Kindle Pick of the Week: Called for Traveling

If you the life of every professional athlete is glamorous?

Called for Traveling is a pro basketball journey that spans four continents, seven countries and twelve teams over eleven hilarious and adventurous years. After playing his college ball at Penn State, Tyler Smith had a path in mind of where he wanted his pro basketball career to lead. Bringing his own toilet paper to away games, courts made of concrete, and fully-geared riot police at every stadium were not part of his original dream.

Smith played basketball professionally for twelve teams in seven countries including Italy, China, Japan, Argentina, and Thailand over eleven seasons. He played college ball at Penn State, reaching the Sweet 16 in 2001.

His new book Called for Traveling (Sports Publishing, October 2017) is a hilarious adventure across the world of international basketball with stories about players and coaches he encountered including Yao Ming, Joe Bryant (Kobe’s dad), Rick Barry, Carlos Boozer, and Jawad Williams.

Where were all the big contracts people talked about? Would he even have a job next season—or next week? And would he be playing for free this month because the team didn’t feel like paying him? You immeditely feel like you know Smith and even put yourself in his place.

In this highly unstable and unorthodox overseas lifestyle as professional basketball player, Smith draws readers in quickly with his humor and ability to share his clever stories that seem outrageous, but are 100 percent true. His attitude and faith are tested relentlessly through bounced paychecks, injuries, and the seemingly endless frustrating reality of people around him speaking a language he could not understand.

From Italy to Japan to Uruguay, and even the NBA, the challenges and adventures only accelerate as Tyler’s wife and kids are added to the overseas equation. His unique story is highly engaging whether or not you’re a basketball junkie. Called for Traveling is an honest and entertaining inside look at one man’s journey playing pro basketball around the world.

Download the Kindle version now, and order yourself a copy.