If you were to ask a former Juco player that saw the G-League/overseas life or a normal guy that played in the NBA for say 8 years what experience was more unique, It would be interesting to see at the end, which guy would say what they would rather have experienced. I have never done a survey on this topic, but I can imagine that with just going with my gut feeling over 90% of the players asked would go with the NBA. I mean the NBA is another world filled with more money, living in high class hotels and dealing with high scale people while playing overseas, it is a totally different experience. Just to come overseas having had that JUCO experience is rare, so most JUCO guys remain humble and just say thanks to the man upstairs for having had that fantastic experience overseas. But then again there are those guys that played JUCO, but didn´t only play overseas, but also saw up close how the NBA works without ever having played an NBA game. One of those guys is Johnny Hamilton (213-C-1994, college: UT Arlington), a big man who played at JUCO school Jacksonville State, and then reached the G-League. His journey didn´t remain there, but he came overseas and found a special home in the wonderful exotic Turkey, a culture and league that has appealed too many Americans over the years. He is a player that just keeps grinding overseas and believe or not is still seeking his first chip overseas. It would be interesting to learn what route he would choose if he could do it all over again? Having reached the NBA and stayed there, or having come overseas and played in one of the top leagues in Europe in Turkey and having played in the Euroleague? “I would have done it the same exact way I´m doing now. But with more patience and consistency”, said Johnny Hamilton. But for now it is safe to say that Turkey which is far away from the NBA is a second home to him. “I feel like this my second home because of my family situation. Plus the clubs know me and is more easy to find a job here where I’m at. It’s also one of the most beautiful countries I’ve been too with good food and good people”, commented Johnny Hamilton who rates his dad as his GOAT because he was the reason he picked up a basketball.

Johnny Hamilton who rates Donovan Mitchell as the his toughest foe and jumper in the NCAA was born on Feb 3, 1994 in Rio Claro, in Trinidad and Tobago. He has 6 siblings and had a early love to soccer. And for all those dads out there who are sad that their 6 or 7 year old hasn´t shown that early love to basketball, there is always hope for a change as he didn´t start to play until he was 16. He was very lucky to come to the states to play ball and go to school, but didn´t get a free pass to the NCAA, but had to begin at the bottom in the JUCO. He played at Jacksonville College from 2013-2015 playing a total of 54 games and made a big jump in his second season as he went from averaging 3.6ppg, 5.9rpg to 9.0ppg, 8.9rpg. He like so many other former Juco guys had to pay his dues there, but it was worth it. “It made me into a stronger person. I understood that nothing would come easy and that I had to outwork everyone around me. I was blessed to make friendships and families that I still have in my corner till this day.”, stressed Johnny Hamilton. He led the Juco in blocks. He was rewarded by reaching the NCAA and playing 2 seasons with top program Virginia Tech, but once again he had to pay his dues again there. In his 2 season there, he was only able to play 20 games. In his first season he was suspended because of academic reasons and in his second season, a thumb injury ended his season after only the third game. Even if it was a difficult 2 years, he left taking positives from the experience. “Just playing for a tough coach and getting my degree was tough. But just like Jacksonville college it helped me become better player. I’m thankful my experience over there in Virginia”, remembered Johnny Hamilton. He was fortunate to be teammates with Zach Leday a guy who is in his sixth pro season overseas and sixth in the Euroleague. He is also a guy who could play in the NBA today. “Zach is an incredible player and a guy I have always looked up to. I think if he wanted to be in the NBA they will give him a shot because he definitely has all the tools you need to play on the best stage in the world. Hopefully one day he can make that jump. It will make me happy to see that”, said Johnny Hamilton. He was able to hang on 1 more year of school at the University of Texas at Arlington and he made the most of it. He averaged 11.4ppg, 8.2rpg, 2.3bpg, FGP: 64.0%, FT: 66.4% and his 1 year there had a massive impact on him. “I had to stay in the gym. I had a great coaching staff that worked with me and gave me a chance to become great at what I love. Shoutout Coach Young and Coach Scott for changing my life with the opportunity they gave me”, stated Johnny Hamilton. He scored in double figures in 19 games and produced 6 double double including having a 30/15 and 5 block explosion against W Carolina as well as a 23/14 game in a tough Sun belt final loss to Georgia State. “The W Carolina one was a great game. One of my best for sure. My teammates had my back and we worked together and got the win”, remembered Johnny Hamilton. He was very fortunate to have had a coach who really believed in him with Scott Cross. “I think the best thing he did was letting me play my game. With that came the confidence that I needed to go to the next level. He is a great Coach”, warned Johnny Hamilton who will never forget his 1-1 battles in practice with Link Kabadyundi who never missed a chance to work hard and has a lot of love and respect for him.

