If we compare the entire process of selecting players to a track, the draft that has just concluded is the finish line for each team to harvest their favorite players, then the role of a NBA scout is more like the starting point The character who fires the starting gun of and online.
The recent movie "The Winning Scouts", co-produced by LeBron James , has caused a wave of widespread discussion in the basketball world. The film tells the story of Adam Sandler Stanley Sugerman plays an international scout who works for the Philadelphia 76ers. During an overseas inspection, he accidentally discovered Bo Cruz (Juanjo-El) in Spain, who once had unlimited potential but was now buried due to practical reasons. Ernangomez), an inspirational story that finally helped him break into the NBA. The reason why
has gained such a high degree of attention and reputation, and even caused many basketball media people and players to say that this is the most realistic and "understanding" basketball movie after watching it, is precisely because of what it tells. , different from the flowers and applause we usually see on the stage, it is a side of the basketball world that few people know.
In the film, Stanley not only has to face a high-intensity work life, the distrust of his boss, and the doubts of his peers, but also the pressure on his family caused by traveling around the world all the time, resulting in less gatherings and more separations. However, the real work of scouting is even more difficult than what is depicted in the movie.
“A lot of people think we live a luxurious life, but it’s the opposite,” said an anonymous NBA scout A when talking about the most misunderstood part of his job. “It’s not that there aren’t people. The satisfying thing is that you need to spend a lot of time and energy during travel, spend a lot of time collecting player backgrounds, watching game videos or meeting players directly, but our work goes far beyond that.”
. "Compared with watching the game, more time is spent on collecting information. It may be difficult for most people to know this. Because you need to find out what kind of person he is in daily life. What are his hobbies and interests? I sometimes interview his past coaches, family members, friends, and anyone who can provide me with information about him. "Many people think that I still get paid to watch games. It’s a nice job, but going to a game because of work is a completely different experience,” Scout A continued, “I have discussed this issue with many musicians, and they have the same feelings. Listening to music with the intention of evaluating and deconstructing each part of a piece of music makes it impossible to appreciate music in the same way. For me, I can't watch the game from a fan's perspective. Need to analyze something. "
In fact, each scout has a clear division of responsibilities according to his position in the team. In addition to the well-known player scouts who are responsible for discovering potential rookies across the United States and even around the world, and who are responsible for examining free agents and potential targets in the trade market, there are also various information that is responsible for spying on the enemy and investigating future opponents' main tactics, rotations, etc. , a senior scout who provides strategic support to the coaching staff in preparing for games. But no matter which field you specialize in, as a scout, the first thing you have to do is to prepare for the dual mental and physical tests.
"You have to love traveling as much as you love basketball, otherwise this job will eat you up," said then-Suns general manager at the 2014 Scouting Academy in Las Vegas. Ryan MacDonald got right to the point at the beginning of his speech. They even need to make their next travel plans months in advance so that they can observe as many games as possible and inspect more players on site with a limited budget.
Patrick Zipfel, who once served as a senior scout for the Houston Rockets, is deeply touched by this. “For me, the experience of finishing work at 2:30 a.m. and then getting a wake-up call from the hotel at 4:30 a.m. to make sure I can catch my flight to the next city is not something I experience in my job. Not uncommon."
Although there is no way to truly understand the hardships of the scouting job except for personal experience, Zipfel once shared his work schedule for two days in 2008, which may be enough to make many people who want to work as a scout People who will engage in this job in the future are discouraged.
