Goodbye College, Hello...New Zealand?
The Lead
Audible
3.7 • 2.1K Ratings
🗓️ 20 November 2019
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Rising hoops star RJ Hampton made a bold decision earlier this year. He turned down scholarship offers from top schools and moved to New Zealand to play in the NBL, the pro league in Australia and New Zealand, to help him prepare for the NBA. The Athletic’s Dana O’Neill traveled to Auckland to find out why Hampton made that choice, how his life is going over there, and whether overseas play might become a real alternative to college hoops.
Read Dana O'Neill's story about RJ Hampton:
https://theathletic.com/1346721/2019/11/04/im-taking-that-risk-all-access-with-r-j-hampton-as-he-tries-to-find-success-in-new-zealand/?source=theathleticpodcast
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Next year, NBA fans will almost certainly be paying close attention to a guy named |
| 0:11.1 | RJ Hampton. |
| 0:12.6 | The 18-year-old is already wowing fans. |
| 0:15.5 | Just not American fans. |
| 0:28.4 | After graduating high school, Hampton, who was a very good student, decided to forego |
| 0:33.8 | college and try his luck with the New Zealand breakers of the NBL, the Pro Basketball League |
| 0:39.8 | in Australia and New Zealand. |
| 0:42.2 | And he plans to enter the NBA draft next year. |
| 0:45.4 | The athletics Dana O'Neill recently traveled to Auckland to find out why Hampton made |
| 0:49.8 | that choice, how his life is going over there, and whether overseas play might become a real |
| 0:55.3 | alternative to college hoops. |
| 1:00.0 | From Wondry and the Athletic, I'm Andres Kelto. |
| 1:02.5 | And I'm Kavita Davidson. |
| 1:04.0 | It's Wednesday, November 20th, and this is The Lead. |
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... |
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