Edmonton NRG BlogBy Chris O'Leary
Hudson enjoying life in GermanyThere was a point during last Saturday’s Energy-Titans game that Alex Steele and Andrew Parker were checking into the game for Edmonton. Joining the action at the same time for Vancouver was James Hudson. It was the first time in three years that the trio of former University of Alberta Golden Bears were back on the court together.
“It was really cool,” Hudson said after the games last week from his home in Vancouver. “And it’s funny because we’re sitting there on the sidelines waiting to get in and Parker says something to me and coach (Dave Petroziello of the Titans) is right up the line doing his thing coaching and I’m like, ’Parker I can’t really talk right now. We’re losing, you know? I’m trying to win here. Talk to me at the end of the game,’” the guard laughed.
“We were kind of joking around, but we’re serious dudes, we’re competitive,” he continued. “When we’d talk on the phone (leading up to last weekend’s games), I’d say ’Hey man, we’ll meet up after the game and just so you know, I hate your guts.’ It was funny.”
Hudson spent this past weekend playing in familiar territory. After playing two years at Wilfrid Laurier University and a season at Capilano College, he settled in at the U of A for his final two years of university eligibility. The 25-year-old had lots to say about playing overseas in Europe, about the development of young Canadian basketball players and about the pursuit of happiness. It’s all below. Enjoy.
Q: What have you been doing since you finished up at the U of A?
Hudson: I graduated in ’06 and I stayed in Edmonton and I worked for a little while. In that time I was trying to go overseas but I didn’t know what to do or how to go about it or anything like that. Then I went back to Vancouver and about a month after being there I got a call pretty much out of nowhere from Chris Wright (an opponent of Hudson’s from the U of C). He asked me if I wanted to play for his team (Recklinghausen in Germany).
Originally I was going to go over there to replace him and he was going to try and get signed to this other team but that ended up falling through so we ended up playing together for the last two months of the season.
And that was with Recklinghausen. That’s what started it all and it went really well. I went travelling in the summer and came back and didn’t really know what I was going to do but I had learned a lot and gained the experience of getting over there. I thought I’d be able to move on and find something different but that didn’t come.
You have to network a lot and find people that are willing to work for you. I was pretty new to the game and it doesn’t always go exactly how you plan. So I went back to Recklinghausen and had a good season and halfway through the season I got signed by a team called the Iserlohn Kangaroos and they’re second division. That went well and I was really feeling like things were on the up and up. Getting into the second league, that’s like a measuring stick across the board in Europe, I feel like anyways. The second league in Germany is pretty solid. It means to me that you can perhaps go on from there and play in some other countries.
I had an agent and stuff like that over the summer he told me he was going to do certain things and just never did them. I’m a loyal guy and I stayed with him and took his word at face value and it just didn’t work out so I didn’t know what to do.
I didn’t have a team by the end of that summer and by that point you’re getting pretty disappointed when you have big expectations and they’re not fulfilled. You can doubt yourself and start wondering what’s going on so then I went back to Recklinghausen. I went back late and I played the rest of the season. I didn’t know what was going to happen with basketball. For me it was like if basketball was meant to be, if that’s something that’s in the cards for me, things will happen, you know what I mean?
It kind of went that way, it went full circle. I went from doubting myself to starting to play again and I said, ’You know what there’s a reason why I’ve been playing for so long.’ I played out the season, had a good time.
I’m looking to move on and that’s what the IBL will provide. Playing at a new level where it’s fast basketball there’s plenty of good players. As long as I’m improving and have that desire, good things are going to happen. This is a great opportunity to be playing in the IBL and that’s how I’m looking at it.
Q: What’s it like getting to play at home in Vancouver?
Hudson: It’s really great for people like my friends and my parents, because they can come to the games and see me play. For people who don’t know what I’m doing, it’s really great that they get to see.
Coming back to Edmonton was really great. People were telling me that I’d improved since I played at U of A. And I know that, but it’s still really cool to have people see it and know that the work you’re putting in is worth something because it’s getting you to where you want to go.
It’s also nice to see the basketball community in Vancouver have (the Titans). To have...it’s like the CIS schools are a feeder to the IBL as far as the Canadian guys go. That’s something that hasn’t existed in Canada, not just Vancouver, so I think that’s a really cool aspect of it and I think it’s really good for kids in the area to see one more step from CIS, to see that there’s American guys playing, there are Canadian guys playing, there are guys who have played in Europe. I think that’s the most important thing about it really, it’s for youth development.
Q: I remember you saying to me when you were in your last year at U of A that that sort of thing was really important to you, to show kids that you do have options as a basketball player in this country.
Hudson: I think that’s really important because, look at today (he laughs), the Lakers are playing right now and it’s not even on (basic cable). You flip the channel and there’s horse-racing. And I mean, horse racing is awesome...(he laughs again). I don’t watch horse racing. I’m a basketball player, I want to watch basketball. That’s not to say that the IBL is going to develop that by any means but you have to get the young kids, the grassroots basketball, they need to know that if you work hard all of those years that’s going to add up to something, you know? If basketball is something you really like, there’s opportunity out there.
Q: Are you starting to see the things you’ve learned in basketball applying to your life, like you always hear about sports when you’re growing up?
Hudson: Totally. I had to fill out a resume for a job and I was trying to put down the things that I’ve gained from my different work experiences and I thought, ’Man, what am I going to put down?’ and I’m thinking a little bit and I say, ’What have I been doing?’ So I say, ’I’ve been playing basketball I’ve been helping kids, and I signed this contract, I’m representing myself.’
When you’re in Europe by yourself you have to negotiate contracts and talk to the management and maybe if you’re the captain of the team you have to be able to speak to your teammates in a certain way and manage them and all of that. And as you put it down on paper, you realize all of those qualities are what employers look for in a job. (The traits you learn through sports) aren’t really different, not at all. It just happens to be on a basketball court.
Q: How rewarding has it been for you to make a living doing something that you get joy out of?
Hudson: The funny thing is that people always say there’s not enough money (to try and pursue your dreams) but it’s not about that. If you could do it, you would do it. Maybe for you, money was one of the considerations but right now for me, it’s stupid to think about money. Most of the people I know are in the same position I’m in, with a small bank account but they’re still working. It’s just because they spend it. I go over there and I don’t spend it, I’m just hanging out playing basketball, that’s what I want to do.
Q: And there’s a lot of unhappy people out there too with a lot of money.
Hudson: That’s exactly right. One thing for me, if I’m doing what makes me happy, whether it’s basketball or getting a job that makes me happy, if I’m doing what makes me feel good, I’m going to be willing to work hard and put stuff into it and that’s going to lead to money, know what I mean?
The money’s going to come. Combined with that, you may make money but if it’s not going to make you happy, then what is the point in doing all of that? You work so hard for money, why don’t you work hard for happiness? I think it just comes. Money’s just a material thing. It think there’s way more important things than materials. I just totally believe that and I believe it more and more. I’ve had a wicked experience going to Europe and I’ll never say that I regret I did it. Ever since I heard you could play basketball in Europe, I’ve wanted to do that. I’m still a professional basketball player. Who knows what’s going to happen, but no one’s ever going to be able to take that from me.
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