The players competing at the NextGen Finals gained some valuable lessons from the two ex-pros
Balbay, Nachbar helped give on- and off-court lessons to NextGen players
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4 Minute de lecture
The Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals is not just about the battle on the court for the trophy. The players also get a chance to learn about some of the most important issues on and off the court thanks to the annual Players' Educational Session, this season with two-time EuroLeague champion Dogus Balbay and former Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and NBA player Bostjan Nachbar piquing the youngsters’ interest.
One of the main messages from Balbay, who played 12 seasons in the EuroLeague and lifted the title in 2021 and 2022 with Anadolu Efes Istanbul, was how to deal with injuries that will eventually happen.
“Don’t ask: why me? Just work on staying focused and look ahead to the next day,” Balbay told the players gathered at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Balbay talks with experience on the matter, having battled through two ACL tears during his playing days.
“They made me tougher mentally. Getting hurt is part of the game, but I stood up and made a long career.”
The 36-year-old, who this season coached the NextGen selection teams at the four qualifying tournaments, also talked to the players about making sure they do at least one thing great and to work on it every day. That will help the players make a name for themselves and it will in turn aid the development of their character.
Balbay also reminded the players that scouts and player personnel bosses are not just watching the highlight plays they make.
"When NBA scouts and GMs are watching them all season long, it’s not about the stats," he said. "They want to see how you interact with your teammates, how you carry yourself on the court, what you do after a missed shot or turnover, how you handle bad calls, or how you get subbed out and approach the bench. These are some of the small details that they might not be aware of playing at a young age. I know I wasn’t aware of that when I was playing early on."
Nachbar played six years in the NBA and eight in the EuroLeague and currently serves as the managing director of the EuroLeague Players Association (ELPA). And he has been speaking at the educational sessions for many years now.
His prevailing message to the players this time around was don’t just worry about scoring.
“Impact the game when your shots are not falling," he said. "Nowadays too many guys are focusing on making shots that are highlights whereas there are so many different ways of impacting the game. If you want to be a complete player that’s how you have to approach the game. Find the ways to impact the game even when you’re not having your best day."
Nachbar said he wishes there was more time to talk to the players than just the 30 minutes at the end of one of the days during the tournament.
“This is super important. I wish we could do more with more time and split it into different sessions with different parts and talk about this transition from junior to pro," he said. "There are so many layers to it and so many things that people have to focus on, but you can’t compact it all into 30 minutes."
Still, he is grateful for the chance to at least give the youngsters a taste of what’s out there.
“It’s great because it gives the players the opportunity to see a little bit how the pros – or former pros – are thinking,” Nachbar said.
And the messages were well-received by the players.
“It’s a great education for us. There are a lot of things to learn for our future,” said Ignas Stombergas of the eventual champion U18 Zalgiris Kaunas. “A professional career is full of hard work and hard things such as injuries. You just need to stay strong mentally and do the best for yourself.”
When asked what he learned, U18 Pole France INSEP Paris forward Nathan Soliman said: “Even if you’re bad or having a bad day or your shooting isn’t good, you have to stay focused and be ready for the next game. This is really good because we learn a lot from their experiences.”
The main takeaway for Achille Lonati from U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan was dealing with injuries.
“I learned about having injuries and being mentally strong. Don’t let yourself get down by things you cannot control,” said Lonati, who was appreciative of the chance to listen to input from Balbay and Nachbar.
“It’s amazing to be able to listen to these people who have achieved what we want to achieve and hear about their lives.”
While only one team was able to hoist the trophy, all the players learned some valuable lessons that will make them that much better in their future careers.