The thought of being a professional basketball player may seem like a dream career, but few understand the level of dedication and the challenge of juggling the responsibilities of both the game and family life. The difficulties that arise between the two can be daunting, leaving players with the tough decision of choosing one over the other.
The highest-paid NBA stars make more in one quarter—yes, that’s 12 minutes—than many National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC) players will make this year by working two jobs.
Players in the Canadian professional basketball circuit earn an average of $3,000 a month from November into April in a league whose teams operate with a $150,000 salary cap. Most will try to pad their income by landing another gig in a spring-summer league once the NBLC season ends.
That makes it tough to fly their family in for a visit or get home themselves if there’s a rare break in their schedule.