BEYOND THE CONTRACT | Basketball, Overseas, Stories, Interview

In this episode of Beyond the Contract, I sit down with Micheal O’Connell, former Stanford and NC State guard who is now navigating the professional level between the G League with Golden State and playing in Puerto Rico. We talk about what the G League is really like, how competitive that environment is, and what it means to be constantly adapting between different levels of the game. Micheal sha...

In this episode of Beyond the Contract, I sit down with Tytan Anderson, former UNI player who had the opportunity to compete in the NBA Summer League with the New Orleans Pelicans and is now in his first professional season in Belgium. We talk about what that journey really looks like. From being close to the NBA level to starting a career overseas. Tytan shares his experience in Summer League, wh...

In this episode, I sit down with Ben Middlebrooks, former NC State player and one of my former teammates, who is now in his rookie season playing professionally in Sweden. We talk about what it’s really like to go from college basketball to your first year as a pro. From signing that first contract, to adjusting to a new country, and dealing with the challenges that come with playing overseas. Ben...

In this episode of Beyond the Contract, I sit down with Jahenns Manigat, former Creighton player who built a 10-year professional career across Europe and Canada. We talk about his journey from college to the pro level, what it takes to build a long career overseas, and the lessons he learned from playing in multiple countries. Jahenns shares the challenges he faced, the mindset required to stay i...

In this episode of Beyond the Contract, I sit down with Marc Sonnen, my assistant coach who played professionally for two years in Germany. We talk about his transition from college basketball to the professional level, what the process of going overseas looked like, and what his first days in Germany were really like. Marc also shares the challenges he faced during his first season, the adjustmen...

Beyond the Contract is a podcast about the real journey of professional basketball. Beyond the highlights and the stats. Hosted by Ismaël Diouf, a college basketball player who has also played in the CEBL and is pursuing a career overseas, this show features unfiltered conversations with professional players, coaches, and athletes chasing the same dream. Each episode explores what life is really l...