Jonathan Ntumba, a 6’5″ Guard from the United Kingdom, left on a 3 day tryout with a team in Portugal. We caught up with Jonathan to ask him a few questions about his past, present and future playing basketball overseas.
When did you start playing basketball?
I started playing basketball when I was 9 years old as in actually picked up a ball but I started out playing football.
Who were your role models growing up?
My role models growing up I had a few but my big brother is really the one that made me want to first start playing basketball to be honest I just copied everything he did when I was younger and basketball is the one that stuck. Also my high school basketball coach Steven Hansell.
What kind of knowledge did they pass on to you to make you the player you are today?
My brother just always kept me motivated and told me I could do it. My basketball coach Steven Hansell taught me a whole lot nearly everything how to play properly, how to act, how to shoot and how to make certain reads he really took his time to teach me how to be a ball player and also life lessons.
Where did you play college basketball? How was your experience in college?
I played basketball at a JuCo in New York called Mohawk valley it was an ok experience to be honest just a huge learning curve I didn’t know I needed. Great teammates though.
Did you receive interest from agents after college?
Yeah I got into contact with my agent who is great towards the end of my collegiate season and we’ve been locked in since.
What made you decide to attend EuroProBasket?
I liked the thought of being overseas and being able to train consistently and have games consistently at a good level. I seen that they were highly respected as a camp that produce results so I took a risk and went for it.
How was your experience at EuroProBasket? Was it worth the investment?
My experience at the academy was great met a lot of good people learnt a lot of things and paved a way for my pro career very grateful for the opportunity. It is definitely worth the investment if you’re serious about your pro career starting.
What was the process to receive your first opportunity to play in Portugal?
After a few games and trainings Brad came up to me after practice with the great news about a team in Portugal that were interested. He helped me through the whole process of getting to Portugal and was very responsive and communicated well during the whole process of me getting to Portugal and playing with the team.
What is it like living and playing basketball overseas?
Honestly it’s a dream come true I’ve always aspired to be a professional basketball player since I was a child and to finally have that opportunity aged 20 is great.
What adjustments did you have to make to live and play abroad?
I had to be very open minded and ready to try to learn new languages, try new food and to just appreciate the different culture here.
What is Portugal like so far?
Portugal so far has been good the weather here and basketball is really good I’m enjoying myself a lot.
What advice would you give to players interested in playing overseas?
The advice I would give to players is to work hard it isn’t easy be ready to really give it your all at all times. Definitely invest in EuroProBasket they are really good at what they do.
Would you recommend EuroProBasket to players interested in getting started overseas?
I would 100% recommend that players should come to EuroProBasket to kick start their careers it’s a great investment to make and Brad has a lot of connections. He works alongside great coaches and the facilities are awesome.
