I have covered 1000´s of players in my career and I pretty much will know if I interviewed a player or not. Every now and then, I come across a player where I´m not sure if I did or not, so I´ll check my online library, if I did or not. Recently I was preparing an interview for another American player like so many overseas that is still climbing the basketball ladder, grinding in the lab relentlessly and has a chip on his shoulder bigger than Fort Knox. His name is Diante Bah (204-C-1997, college: Rowan) who is living the basketball dream overseas and when I checked the school he played at named Rowan and saw who his coach had been, I though ah ha, that rings a bell. It was ex NBA Player Joe Crispin who had played briefly in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers, but had had an illustrious career overseas. I had interviewed him in pre season 2008 when he and his Turkish team had played an exhibition game in Frankfurt against the Skyliners. Back then Skyliner coach Murat Didin had been known for getting well known clubs for test games to Frankfurt. 10 years later, Joe Crispin would be the head coach of Diante Bah. I thought wow this is a small world. Crispin played a vital role in the then life of Bah and is the main reason why Bah was able to become a professional player and now be able to live the dream overseas “It really is a small world. Coach Crispin is awesome, great coach and even better person. He was patient, listened to my story and I made sure he believed in me through my work ethic. He can support this, when I made the Rowan team in college I was NOT GOOD. I knew almost nothing, I couldn’t dribble, didn’t understand plays, or read patterns but I knew how to learn. He saw my hunger, my listening skills, and my hustle which is what the team needed at the 5 position. He kept my role simple enough for me to play and help the team win the NJAC but complicated enough so that I could enjoy the game. We both love a challenge”, warned Diante Bah. It is quite evident that he takes absolutely nothing for granted. “I’m extremely blessed to be playing basketball around the world, to be healthy, and to still have opportunities to expand and keep growing. I’ve played in 5 different countries around the world, learned different languages and I have eaten food that looked so different I was scared to eat it but ended up loving it, it’s almost unreal. I cherish every season because nothing is guaranteed but what can be guaranteed is staying humble and not becoming greedy and selfish. My blessings belong to my family and the next generation just as much as they belong to me”, stressed Diante Bah

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber interviewing Joe Crispin in 2008 in Frankfurt when he was playing with Turkish team Banvit. Crispin played 6 NBA games in 2001 with the Lakers and was teammates with Kobe and Shaq

Diante Bah was born on January 2, 1997 in Mount Holly, New Jersey. He began his basketball career at Rancocas Valley High School. He played track and field in his first 2 years at Rowan and then surprisingly basketball came in the picture. “I’ve always liked basketball but I didn’t recognize my love for it until my senior year in college. I never watched actively as a kid, I was always a casual fan who played casually, had a few seasons in local rec leagues and my freshman year in high school where I didn’t play but was on the team”, said Diante Bah. In his junior year he averaged 4.7ppg, 4.4rpg, 1.4bpg, FGP: 64.5% and made a massive jump in his senior year averaging 8.6ppg, 7.1rpg, 1.9bpg, FGP: 67.7%. “The biggest reason for my stat jump was just the experience and I made the right mistakes and learned the right way after that first season. Experience and support are everything, I had both”, stated Diante Bah. His biggest moment was winning the NJAC title, but he also had another one. A highlight that had many screaming in the gym “The dunk in Franklin Marshall was the start of my basketball career through the worlds eyes as I like to say. That dunk will forever be worth more than 2 points for me, it was the final reason for Crispin to play me more and the first reason for everyone to finally believe what I had been saying the whole time. “I will be a professional basketball player”, warned Diante Bah. Not only was Joe Crispin huge in his development, but also teammates Teirique Robinson and Ramon Wright who pushed him everyday in practice. “Coach Crispin wasn’t really aware that I wanted to play at the next level but I’m sure he could tell it was on my mind. I didn’t really talk about it much with him until the end of my career. He would always tell me to relax and be free. I carry those words of wisdom with me to this day. Teirique and Ramon were early mentors for me in basketball because they were my position and when I made the team I learned most of what I needed from them. They both were experienced and were great players that knew what they were doing. They were open to my questions and they supported me, I appreciate them and always will”, commented Diante Bah.

