“Transitioning from the NBA to overseas is a downgrade; that means I failed.” Those were my first thoughts when my agent called and told me I didn’t have much NBA interest, but a team in Europe was very interested in me and their coach wanted to talk to me. My agent said the team played in Euroleague but at the time I had no idea what level that even was– my mind just fixated on “it’s not the NBA.” I spoke with the coach and we had a good conversation, but I told my agent I wasn’t interested; instead, I went to training camp that year with an NBA team. After I didn’t make the final roster, I told my agent I was willing to go overseas.
I eventually signed with Partizan–a team in Serbia–around the beginning of November, which was an EYE OPENING experience to say the least. I arrived in Belgrade on a Wednesday, had one practice on Thursday, and then we had an ABA league game on Friday against Zadar (which I didn’t play in). We lost that game by 20, and after the game the club fired the coach. I had no idea how the pressure of winning and losing worked in Europe and this quick change was shocking to me. The new coach wanted to bring a point guard instead of having a wing and so I ended up leaving the team only about 3-4 weeks later. You can imagine the range of emotions I was going through (“Europe is NOT IT”). I finished the year out in the G league because mentally I wasn’t ready to go to another team in Europe, and so my next European experience wasn’t until the following year.
At the end of October the following season, I went to Limoges in France as a two month injury replacement. This is where everything started to click for me. Limoges played in Eurocup and the French LNB (it was called Jeep Elite at the time). There I was able to showcase what I could do on the court, which really helped me mentally with the transition; despite being so far from home, I was in a comfortable situation and enjoying it. It took me about two weeks to adjust to the style of play: the defensive help-side rules, how they call travels on the sweep through move (which I still don’t understand), the unsportsmanlike fouls, and some other minor differences between overseas and the NBA. I stayed with the team for the full two months and wanted to sign with them for the rest of the season, but because of the foreign player rules I ended up going to the ACB in Spain (which was ultimately cut short by Covid-19).
The next year I went to another team in France, Metropolitans 92. Unlike my prior two times in Europe where I’d joined after the season had already started, this time I went at the beginning of the season in August. Being there from the first day of preseason changed EVERYTHING. I was able to establish myself on the court and how I fit in with the team from day one, which made the season the most enjoyable I have had to date. I built great chemistry with my teammates, coaches, and the organization, and we had a very good season making it to the playoffs of the French league and Top 8 of Eurocup. After this season I had some big time offers, but due to an injury that I sustained towards the end of the season, I wasn’t ready to immediately start the next season in August again with such a short turnaround.
Nevertheless, this feeling of being able to really show my game did a lot for me mentally. Because I had spent 3 years in the NBA playing sporadically with a limited role, now just being able to go out there and hoop was a positive. I was able to play this game that I love and showcase my abilities. This has shifted my perspective in a way that has helped me come back to Europe now for my 5th year. We all want to play in the NBA, but I had to change my mentality and appreciate the high level basketball being played all over the world and the great life experiences that come from these moments. Embracing overseas basketball for what it is was an adjustment, I can’t even lie. When I first came to Europe, I found myself comparing everything to the NBA, both on and off the court. But all that does is take away the joy that you can have when you choose to “be where your feet are.” This is a daily practice for me in staying present, being in the moment, and enjoying the grind and what comes with it because one day it will be over. At the end of the day, knowing I gave it 100% will give me peace for the rest of my life.
– Anthony Brown
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