by Steve Weinman, NBA D-League.com
Stanley Asumnu and the dog days of summer
In the three hours preceding 8:30 a.m. on typical weekday mornings in Texas this past summer, Stanley Asumnu worked to improve at his day job. He lifted weights, hoisted three-point jumper after three-point jumper and worked on his ball-handling. Asumnu crammed all that in to the early antemeridian hours because at half past eight, he put his day job aside and arrived at the office to work his job during the day.
The office in question happens to be the McAllen home of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, defending champions of the NBA Development League and dual employers of one Stanley Asumnu. An original Viper player since the team’s inaugural 2007-08 campaign, the 27-year-old forward spent the summer as a full-time intern with the team’s front office.
“I just wanted to step outside the box,” Asumnu said of why he pursued the internship opportunity. “I love the game, but some day, there’s going to come a point where [playing] basketball is going to be pretty much done with. Working in the front office was one interest because I’m still in the sporting world, and I’m doing stuff out there, going out in the community, doing different things, just getting to know different people. It’s been very helpful.”
The job during the day
The program with the Vipers allowed Asumnu to do exactly as he hoped in experiencing several new realms. He worked on projects involving sponsorships, season ticket sales, community relations and team operations while also shadowing Vice President of Ticket Sales Shu Muthyala and President Bert Garcia. Muthyala found himself pleasantly surprised with the work ethic of his new protégé.
“We didn’t expect him to come to the office nine to five every day and work because he’s a basketball player and needs to get his workouts done,” Muthyala said. “We didn’t put any compunction on him that he needs to be here at nine. He wants to be a part of the front office. He loves meeting with people, very personable, can talk to anybody and everybody.”
When Muthyala, who has some playing background of his own, wasn’t conducting Asumnu’s early-morning workouts, he was taking him to meetings with potential sponsors and groups interested in purchasing ticket packages. Not only did the intern want to learn, he displayed a selling acumen as well.
“My other colleagues did not see Stan as a person who would help as far as reaching our revenue goals,” said Muthyala, “and it was just a matter of taking him under your wing and trying to teach him the business. He’s sold over $36,000 already. That’s a big amount for a guy who just walked in from the basketball side and jumps into the front office.”
The evening supplement
What some term the offseason proved no summer vacation for Asumnu. His day didn’t end after the early-morning workouts and seven or eight hours in the office. The next stop came at the gym, this time as coach rather than player. Asumnu worked with elementary through high school students on basketball mechanics for a couple of hours each day. “When I’m done with that,” he said, “I start all over again.”
The day job
Though Asumnu experienced immediate success in the front office this summer, making basketball his livelihood remains a work in progress. A four-year player at Tennessee, the 6-5 forward enters his fourth D-League season still looking to find his niche. He can score a bit (9.1 points in 22.1 minutes per game for his career), and he hasn’t been inefficient (shooting better than 55 percent on two-pointers for his career), but he has done most of that work without the benefit of an outside shot (12 three-point attempts in three years) or proficiency at the foul line (43.1 percent). Asumnu doesn’t have the size to do that at the next level, and he isn’t a plus rebounder, collecting less than 11 percent of available boards.
He finished last season known as a scrapper who would work on defense, grab the occasional board, finish around the rim and add toughness to the lineup. This made him a contributing rotation player on a championship D-League team, but Asumnu knew he needed to be able to do more to get to the next level. So he set about expanding his skill set.
“The big parts of his game that he’s been trying to improve are his free throws and his shooting overall,” said Jonah Goldberg, the Vipers’ director of communications and moonlighting team broadcaster. “If he can hit mid-range jumpers, the defender has to give him more respect. Right now, they can give him space because they know he’s going to attack the basket. He’s been working on his shot really hard.” Asumnu understands that a high raw field goal percentage alone in the D-League level won’t be sufficient to prove he can score at the next level.
“I shot a good field-goal percentage last year, but as far as being able to knock down deep shots, been focusing on that this summer,” Asumnu said.
At 28, the clock is ticking on Asumnu’s goal of making it to the NBA. He hasn’t ruled out eventually jumping abroad if an attractive opportunity presents itself, and he knows that the more time passes, the more closely he’ll have to consider that option. But while he remains in the Valley, he not only gives himself his best shot at the NBA but those around him a cause for optimism.
“Stan is inspirational to me because he’s following his dream,” said Goldberg, who wears several hats for the Vipers but has professional broadcasting aspirations. “This is going to be his fourth year, and there aren’t a lot of guys who stay that long. He realizes that if he just develops this one part of his game, that might get him the look he wants. He realizes there’s no price you can put on your dreams. He inspires me to keep going after my dream.”
When the job during the day becomes the day job
Regardless of how the chase for the NBA turns out, the day will come when playing basketball for a living is no longer a possibility for Asumnu. He majored in sports management and completed a business minor at Tennessee and plans to remain around the game after hanging up the high-tops.
“I would like to go into coaching, working in the front office, with an NBA team, with a minor league team, college, wherever I get an opportunity,” Asumnu said. “I love the game of basketball, and I would love to do something in that field when I’m done playing. I’m just thankful for the opportunity that RGV has given me. It’s been a great experience, and I’m learning a lot.”
While the new season will be even busier than the summer from a basketball standpoint, Asumnu hopes to continue to put in hours around the office whenever possible to keep learning and keep helping the team. According to media czar Goldberg, the two roles may not remain as separated as he expects.
“I joke around with him a lot that whenever he’s not in the game, he’s going to have to go over to his floor suite holders and take care of them,” Goldberg said. “If he gets into foul trouble, he’s going to have to go work the merch booth. Every time he thinks he’s getting a rest, we’re putting him to work. Every time a timeout is called, maybe we’ll have him run the game on the court or something.”
All goofing aside, Asumnu has done all the Vipers have asked of him and then some. He hustled on the floor throughout the last three seasons, worked to make his game better in his leisure (and sleeping) time, dedicated himself to increasing his own business knowledge and helped the team’s bottom line in the process.
“The apprentice program is what you want to make it, and Stan has decided to make it something that can help him in real life down the line,” Goldberg said. “He understands that there are two sides, and he’s working both sides. It’s a great thing for us, it’s a great thing for him, and it’s a great thing for the league.”
Saturday, January 1, 2011 at 11:23PM