has played professional basketball in Panama and here in Germany and he has made a name for himself and looks damn good doing that in his owh shoes! I love his ability to create his own shot off the dribble. He is the ultimate team player, willing to sacrafice his own stats to get to the final goal, his team winning. Don't let that fool you though, if his team needs buckets, he will get buckets! He represents New Jersey very well.

The 503 Portland, Oregon has produced not only some of the best basketball players on the westcoast, but in the world. I can easily name drop or jot down a list of big names but I have a better idea. I'll add the name Michael Holton Jr. to that list. I watched him score 39 points in the pro B in Germany and on my drive home i thought: "Wow, when he looks back at those highlights one day he may give himself a new nickname, Chef Mike, the guy who just served up a basketball 5 star hotel meal."

Greg Logins is what I call a gun for hire. This dude is a 6-9 sniper, coming out of Upstate New York. This sharpshooter is a modern day globetrotter. He has played professional basketball in Mexico, Finland, Israel, Denmark, Argentina, Morrocco, Japan, Germany and Luxembourg. Not only a great basketball player, but a down to earth humble good dude.

When I hear a player is from Detroit,Michigan the first thing that pops into my mind is a tough city that has produced many tough professional basketball players. Demetrius Ward is just that - TOUGH. Not only is he as strong as an ox, the guy who can shoot deep 3's or bang in the post and finish over bigs, has an extremely high basketball IQ  and can easily be a coach out there in between the lines. At 6-3 and a solid 215, Dee Ward has paid dues and proven he belongs in the pro A and in my opinion, given the opportunity, he can play in the BBL.

Walk away from palm tree's and sunshine in Florida into 10 degree below zero tempratures in Berlin, Germany. Welcome to the world of Pierre Bland.

The awesome combo guard with unreal court vision loves to pass, but don't let that fool you. He is a walking bucket. Representing Jacksonville, Florida, Pierre has the ability to do what all American's that are pro players in Germany should do. Make all of the players around him better. He knows how to keep all of his teammates happy by providing them the touches they need, yet out of no where, he hits this extra gear which leads to him taking over a game, hitting clutch shots, or just making the right play. One of the best pro ball players not only in Germany but in Europe.

with Rene Weimann and Joe Asberry. The new podcast about playing basketball abroad in Europe including incredible stories and amazing guests. We have a special launch week coming up with three episodes and from next week on we will have a new episode every friday.