Before what we all know now as the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn’t unusual to hear things like, “Hey MG, you’ve seen it all, huh?” Normally, we wouldn’t think twice about such a statement. At 32 years old, I started this season as the oldest player on the team and candidate most likely to have ‘seen it all’. Make no mistake, I have not seen it all… but after a decade in the game as a professional basketball player both in the US and abroad, I’ve certainly experienced a multitude of unique situations both professionally and personally.
Salary late for MONTHS? Check (no pun intended) Just this fall, I successfully sued a former team (one of 4 teams that have been more than a month behind) for failing to uphold their end of their contract when they didn’t pay a bonus for winning the championship.
Coaches fired? Check. 4 times in my career I didn’t end the season with the coach I started with.
Teammates fired and sent home over-night… unfortunately, yes.
Detained on the tarmac after an international flight? Let me explain this one…
A team wanted to cut corners and not apply/pay for working visa for our Americans. They repeatedly lied to us and told us that the applications had been filed. For you travelers out there reading you know that 90 days in the Schengen zone is the max you can legally stay without a visa. So our team’s solution was to put the Americans on a flight to London for a day and bring us back, thus resetting the 90 days. Sounds good in theory but that’s not exactly how it works. Anyway, even if it had worked, it still wouldn’t address the fact that we couldn’t legally be working and earning money… but that’s beside the point. So we arrive back from London, and before the plane makes its way to the gate, the captain asks everyone to stay seated because the police are on the way. Myself and my teammates were removed from the plane, loaded into police vehicles, and brought to the airport detention center, where we stayed for hours until the team finally managed to clear things up. This was easily one of the most embarrassing and frustrating days of my adult life.
Believe it or not, these are just the stories that come to mind without thinking too hard. One that’s felt a lot like the current situation happened 6 years ago when I was playing in Ukraine…
In February 2014, mounting political tensions led to an outbreak of violence that forced us to end our season as our safety was in immediate danger. My teammates and I were safely evacuated from the small southeastern city of Mariupol just weeks before our departure airport was taken over and ultimately destroyed.
I’ve been a part of and experienced some beautiful things as well. I was a part of the first 8-seed in Poland to beat the 1-seed in a playoff series. I’ve traveled to places like Russia, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia and even Kazakhstan to play basketball! How about training everyday in the New Yorks Knicks training facility? Pretty cool, right? In 2010 my mother took her first trip to Germany to visit me. It was our first time in Europe together and she witnessed the very first win in my professional basketball career! I consider myself lucky, regardless of the relative ups and downs.
Even when you feel like you’ve seen a lot, there’s always room for new experiences. I’ve never been quarantined due to a global pandemic. I’ve also never played for the same team for multiple seasons. 10 years as a pro in my case equates to living in 9 countries and playing for 13 different teams! So one week ago when I signed a 3 year extension with Limoges CSP, quarantined in my apartment for the 47th consecutive day… let’s just say I checked a new box on the list of firsts. Call me ‘old school’ but it still blows my mind that I’ve signed both my contracts for Limoges without a printer/scanner or a pen!
Long story short… I’m seeing new things every day, and it’s all a part of this beautiful blessing of being a professional athlete. I’m beyond grateful to continue my career into my youthful thirties, and especially in Limoges, a place that I can genuinely call home.
Stay tuned… this is still just the beginning
This column originally appeared on Marcus Ginyard’s website, where the former Tar Heel and current professional basketball player in Europe provides updates and insights via his personal writings.
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