The shot blocker master who has Kevin Durant on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore played at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (Pre-NBA Draft) in the summer of 2018 averaging 7.0ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.3bpg, FGP: 46.7%, FT: 70.0% and then played NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, NV with the (Detroit Pistons averaging 4.0ppg, 6.7rpg, 1.7bpg. He then played his rookie season with the Grand Rapids Drive (NBA G League) averaging 11.4ppg, 8.8rpg, 1.3apg, 2.4bpg, FGP: 57.9%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 70.5% In 48 games he scored in double figures 31 times and registered 19 double doubles. Did his stellar play warrant an NBA callup? “Yeah It did. I felt like I deserved a call up but it wasn’t in God plans. I’m not sure what else I was supposed to do but they didn’t see me as their type of guy. But I was still blessed to learn from guys like Andre Drummond, Blake, Reggie Jackson and Bruce Brown, and Speedy Smith”, said Johnny Hamilton. In the summer of 2019 he played NBA Summer League with the Bucks and had some very talented teammates with Sterling Brown, Jock Landale and Bonzie Colson. He averaged only 2,7ppg and 4,3rpg, but got meaningful advice from the coaching staff. “They just told me be myself. Work in silence so when the lights came on I would be ready. And that is what I did”, warned Johnny Hamilton. He made the jump overseas in 2019 and played with top Turkish team Darussafaka Istanbul (Turkey-BSL). He made an impact right away as in the Eurocup he averaged 11.3ppg, Reb-3 (8.1rpg), Blocks-3 (1.4bpg), FGP: 61.5%, FT: 65.5%; and in the Turkish BSL averaged 8.2ppg, 6.5rpg, Blocks-1 (1.5bpg), FGP: 53.3%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 61.1% Even if he had been in the G-League as a rookie, he was still a boy when he came overseas and had a wake up call to being overseas where he knew he was far away from home. “Just not having the people you love close to you at all times. I had to learn to figure my problems out and make the right choices. I became a man overseas. I’m grateful for that”, remembers Johnny Hamilton. He showed right away that he could be a force in the Eurocup as he hit Naterre and Partizan with 17 points a piece and Joventut with 16 points. Has that been his best season so far overseas? “ Yes it definitely was. I had a great coach and unselfish teammates who wanted to win. So they definitely helped me play better and encouraged me to be myself”, added Johnny Hamilton. In the 2020-2021 season was the first time where he split the season with 2 clubs. He began with Fenerbahce Dogus Istanbul (Turkey-BSL) averaging 6.5ppg, 4.0rpg, 2FGP: 73.7%, FT: 75.0% in the BSL and made the jump to the Euroleague playing 13 games and then moved to KK Mornar Basket Bar (Montenegro-Erste Liga) averaging 5.7ppg, 3.7rpg, FGP: 52.2%, FT: 63.6%. Playing in the Euroleague is like the NBA in Europe and is one that he will never forget. He had ex NBA guys as teammates with Anthony Brown, Jan Vesley and Lorenzo Brown. He took many positives from having teammates like that especially from Vesley. “I was blessed just being there and being surrounded by teammates and staff. I learned a lot from the guys especially Jan Vesley and Lorenzo Brown. It’s was a great experience. Vesley is a great center and is very good at what he does. Competing with him and getting a closer look at what he does taught me a lot that impacted my career”, warned Johnny Hamilton who believes 100% that the classic Coming To America shouldn´t have been remade.

The big man who lists Bonzie Colson Jan Vesley Erick Neil Scottie Lindsey and Jarrod Jones as his 5 best teammates of all time had a short stint back in the G-League with the College Park SkyHawks playing 12 games averaging 6.1ppg, 4.3rpg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 62.5%, FT: 66.7%, and then returned back to his second home Turkey and played with HDI Sigorta Afyon Belediyespor (Turkey-BSL) averaging 12.1ppg, 10.3rpg, 1.0apg, 2.1bpg, FGP: 54.4%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 55.1%. “That was a tough year for me. I had a lot of personal things going on off the court that had me floating back and forth mentally but I had to finish up strong and look forward to the next season”, expressed Johnny Hamilton. He had a monster game of 17/17 against Merkezefendi and hit his ex team Darussafaka with 11/16. In 2022-2023, he was back at it in Turkey playing with Merkezefendi Belediyesi Denizli Basket (Turkey-BSL) averaging 10.5ppg, 7.1rpg, Blocks-1 (1.9bpg), FGP: 61.0%, FT: 68.8%. It was another solid season for him and another one where he saw many great players on the court including ex NBA player Manny Harris who suited up with him every day. “Manny is a great guy. He joined the team in the last part of the season and made a huge impact on the offensive side. He is a great scorer and definitely a great leader”, warned Johnny Hamilton. Last season he played with Bursaspor Info Yatirim (Turkey-BSL) and as usual a super personal season averaging 10.8ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.0apg, 1.6bpg, 2FGP: 59.8%, FT: 63.6% in the Turkish BSL and averaged 10,6ppg, 5.8rpg and 2,4bpg in the basketball champions League. The club is fighting to reach the playoffs. “We had some experience on our team. We had the potential to go far but we had to be more consistent on both ends of the floor. But we definitely had a chance to make a playoff run”, warned Johnny Hamilton. His game continues to grow and develop especially when you have an experienced and great center veteran on the team with ex NBA player Semih Erden. “Semih was a good help to the team on the floor but mostly off the floor by talking to the guys when we hit road bumps. He is very experienced but I think he’s more layed back now as he approaches his retirement phase. We made each other better every day. We talked about ball on different ways I can take different steps on both ends of the floor. He is really a good admirable player”, stressed Johnny Hamilton. It will be interesting to see where the basketball journey of his will go in the next years. Will he remain in Turkey or see a new country? Does the Turkish BSL league fit his game best? “I’m not 100% sure. A lot of people have been telling me I should try Spain and France. Maybe in the future I’ll try some new leagues and experience them. Then I’ll be able to know for sure.”, stated Johnny Hamilton. He never tires from new basketball or countries as he finished out last season with Beirut Club (Lebanon-LBL) averaging 8.4ppg, 6.4rpg, 2.4bpg, FGP: 66.7%, then moved to Shahrdari Gorgan (Iran-Superleague) averaging 6.4ppg, 5.6rpg, Blocks-5 (1.2bpg), FGP: 52.0%, FT: 66.7%But It wouldn´t be a surprise if he keeps returning to Turkey. “I’m good. I feel like I’m got better everyday in Turkey. I’m blessed with a beautiful family, good Job and had chill teammates”, warned Johnny Hamilton. I don´t think an answer becomes any more clearer than that and where his real second home is.