13 years ago, I found myself in a job I didn’t want to be in the long-term. Frustrated and confused, I googled ‘NBA Jobs’  hoping to find a new career path I felt passionate about.   

I came across the online courses being offered by SMWW and took the leap, signing up for the Basketball GM & Scouting course. That was the pivotal moment my career changed for the better.

In the course, I learned, amongst other things, how to break down NBA game film. This skill helped me land an internship with the Portland Trail Blazers as an Assistant Video Coordinator, and eventually a full-time position.

Fast-forward a few more years and the NBA lockout hit. Instead of sitting around, mulling the loss of my beloved NBA calendar and film room, I began working on my Master’s Degree in Sports Leadership, doubling up on classes while the lockout ensued.  

And now, we are in another unforeseen circumstance.

Start Standing out From The Crowd

For me, as the Personnel Video Coordinator for the Trail Blazers, my job has become more valued and busier during this time of isolation due to video demands, but it’s not the same for everyone.

I’ve received many messages, e-mails, and phone calls (my apologies to those I have yet to have the time to get back to) asking, “What can I do to better myself during this time of isolation?”

There are three things I always tell prospective interns who want to work in the NBA. Unfortunately, two of them are not options at this time, but I'll explain them anyway!

#1 Prospective interns need to go to the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and meet with contacts they’ve been e-mailing and calling. This allows them to put a face with the application, which is an important step in humanizing yourself. It's always better to be a real face, rather than just a resume or a voice on the other end of the phone. 

#2 Prospective interns should visit practice facilities and meet with other video coordinators and basketball operations staff. This is something I did when applying with the Boston Celtics.  

With these first two options on hiatus we need to lean into the third piece of advice: add to your skillset.

Now Is The Time to Differentiate Yourself

There are many prospective interns with dreams, promising to work hard, and telling us how much they love the game. Unfortunately, none of that means much. We need you to work. Not just hard, but well. We need you to have something to offer. Skills to add.

Part of why I got my opportunity with the Trail Blazers is from learning how to use Synergy from my SMWW course. 

Knowledge of Synergy and SportsCode is a baseline expectation from NBA teams, you need to learn those, and go extra.  

If you know how to create your own videos, if you can code, if you can assist with analytics, if you excel at Excel, and on and on. There are many tools you can add to your toolkit and each one may hold value to a different team. 

In the G-League, they often don’t have all the software programs we have at the NBA level, so those who know how to code game film without a software program and those who can figure things out things on the fly with minimal cost, become incredibly valuable.

Even though the world has paused and we don’t know when sports are coming back, there are still ways to grow yourself at this time.  

You can still reach out to people. You can still send e-mails. You can still ask questions. And you can still find ways to grow and add to your skillset.  

Don't Do This

One tip I would offer when you reach out to people: don’t ask for a job. 

Jobs are tough to come by and internships may be tougher to come by this coming season than usual. Coming right out and asking for something is a good way to get ignored. 

Instead, ask how to better prepare yourself to get a job or internship. Find out what skills you need to thrive. Find out what you can do to benefit their organization. Find out what tools you could add to your package during this ‘offseason.’  

And most of all, stay well. 

It’s a stressful time and many are carrying great burdens. Sports are something that helps relieve stress for many of us and that is something we don’t have right now.

Part of the joy in working in sports is that you get to bring joy and respite into people’s lives. I hope you will be encouraged at this time and continue to work towards achieving the dreams inside of you, just like I did.

Don't be afraid to take the leap! SMWW can be your path to a career you love!