As part of cooperation between EuroLeague Players Association and National Basketball Players Association three ELPA members attended the renowned NBPA Leadership Development Program held in Las Vegas from 9-11th July.
Every year, Las Vegas is hosting NBA Summer League and attracting people worldwide from all branches of basketball industry. Three ELPA members, Kyle Hines, Marcelinho Huertas and Tornike Shengelia had this year for the first time the opportunity to acquire knowledge, experience and build new relationships at the NBPA Leadership Development Program, which is normally available only for current and former NBA players.
This hands-on program exposes players to a highly challenging and competitive career path. It has been tailored to provide valuable information, experiences, and networking opportunities dealing with basketball operations, scouting, free agency, the draft, CBA, and many more career options at the highest level. The program also helps participants to develop a career in basketball after basketball.
ELPA Managing Director Bostjan Nachbar was also in Las Vegas during the NBPA program and confirmed that ELPA is recognized and an established name also on the other side of the Atlantic. This is yet another proof that the organization is developing in the right direction.
Vegas NBPA event is already the second program with participation of ELPA members, Axel Toupane attended International Business Academy in Milan, Italy, one month ago.
Below are the statements of all three ELPA members visiting NBPA Leadership Development Program in Las Vegas:
Kyle Hines:
“NBPA Leadership program was great. We learned about how NBA front offices are operating, how to scout players, we had a chance to speak with some renowned NBA executives and share opinions about basketball as a whole. The program also gave us the opportunity to get a better understanding of the importance of collective bargaining agreement. I highly recommend this program to all players who wish to gain knowledge on the basketball operations side of this sport.”
Tornike Shengelia:
“As a player it is never too soon to star thinking about post career. NBPA Leadership Program gave me the opportunity not just to learn a lot, but also to reconnect with many NBA players and executives. I am a big fan of this program and if players want to learn more about basketball front office activites, they should use the opportunity of NBPA and ELPA cooperation and sign up at the next opportunity.”
Marcelinho Huertas:
“The days we spent at the NBPA Leadership Program gave us a clear picture on what it takes to be a basketball executive and offered ideas and solutions on how to translate our basketball skills to other areas of this industry. We all gained valuable experience that we will be able to use once we end our playing careers. We are thankful for the opportunity and we hope that cooperation between NBPA and ELPA will continue.”
