The NBA annually hosts a Rookie Transition program for the league’s rookies

The 2023 draft class recently brought many questions to the Rookie Transition Program, a mandatory seminar for rookies.

LAS VEGAS Dozens of future NBA players left their college campuses behind months ago and came to summer league to jump, only to find themselves back in the classroom this week still taking notes.

It’s part of the process in the NBA’s Rookie Transition Program, a four-day orientation where expert knowledge is dropped on rookies vaguely aware of the surreal world they’re entering.

It’s designed to help them understand everything that goes around gambling money, both business and personal relationships, outside influences and more, and avoid hiccups and speed bumps that can interrupt a career or end it prematurely.

In that sense, it’s the “summer league” of Summer League, because just like the games played in Vegas, everything in the program is geared toward preparing for the next season and beyond. That’s why Ray Allen spoke to the rookies on Monday about topics other than three-point shooting. Jabari Smith Jr., who had just started the season for the Rookets, told them what his last 12 months were like. It’s two of several guest speakers who offered perspectives from opposite ends of the NBA spectrum.

All Rookie Transition Program (RTP) questions answered: How do you handle money? How do you handle a drop in the lap or bench? What about expectations, both high and low? Dealing with coaches? Teammates? Media? Family members? Will we be released? Will you become part of a new city and community?

The program is a joint venture between the league and the NBA Players Association, and participation is mandatory. It is in everyone’s interest that the transition of newcomers is as smooth as possible. So much is at stake: careers, generational wealth, reputations and the health of their teams.

The League first organized these seminars in 1986, and it was born out of necessity. There were too many examples of dreams that were delayed or died because some players simply weren’t ready for what the basketball world threw at them. As the cautionary tales began to mount, then-commissioner David Stern and the league joined forces to give future players a plan and a road map, bringing in influential voices to speak.

It’s no accident that today’s players rarely produce dismal statistics. Nothing is perfect; some still slip through the cracks, but those examples are not the norm. The players know how to handle situations much better and more than those who preceded them.

It’s so helpful and beneficial, said Smith, the No. 3 overall pick in 2022. You were told everything you’re going to end up facing at some point. They give you everything you need to know.

NBA life came quickly for Smith. He saw his performance fluctuate for much of his rookie season before hitting his stride after the All-Star break. His play in the Summer League has been so encouraging with 29 points including the game-winning kick on Friday and then 38 on Sunday that the Rockets simply shut him down for the remainder of the tournament.

Purvis Short is the union’s head of player programs and has been involved with RTP practically from the beginning. He played in a different era as one of the best shooters in the league in the 1970s and 80s with the Warriors.

This has always been considered one of the most comprehensive transition programs in professional sports, Short said. We try to cover a wide range of topics. Our primary goal is to lay the foundation, provide these first-year players with the content and resources they need to navigate this environment.

However, there is a twist. The outside world has changed over the years, when challenges have been faced and topics are discussed in the transition program.

Our content and focus has changed, Short said. We definitely need to stay up to date with what’s going on now, so we gave these kids the right information so they can be more successful than what we’ve enjoyed in the past.

For example: For the most part, there was no such thing as social media just 10 years ago. And now? Gamers use it daily, and like millions of other addicts, often recklessly. Suddenly it’s an important topic in RTP.

We all understand the dangers of social media and we always push to understand how to use social media to our advantage, and everything that is posted there lives there forever, Short said.

Another thing that wasn’t discussed years ago: Mental health, once talked about in hushed tones everywhere. Not in RTP, where psychologists are brought in to talk.

Mental well-being has received a lot of attention in recent years, so everyone is better off talking about it openly, Short said. We strive to ensure that our players, especially our first-year players, have the opportunity to talk about their mental well-being. They are introduced to all available resources and that they know how to access them.

“We had a mental health professional talk to them about relationships,” Short said. “They’re going to be dealing with a lot of people on a lot of levels, so they’re going to have to build relationships that they didn’t have before.

Social justice was another topic on the agenda on Wednesday and Thursday.

Several years ago, players became more vocal and did a good job in that area, Short said. We want these things to be highlighted with new players. NBA players can make an impact in their communities both in their home country and nationally. So we’ll help explain: How do you use this platform and how do you commit in the right way to the things you believe in and want to see change?

And so the agenda is constantly evolving, almost every year. The main topics financial literacy, building and maintaining positive relationships, fitness and health will never change. But now there are updates to make the most of Twitter.

Jamila Wideman, who heads NBA player development, said the program’s challenge is to stay fresh and relevant. For this reason, the league and the federation put a lot of thought into the selection of guest speakers, the inclusion of 20-year-old players and presenting it as a whole.

“Even though this program is for the players, we have an incredible time learning who these guys are,” Wideman said. Players are constantly evolving, so we need to evolve and know how to meet their needs.

It’s important for us to identify which voices resonate with guys, Wideman said. “To get the former players in front of them, the current players in front of them, and a group of people who are going to be the community that they’re interacting with. We want to speak not only to these guys playing on the court, but also them coming into the business world of basketball and explaining how those pieces work and move. We want to bring in people, who have credibility, licenses and expertise in certain fields, those voices make a difference.

According to the participants, attention areas in RTP were locked. Short is pleased with how the young players, some still in their teens, are mature enough in these sessions to understand what’s at stake.

We have their attention, Short said. They want to become better, and we want to provide information that can make them better. There are always a lot of questions.

What about the future of the league, Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick under the most pressure?

“He asked some great questions today,” Short said. He was engaged.

The program is implemented in the training facilities of the WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces. Organizers want newcomers to understand how the NBA family goes further and understand the role women play in today’s league as coaches, trainers, front desk and medical staff.

Those who serve as school teachers in the field of education get satisfaction when they hear from students years later. The organizers of RTP are no different in this regard.

Our feedback has been great, Short said. Jabari (Smith) and Bobby (Portis) told us how this laid the groundwork for them, and so they talked about how to be professional, understand your position on your team, your impact on the community and access to all the resources. which can help you if you encounter any problems. They were talking about a different era than these players, but they were all talking about the fundamentals that we’re trying to teach here.

The goal is common: To help develop careers through education, preparation and keep talent flowing into the league with as little resistance as possible.

We all have investments in each other, Short said. Look, this is a business, so everyone wants to be at their best so that the business can do well. We all have to work hand in hand. Our players have to be at their best. Owners and league officials must be at their best. We as a union must do our best to ensure that things continue to move forward accordingly. As players coming into this league, you stand on the shoulders of others who made sacrifices, had challenges and overcame them. There is a lot of responsibility and accountability at each level.

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