If you want to support this podcast (Ačiū!!):

https://www.patreon.com/bmatke

Sponsors:

www.proballers.com

"Damjan":

Damjan Rudež is a highly accomplished basketball player who played at all possible levels of basketball and has now ventured into the business side of things with the "Sunset Sports Festival". Damjan started his professional career in Belgium before returning to Croatia to play for Split and later various other teams in the Balkans before moving on to Zaragoza, Spain. Damjan was picked up by the Indiana Pacers in 2014 and played three years for three different teams before returning to Europe when signing with Valencia.

Damjan also represented his Croatian flag in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Today, Damjan opened up about his struggles early on in his career in Oostende as well as his sliding door moment in his workout in front of all the Indiana Pacers staff. Damjan also talked about the struggles of retirement, creating his new identity as well as how him and his business partners started the Sunset Sports Festival, which has become a household event during the summer in Zadar, Croatia.

Please Share, Comment & Like this episode on YouTube as well as other platforms!

Topics:

• Championship Mindset
• Paris Olympics
• Saturation & Retirement
• Shooting Slumps
• Frustrations after NBA
• Post Career Life
• ProBallers.com
• Finding your Niche/Role
• Sunset Sports Festival
• ATOs

#DamjanRudez #Retirement #Shooter #SunsetSportsFestival #Mindset

Finding "Damjan Rudež":

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damorudez9/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damjan-rude%C5%BE-b1456b235/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/damjanrudez86

X: https://x.com/Damjan_Rudez

Event Website: https://sunsetsportsmedia.com/

Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast

…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.

Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3

www.bmatke.com

If you want to support this podcast (Ačiū!!):

https://www.patreon.com/bmatke

Sponsors:

www.proballers.com

"Sye":

My good friend Simon Cote is not only a long time friend but also used to be a long time colleague in the world of coaching. After serving as an Assistant at SMU & University of Tennessee in the late 90s he decided to start his coaching career in Europe and worked with current World Champion Gordon Herbert in Frankfurt. He was part of the championship team there before becoming a Head Coach himself in Giessen. Simon has also a wealth of experience as an Assistant coach in different countries as well as being a NBA scout for the Denver Nuggets in the early 2000s.

Today we talked about the darker side of coaching, the part where you get fired and have to search for new opportunities in the world of basketball coaching. Simon talked about loss of identity and eventually about his transition out of the sport and into a completely new avenue, finance.

Lots of valuable lessons in here for everyone on how to re-define yourself, finding new motivation in a completely new area of life and overcoming challenges that come with that. Leaving behind the sport you love is never easy, today you will hear Simon's story.

Please Share, Comment & Like this episode on YouTube as well as other platforms!

Topics:

• Simon's Coaching Path

• Adapting from NCAA to Europe
• NBA Scout Experience
• Giessen Job
• Self-Doubt after getting fired
• Role of an Assistant Coach
• New Identity as a Head Coach
• Sense of Self & Dealing with Pressure
• Mentorship & Gratification
• ProBallers.com
• Leaving Basketball & Transitioning
• Lessons from Basketball
• ATOs

#SimonCote #HeadCoach #Basketball #GettingFired #NewIdentity

Finding Simon Cote:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/syeco777/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simoncote/

Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast

…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.

Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3

www.bmatke.com

If you want to support this podcast (Ačiū!!):

https://www.patreon.com/bmatke

Sponsors:

www.ProBallers.com

"So":

Sophia started her basketball journey together with me in Shreveport, Louisiana as an exchange student before she became a superstar at Baylor University. She took the Lady Bears to a National Championship and became the MVP of the Final Four before getting drafted by the San Antonio SilverStars and continuing her journey in the WNBA and later in various countries around Europe as well as in China! Sophia is currently an Assistant Coach with the Lady Bears program and is continuing her mentorship of young ladies in college as well as developing their on-court skills at the same time.

Today, "So" and me talked about her journey and the challenges along the way that she encountered while reaching her potential. We talked about the straining journey of a WNBA player and how to juggle playing all year around between WNBA & overseas, which at some point ended up in exhaustion and an ACL tear during her time in China. We also went into depth of her journey of retirement and trying to rediscover herself, building a new identity outside the court and finding new passions that she can pursue, including podcasting with her husband.

Sophia is also a proud mother of two and enjoying life all together in Texas.

Please Share, Comment & Like this episode on YouTube as well as all audio platforms!!!

Topics:

(0:00) Intro

(2:25) 1st date with Sophia

(5:40) "Relationship & Reason" Podcast

(12:00) Foreign Exchange Student Life

(15:45) Difference between Confidence & Cockiness

(23:10) WNBA & Overseas Workload

(32:00) Dealing with retirement

(41:20) Starting the coaching career

(45:00) Balancing Stress & Joy

(51:20) Unlearning old behaviors

(55:05) ATOs

#SophiaYoungMalcolm #SophiaYoung #NationalChampion #Baylor #WNBA #WomensBasketball

Finding "Sophia":

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiayoungmalcolm/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophia.young.1466

Twitter: https://x.com/sophiayoung33

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/7ukVy0rgM8P6wAHx3UbbRO?si=632943f0287c459f

Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast

…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.

Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3

www.bmatke.com