From Fan to Front Office: The Real Road to Scouting in the NBA.
Written By: Kekoa O’Neil
Contributor | Sideline Society Media
Being an NBA scout is something that all avid NBA fans/watchers hope to do at some point in their lives. Having the opportunity to travel and watch the best basketball players in the world seems like a dream job for most including myself. I was always fond of the idea of becoming an NBA scout one day but as I came to quickly realize, there is a lot more work that comes with the job than what you see on TV. This is also the case for jobs in sports in general as people become attracted to the idea of working in sports but soon understand they don’t get the luxury of getting paid to sit and watch the game. Oftentimes becoming a scout is referred to as an untold pathway. Most people have no idea how someone becomes a scout. There is no clear pipeline and no degree that guarantees it. To work in the NBA at the pro level usually requires lots of connections and the same holds true for becoming a scout.
Former NBA scout Anthony Goods, goes in depth on just exactly what it takes to get such a position having no prior connections or even work experience in the NBA. One of the key points he mentions right off the bat is that, “if you want to get in you need to shift your mindset from thinking like a fan to thinking like an employee”. I found this to be very interesting because more than not most people are applying to NBA jobs thinking like fans rather than those who actually work for an organization. Another important aspect of becoming a scout requires you doing the job before you actually get it. While this may sound confusing at first, think of it as the pre game warmups players do before the real game starts. In the eyes of a scout, what this looks like is going to your local high schools or colleges and creating hypothetical scouting reports, player boards and rankings.
You want to come back and revisit such to see how accurate you actually were in your predictions. This helps you build skill and more importantly the repetition of what an actual scout does on a daily basis. Getting started and getting reps are two of the more skills that often get pushed aside but are highly important. One major example of this career shift happening can be seen by current Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. He had originally joined the Miami Heat as a video coordinator in 1995 which led him eventually to becoming the franchise’s head coach in 2008. This is a great example of someone who got reps, made their name known across an organization, and then ultimately rewarded him by being the longest tenured coach with an NBA team currently. The same idea goes to many current NBA scouts.
As long as you have that work hard mentality and are willing to push through the grind, the sky’s the limit for where you may end up. From this, many people may ask how they get such a job if they are purely just a fan and never have played the game at any level. The short answer is, the process remains the same. These individuals must do everything they can in order to teach and involve themselves with the game. If you are able to sit down with any local high school coaches or even college coaches and just pick their brain on how and what scouts look for, this can go a long way in your development towards becoming a future scout.
Many times, us fans are so quick to point out how our favorite team missed on a player and should’ve drafted player A instead of player B but don’t really know the behind the scenes as to why one player was selected over the other. This is where it becomes extremely important to tap into the mind of a scout before making your fan perspective assumptions. Becoming an NBA scout is no easy task and requires lots of behind the scenes work in order to do so. As an avid NBA fan like myself, it is something I have always dreamed of doing someday because there is nothing I love more than being around the game 24/7. Now knowing more about the career path and how there are more ways than one to get your foot in the door it gives hope to those who felt they had no way in without being a former player or knowing someone who currently works in the NBA. As Anothony stated, the opportunities are there, it’s just up to you in order to create them.
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