MIES (Switzerland) - The Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland, FIBA's headquarters, was the location for the newest tranche of applicants taking the FIBA-Licensed Agents Test. Hailing from 20 different nations located right around the world, their presence was yet more evidence of the globalization of the sport and the growth of the game. There was certainly plenty of satisfaction and celebration for the 28 attendees. They were all able to meet the expected standards and in passing the test, are now officially FIBA-Licensed Agents. As usual, there was an eclectic mix of people taking the test and combining the serious part of the day with the opportunity to also take a look around the prestigious House of Basketball.
American Michael Carlson, who now lives in Spain, was one of those who touched on the globalization factor.
He stated: "I want to share my own experiences to help players use basketball to explore the world, to get out, make a living, and have fun hooping.
"It's really interesting that with the globalization of basketball, we are able to watch players and teams from other countries so easily.
Meanwhile, Yuya Yonemori from Japan had one of the longest trips and he explained his reason for making a new career move.
He said: "I used to be the CEO of a professional basketball team in Japan, so I saw this business side of basketball, but I also played myself as well.
"I want to be in a role where I can provide a connection between the business and the players."
Of those attending, there were three people whose nationalities were Serbian, three who were British, three who were Spanish, two who were Lithuanian, two who were Kosovan and one from Angola, Belgium, China, Cameroon, Croatia, Hungary, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Montenegro, Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey and USA.
For more on how to become a FIBA-Licensed Agent, click here.
FIBA