Christopher Hortman (190-G-1988, college: UW-Stout) is a professional basketball player from Wisconsin that played at Milwaukee Area Technical College (JUCO), Missouri Valley (NAIA) and University of Wisconsin at Stout (NCAA3) before coming overseas in 2016. He played his first 2 seasons in Germany with Ibbenburen and the EN Baskets Schwelm and then found experience in Croatia, Kosovo and Noth Macedonia. He has found a new home in Croatia. He spoke to germanhoops.com about his new challenge in Croatia.

Thanks Chris for talking to germanhoops.com. The last time we spoke was almost 3 years ago. A lot has happened in your life. Has time flown by?

Hey miles it has been sometime since we talked last, and yes it went by incredibly fast, seems like last week when we first met In Frankfurt many years ago.

You finished the 20-21 season in Croatia. Now it seems to have become a second home to you. What is so special about Croatia?

I definitely have fallen in love with Croatia but the main reason that it’s so special to me is my wife, my son and new daughter. With me meeting my wife while playing here, it was a simple choice when deciding where to live with my family’. So now Pula, Croatia is my hometown.

Last season you were back in the states and coached basketball. Were you in retirement mode then?

Yes, a local team here in Pula promised if I played and won them up leagues they would make me coach for the next season in a higher league. Of course I did my part of the deal on the court and we won the championship, And just as expected they lied and did not uphold their end of the deal. So I decided this would be the last straw of disrespect that I would take from any European team. I chose to take my family to America, where I would start a kids basketball academy, and landed a job as an assistant coach for Accelerated Prep. A national level high school program. I don’t think I’ll ever go into retirement mode, life just had different plans for me at that time

What do you personally enjoy most about coaching? It seems like it will be part of your future.

To me Coaching is the only way regardless of the talent on the floor there must be a strategy, some form of unity and in my opinion it’s the coaches job to bring all this together. I enjoy this process and seeing the moment it clicks. Regardless of what life brings me I will make time to coach at minimal. Especially for my son and daughter.

You have come back to Europe to Croatia to start an academy with K.K Istra. Talk a little about how that came apart?

This came about a long time ago, the moment I decided I wanted to play basketball actually. I just wanted hoop, and ignorantly drove into the basketball world, doing what I was told to grind and sacrifice. I did this cycle to the point where I had given up everything in life as I knew it and only spent my time grinding in the gym or sleeping. I blindly shut out everything to hoop. Regardless of how valiant my efforts were I always ran into an opposing political force that would try and stop the shine of the obvious skill that I had developed over time. Each time this happened to me in life I always reverted back to the grind more and sacrifice more theme. I would eventually play though college and playing pro was the only thing on my mind. I knew I was one of the best and could play anywhere. I just needed an opportunity. Finding this opportunity would eventually cost me thousands of dollars and crucial years of my youth. Most of these opportunities that I attended where in actuality were scam camps, just taking money and not getting anyone signed to a professional contract. Eventually I would find a camp in Germany where I received multiple offers to play professional. I would go on to play in 4 different countries for 9 different teams. On this journey I met you many years ago. It was simple. I came here and the teams were able to see me live and at this point my talent and skills were undeniable. They cared nothing about my resume, nothing about my age, they only cared that I could hoop and help them win games My Quest I had since I started playing pro was to find a pro team who would use this concept to pick Their American players. No matter how hard I tried to tell them my story and show the numbers of Americans who can actually play, but don’t have the resume or game film like other players. I was always me with a shut up and just play NO After years of searching for this team to partner with, I never could find one who would break from the norm of getting players from agents. Each year after seeing me fail with convincing a team to agree my wife simply said if I owned a team I would easily partner with you. And she did exactly that started a club kk Istra AND PARTNERED WITH MY COMPANY EXCUSELESS ACADEMY.

What will be your main goals with the academy? Are you starting from scratch?

My MAIN GOAL is to firstly provide education for aspiring American players. The European brand of basketball is completely different from ours in the USA. It took me years to properly learn their style of ball and even more time to learn how to mix my style with theirs. After education we want to provide aspiring american players the platform to showcase their skills in front of gms and coaches though local tryout like I did myself in Germany. Next we would like to offer up an experience. Playing pro overseas isn’t for everyone. Our academy will duplicate the pro experience and give guys the opportunity to feel what it’s like and the requirements. Lastly we want to provide resume help for aspiring american players as well. This is where our partnering club kk Istra will be in use. Giving bi weekly scrimmage games against the Americans to add recent game film to their resume.

What are you looking forward most to with the academy? Just working with kids?

I’m mostly looking forward to the opening of the academy in January. This has been a 10 year journey since I left college to pursue a professional career. I have had many ups and downs but was able to live out my dreams. With this academy I would love to provide opportunity to those like myself who truly deserve a chance, without all the hardship I had to experience to get here

What will be your duties exactly? More on the coaching side or also the business side?

I am the owner of the academy so my duties will be managing everything. Coaching the players and the business, and using the connections I’ve built over the years of playing to get the guys quality looks for possibilities of signing pro.

You also will be playing for K.K Istra. How are your skills now at age 35? Will you have a major role or a lesser one?

Yes when my wife asked me to sign to her club there really wasn’t a choice. Happy wife, happy life. My role on this team will be the same as it has been on every club I ever played for and that’s to lead through my actions. Only difference this time around is that the president of the club is my wife. We still have a coach Luka Božic who has an amazing strategy on the court and has assemble a cohesive roster for the 23/24 season

What will you focus most on concerning your own game? What can your body still do at age 35?

For me just being ready for what the team needs from you. I’ve produced stats in multiple countries from low level to top league. This is just another opportunity for me to continue the journey I started many steps ago.

You played some of your career in Germany. What do you miss from the country?

I truly miss the fans of TVI Ibbenburen my first year in Germany, they showed my so much love and matched my on the court energy off the court creating one of the most amazing environments I ever played for.

If someone had told you in August that Germany would win the World Cup, would you have believed it?

No there’s no way anyone non German could have seen that coming.

Thanks Chris for the chat.