December 1, 2008
14:45 AM Leave the residence and drive to Philadelphia Airport
6:00 Arrive at the airport and check in
6:45 Start boarding flight number: American Airlines 1121
AM
9:55 Arrive at Denver Go to the transfer channel
10:48 Flight 6185 to Oakland starts boarding
PM
1:25 Go to the ground transportation and car rental agency
1:40 Complete the car rental procedures
2:00 Leave the car rental agency and go Hotel located in downtown Oakland
2:30 Arrive at the hotel and check in
2:40 Go to the coffee shop with your laptop to prepare data for the Warriors game
4:45 Walk back to the hotel and get dressed for the evening game
5: 30 Drive to the home court of the Golden State Warriors - Oracle Arena
evening
6:25 Watch the players warm up, paying special attention to some of the Warriors' new players (especially Anthony Morrow, who scored 37 points against the Trail Blazers )
7:10 Return to the media room for dinner
7:30 The game begins, Golden State Warriors vs. Miami Heat
10:00 The game enters overtime, Heat finally wins
10:20 Leaving Oracle Arena and encountering a traffic jam
10:55 Arriving at the hotel
11:10 Open the laptop and start analyzing the tactics used by the Warriors tonight
December 2, 2008
Early morning
2:15 Complete the Warriors’ scouting report and send it to the coaching staff
2:30 Close the computer, fold your clothes and turn off the lights to rest
4 :15 The first wake-up call rang
4:30 The second wake-up call rang - a race against time to start showering and dressing
4:40 Driving a rental car and leaving the hotel
5:00 Quickly came to fill up with gas
5: 05 Arrive at the car rental agency and board the airport bus
5:25 Check in electronically for the 6 a.m. flight
5:30 Go through the empty security check channel
AM
6:15 Fall asleep on the plane
8:55 Arrive at Phoenix , get off the plane and look for a connecting lane
9:05 Call assistant video analyst Scott Simpson to make sure he has received the Warriors’ scouting report
9:20 Board American Airlines Flight 532 and fly to Dallas, Texas
pm
1:25 Waiting in the hotel concierge shuttle area
1:40 The hotel pick-up bus arrives
2:00 Arrive at the hotel front desk
2:15 Put your luggage in the room and walk ten minutes to the lunch area
2:30 Enjoy lunch
3:00 Walk back Hotel, turn on the computer and start preparing for the Los Angeles Clippers
4:45 Get dressed and take the bus to the TRE station
5:45 Arrive at the station and go to American Airlines Arena
Evening
6:15 Find the scout seat and watch the players warm up. This will Is Zach Randolph was traded to Clippers 's first game
6:45 Return to the media room to dine
7:00 The game begins Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Clippers
9:35 The game ends as the train will be in The train departs 20 minutes after the end, and you have to quickly run through the crowd to the station
10:15 Arrive at the TRE station where you transfer to the hotel, call the hotel shuttle
10:35 Go back to the room, turn on the computer to analyze the Clippers' use tonight The tactics
11:30 Create a spreadsheet for colleagues and coaches in the video analysis department
December 3, 2008
AM
1:30 Watch Atlanta Hawks game replay, they are the next opponent to analyze
According to Patrick Zipfel's own statistics , in 2008, he watched more than 150 NBA games live, and most of the dinners were held in the media rooms of each team.
Compared with other scouts, the treatment of senior scouts can be considered lucky. After all, NBA teams are located in major cities in North America, with mature transportation networks, large airports and many flights to choose from.As for those scouts who are responsible for discovering college players and even overseas players, they need to face many remote or even completely unfamiliar environments, and sometimes communication can become a huge obstacle.
If it is a reasonable desire to enjoy a sumptuous dinner in peace, then having a complete and warm family can even be regarded as a luxury for many scouts. Some people even joked that the hotel employees who frequently visit in various cities are more like their family members than their real family members.
"Although my girlfriend understands my work and she sometimes travels for work, this (scout work) still affects the relationship between us," another anonymous scout B said frankly, "I I've tried working after she's asleep at night, but that's not the most ideal solution and I rarely get to see my closest friends, and then when I do see them again, it's far away. It's been over two months since we last met. It's really sad when you get married and have kids, and it creates a disconnect between you and your family because you don't get to spend enough time with them."
Another painful thing for many senior scouts is that they cannot share the joy of victory with the team in the first place. Especially under the premise that the team's victory or defeat is closely related to his work. "The job of an advance scout is lonely. You can only watch the team play in the room. Whether you are happy or sad, you can only bear your emotions alone, and there is no chance to share them with others," Zipfel said. "Watching the team because Your report won the key game, but at this time you can only jump excitedly on the hotel bed thousands of miles away. This is the loneliness that senior scouts must endure. "
But this job requires a lot of time. Working with energy and energy may not lead you to the fast lane to get rich. According to the latest statistics from the American website Comparably.com, the average salary of NBA scouts is US$35,382, which can be regarded as barely entering the ranks of middle-income earners. However, this income is not available to everyone. Some scouts can only earn a meager salary and need to work a second job at the same time to support their families. , as an intern scout, is willing to provide free services to NBA teams.
So, what exactly drives them to continue on the road of scouting?
"I think my opinion is valuable," Scout B said. "They don't care what outsiders or other people say, they just want to know what I think. There may be someone that every team likes. Players, but if I don't like his style of play, they listen to me and vice versa. My job is valuable, or at least they make me feel that my job is valuable."
But I think the more reason, just like many other practitioners in the basketball industry, is the unremitting love for basketball in my heart, which has become the most powerful motivation to persist. It is precisely because of this that the sport of basketball can continue to evolve and bring us new multi-dimensional and multi-sensory experiences. It is precisely because of this that we can see more and more young players with extraordinary talents being able to successfully reach the vast stage of the NBA from all corners of the world.
When we see players writing their own legendary stories with wonderful performances on a field filled with spotlights, we must not forget that there are still such a group of "lonely warriors" in the world. In the corners where light does not shine, his endless love for basketball is written.
Source: NBA official website
