Learn more at Travis’s site: https://www.aathletesjourney.com/
Meet the FIBA player who survived thunderstorms, armed guards, and the cutthroat world of European basketball
When Travis Reed graduated from Long Beach State and got drafted 59th in the NBA draft, he faced a choice that would change his life forever: try out for an NBA summer league team making $2,500 a month sharing apartments with three other guys, or take his talents to Bogotá, Colombia for better pay and an adventure of a lifetime.
He chose the adventure. What followed was a 10-year international basketball odyssey that took him through six countries, five championships, and experiences that would make most people’s jaws drop.
From UCLA to Colombia: The Beginning
Travis’s path wasn’t typical. After transferring from UCLA to Long Beach State due to differences with his coach, he found himself looking at limited options in the U.S. “I had a friend that played overseas,” Travis recalls on our latest Entertainment and Sports Spotlight podcast episode. “He basically said that yo man, like, you know, they paying you 2,500 a month, you’re staying in the two bedroom apartment with three or four guys. It’s just not the lick.”
So Travis got his passport and headed to Bogotá, Colombia – a decision that would launch an incredible international career.
The Wild Reality of International Basketball
Thunderstorms and Car Flares
If you think you know what professional basketball looks like, Travis’s stories will shatter those assumptions. In Colombia, he played in what he describes as a basketball court with a fence around it – no windows, essentially outdoor-indoor. “You would play at night and it’d be thunderstorming and raining and the fans would be lighting car flares,” he remembers. “They close the gate when you get in and they lock it so the fans can’t come in off a bad call.”
Armed Security and Constant Surveillance
The lifestyle came with unique challenges. In Colombia, Travis had armed guards with him everywhere he went – to shops, to international call centers to phone home, even just walking around. “There were no police, the government was the police,” he explains. “There was never any time that I stepped outside the hotel I was staying at where they wasn’t with me.”
The Financial Rollercoaster
From Riches to Rags to Riches Again
Travis’s financial journey reads like a thriller novel. He started in Colombia making $5,000 a month – good money for a rookie international player. But his first year in Europe was a whirlwind that saw him bouncing between Poland, France, Belgium, and finally Holland, with each move bringing less money.
“By the time I got to Holland, they were like, alright, all we have is like $1,700 a month and that’s it. And you can take that or leave it or go home,” Travis recalls.
Surviving on Chicken and Rice
How do you survive as a professional athlete on $1,700 a month? Travis got creative. He rode a bike to practice instead of using gas, saved $500 a month religiously, and ate chicken and rice from the same Chinese spot every single day. “They already knew me. They’d give me the chicken, give me the rice, give me the chicken and the rice.”
The sacrifice paid off. By his peak, Travis was earning nearly $25,000 a month and had established himself as one of the premier American players in European basketball.
The Business Side Nobody Talks About
Cutthroat Contracts
European basketball operates differently than American sports. “There’s no trades,” Travis explains. “They just cut you.” He witnessed teammates get cut on Monday and play against his team on Friday for a different squad. Contracts that look guaranteed often have fine print that makes them tryouts in disguise.
Agent Games
Travis learned the hard way about agent manipulation. Some agents would tell teams they couldn’t find players willing to take higher salaries, then sign multiple players at lower rates to pad their own portfolios and commissions. “What looks good on him is like, you know what? I’m going to tell the American player that I couldn’t find him that 80 or $90,000 deal. You gotta take this 30,000.”
Mental Resilience and Success Strategies
Staying Focused
What kept Travis going when teammates were quitting and going home? Routine and mental discipline. “I didn’t think about the world, like meaning the States. I didn’t think about that. I was like, I just considered that was my world. Europe was my world.”
His daily routine was simple but effective: wake up, watch CNN, lift weights, take a nap, practice, ice, cook dinner, repeat. On weekends, there were games and maybe a movie with a uniquely European twist – “they have like a 15 minute smoke break in the middle of the movie. That’s how much people smoke over there.”
The Path to Championship Success
Travis’s persistence paid off in championships – five of them across his career. He became Statistical Player of the Year in his first season, then MVP, establishing himself as one of the top Americans in European basketball. “I was one of the big Americans in the country of Holland. And so the next year I won MVP, we won the championship.”
Life After Basketball
An Athlete’s Journey
Now Travis hosts “An Athlete’s Journey” podcast, where he interviews athletes across all sports about their transitions and mental health challenges. The idea came from two sources: his son asking about his basketball career, and the tragic loss of his best friend who had also played professionally overseas for 16 years.
“I just said, man, like his story and a lot of people’s story need to be told,” Travis reflects. “So many people enjoyed that, that they was like, man, I wanna tell my story with you too.”
Upcoming Book
Travis is putting the finishing touches on a book about his overseas experiences, set to release in 2025-2026. It will cover not just the basketball, but the depression, the lifestyle changes, and the mental health aspects of athletic transitions.
Advice for Aspiring International Players
Travis’s advice for young players considering international basketball? Don’t underestimate the opportunity.
“There’s a lot of players that should be in the NBA that are overseas playing,” he says, pointing to players like Patrick Beverley and PJ Tucker who got their starts internationally before successful NBA careers. “Don’t think that overseas is like a step down when it comes to basketball. It’s just a situation where you might start at a certain level and then you just grow from there.”
His other crucial advice: don’t be too loyal to agents, always have alternatives, and never underestimate the mental challenges of living abroad as a professional athlete.
The Full Story
To hear Travis’s complete journey – including the time he got off a plane mid-flight to switch teams, why European movies have smoke breaks, and how he climbed from rock bottom to championship success – check out his full interview on the Entertainment and Sports Spotlight podcast.
Connect with Travis Reed:
- Instagram: @TravisWReed
- Podcast: “An Athlete’s Journey” (available on all platforms)
- LinkedIn: Travis Reed
Travis Reed’s story is a testament to resilience, adaptability, and the power of pursuing unconventional paths to success. His international basketball journey proves that sometimes the road less traveled leads to the most extraordinary destinations.
Listen to the full episode of Entertainment and Sports Spotlight featuring Travis Reed on all major podcast platforms. Don’t forget to subscribe and share with anyone who loves authentic sports stories!
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