The New Jersey native who lists Lebron James, Michael Jordan, Stephen Curry, Hakeem Olajuwon,and Kevin Durant on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore began his pro career overseas with ABC Santo Andre/Moveis Fernandes (Portugal-2.Divisao) and prompt won his first chip. But before that happened, he was a nervous wreck as he entered the country. “My rookie season wake up call was when I first stepped off the plane when I arrived. All that was repeating in my head was “I have no idea where I am going, what my teammates look like, will they like me, will I stay healthy”, all these questions pop up every season but they curled my stomach completely my rookie season”, remembered Diante Bah. He was also fortunate to have guys around him to make the adjustment period easier. One of those players was Ronnie Rousseau, a guy who like Bah had to pay his dues as well overseas. It is only obvious that Bah felt at home around him. “Ronnie Rousseau was one of the best players I have ever played with and seen play. He’s a monster on the court, a professional and great friend. I saw his tape in Pro B, he did his thing, I’m proud of him. I did feel at home with Ronnie and I think he can say the same about me, we were on a mission that season and it showed at the end”, said Diante Bah. In his second season he made his break through playing with with BC Apollo Amsterdam (Holland-BNXT league) averaging 9.9ppg, 5.3rpg, FGP: 55.2%, 3PT: 22.9%, FT: 68.6%. “Going to Apollo Amsterdam was huge for me because I got to experience that next level. The next level of financial investment, pressure, stadiums, and just basketball. I always tell people, in Portugal I became a professional and in Amsterdam I became a professional basketball player. I learned so much about myself as a player and what I need to do and the skills I need to develop to keep moving up, for example, a consistent 3 point shot. All the bigs at the level had good 3 point percentages and I could see how much it was helping their teams win”, remembered Diante Bah. He scored in double figures 12 times and saved his best for last scoring 21 and 19 points in the playoff series against Aalst, but the only thing missing was winning the series.” Losing to Aalst was very tough because we felt that we could beat them. They had an experienced team and we had a new team without experience but we showed heart and showed up every play. I will always remember this game because all the kids I coached at camps that year came to see my last home game and we got a win”, remembered Diante Bah. Last season he played with with OKK Slavija 1996 Sarajevo (Bosnia-Division I) averaging 7.7ppg, 6.3rpg, FGP: 66.1%, 3PT: 36.4%, FT: 80.6%. One would think that he took a step back, but he felt he didn´t. “I always carry a chip on my shoulder but it comes from myself, not the outside. From the outside looking in going from the BNXT to a lower league in Bosnia was a bad move or a step back in my career but I see it different. My mindset is always give my best and keep growing no matter where I have to go to do it. I didn’t go to Bosnia thinking “I shouldn’t be here and I’m above this”, I went to Bosnia thinking “this is an opportunity to keep growing my game and keep showing why I belong on any court”. This mindset keeps things simple and it´s what keeps me in the gym no matter how tough the day is. I help teams win by being myself, there’s no pressure in that and I know if I stick to that, opportunities will manifest”, warned Diante Bah. He suffered many loses, but that’s part of the game. “My season is Bosnia was a learning experience, we had several different coaches in one season, a new team, and a lot of player rotations throughout the year but I still managed to stay solid and learn from it all. The highlights of the season for me were the lessons and I keep those with me”, expressed Diante Bah. He scored in double figures 6 times including 17 points against Mladost. His last pro station was in Mexico with Matamoros Piratas Bagdad (Mexico-CIBAPac) “Playing in Matamoros, Mexico was good for me because the playing style in that country is more isolation and fast basketball rather than the European balanced playstyle. My weeks in Mexico were a great experience for me to develop and show my offensive skillset and value. I was brought in as a top 2 offensive option which was new but I loved it and learned so much about what it takes to be depended on offensively and defensively”, added Diante Bah.

The big man who lists his father as his own GOAT is playing his fourth professional season in Germany with the Iserlohn Kangaroos. He is more than content about making the choice to come to Iserlohn. “Germany is an organized country with pride and great basketball. It’s evident more than ever now in the basketball with so many German players dominating in the NBA, World Cup, and Olympics. I’ve only been living in Iserlohn for a few weeks and I can feel the basketball culture. My friend Mike Cubbage played for Iserlohn in the past and was one of the key motives in my decision to sign here, he had great experiences with the city, fans, and organization”, stressed Diante Bah. Plus the focus on 2 things also weighed heavily on his decision to go there. “The main reason I joined Iserlohn was because all of the staff I spoke with kept saying two words. Character and family. When I ran track in High school and won a state title, it was because of those words. When I won championships in college and for BSA in Portugal, those two words. This team is built on character and family and it shows everyday and it’s going to show this season. There’s much more to a decision like this but those were the foundation for wiring my signature”, added Diante Bah. Even though he is a center and is playing for a former guard in Toni Prostran, the mutual connection is already there. “Playing for coach Toni is professional. He has high level experience and it shows. He doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk. There are moments in practices where he’ll do defensive slides with the players to make us go faster and its funny but it’s awesome. His basketball philosophy involves many things but I like the part where “practice is everything”. The game is what matters for numbers but practice matters for character and it’s easy for us to see how much that matters to him and why he was such a successful player”, stressed Diante Bah.

So what kind of player will the German Pro B see this season? It didn´t take him long to find that NBA player that compares “best to his game. “I believe I compare to Pascal Siakam, he’s long, can shoot the midrange and plays defense. I’m a center or a Power Forward depending on the team and or situation. I love rebounding and going for blocks, it´s exciting and strong. I’m a high energy player who runs the floor nonstop, can shoot the midrange is can guard one through five. I love a challenge. My biggest strength is my energy, It’s everything”, explained Diante Bah. He has never averaged in double figures in scoring in his career, but could this season finally be the one. “This season my role is energy, defense, and putting myself in the right positions to score in transition, the pick and roll, and post ups. I can score the ball but offense has never been why I’m on the court. It’s always been rebounding, defense, and my hustle. It’s not that I can’t score double figures but it takes not just experience but the right opportunity to be a double figure scorer which I believe I have now and will keep working to show that this season”, said Diante Bah. He has never been a three point threat, but if he could ever take more three´s, he will be ready. “In college I wasn’t in positions to shoot 3’s but I’ve always worked on it because the game of basketball is changing, versatility is more important than ever now. My 3 point shot has developed so much, I’ve put in more hours than anyone would believe and it’s paying off, I can’t wait to show how much of a threat I am on the court when I’m knocking down the 3 ball”, warned Diante Bah. But he won´t only be an offensive threat, but also will give his all on the defensive end. “I’m just a pure defender. I play defense hard and I don’t care who I have to guard. Let´s do it. My chip on my shoulder shows the most on defense and I love it”, stressed Diante Bah. He never takes an off day as the lab is where he can show his dedication to get better ”At the moment, I’m working on my offensive and defensive reads. It takes time but being able to read the game before it happens on both sides of the floor is the difference between a solid player and a great player. I know what I can be”, stressed Diante Bah. The season hasn´t even officially started, but already he has a feeling that he hasn´t ever had before. “Basketball has always been good to me but this year feels different because I have a few years of professional experience with me now and my relationship with the game is closer than ever”, warned Diante Bah. Now that should be a good omen for all Kangaroos fans.