How often does one hear about rich athletes going from the top of the mountain down to the gutter with losing their whole fortune that they made playing the game that they love. In the NBA, there have been those amazing players like an Antoine Walker, Vin Baker and Glen Rice who made millions, but then lost it all. Fortunately for them all have recovered and have found a way to get back into society and turn their lives around for them. A very good majority of professional players overseas will never make millions before their playing careers are over, but they also have to know how to handle their money while playing and have some sort of plan b ready when the day comes when they hang up their sneakers. One of those guys is Jacob Polakovich (208-C-2000, college: S.Indiana). He hails from Grand Rapids, Michigan and has parents that have separate business´s that are flourishing. His late dad Jimmy owned a restaurant called South Side Jimmy´s while his mom started up a flower market. Having such ambitious parents like that can steer a son in that direction one day. Their direction helped him decide to pursue a management degree at the Romain college of Business at the University of Southern Indiana. There is a good chance he will go into the family business, but if he had a choice to start his own business, he would know exactly which kind it would be. “If I started another business, I would want to open an animal shelter or some business where I can help give animals and dogs specifically better homes”, stressed Jacob Polakovich. He is only in his second professional season and still has a long playing career ahead of him, but he understands now that he has to be prepared one day to be a business man. “I think that the most important thing is to work on maintaining and creating connections with people. In most situations you will learn more and have more opportunities from knowing the right people and through having a positive reputation. I also try to learn where I can from reading different books and talking to people who have jobs that interest me”, warned Jacob Polakovich.

Jacob Polakovich who lists ex Auburn (NCAA) player Jabari Smith as his toughest opponent in school was born on May 1st, 2000 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He began his basketball career at Catholic Central high school and then played at the University of Indianapolis (NCAA) from 2018-2020 amassing a total of 55 games. In his freshman season he averaged 2,3ppg and 3,4 boards in 8 minutes, but then made a drastic jump to 18 minutes and averaged 8,4ppg and 6,5rpg in his second season. There was a distinct reason for his why his game was propelled to new heights. “The biggest thing for me between those two seasons was getting into better physical condition. I lost. 15 pounds and came back a better, faster, and stronger version of myself”, remembered Jacob Polakovich. He hit Mckendree for 16 points and UMSL for 15 points while having a massive 14/14 performance against Maryville, MO. Despite making a jump in his second season, he transferred to the University of Southern Indiana following his coaches John Spruance and Stan Gouard. He proved there that he could adjust from division 2 to division 1. In his 2 seasons there he averaged 11.5ppg, 11.3rpg, FGP: 61.7% and as a senior 12.2ppg, 12.8rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 55.9%, FT: 51.4%. “I think that my game grew after moving up a division because I was playing with a chip on my shoulder. I had no Division 1 offers coming out of high-school even though I knew I was good enough to play at that level, and took every game as an opportunity to prove that to myself”, stressed Jacob Polakovich. He had many stellar games like having a 27/10 game in the exciting 82-81 win over UALR or 27 points/26 rebounds in the tight win over Semo or a 28/12 game in a win over UIS. “The best memory I have from NCAA 2 was being named the 1 seed in the NCAA tournament my sophomore year. I really do believe that we would have won the national championship that season if covid never happened”, added Jacob Polakovich. He had 5 games with 20 or more rebounds in his senior year and understood what it took to be able to achieve such wild stats. “I think that’s a testament to my work ethic and extremely high motor. Ever since I remember, I was never the fastest or most athletic player on the court so I learned at a young age that if I was able to use a combination of strength and an extremely high motor, I would be able to affect the game in ways that other players don’t necessarily want to. I truly believe that the best way to make a large impact on the game is to do all of the little things the right way. And one of those little things is chasing after every single missed shot and loose ball with 100% intensity”, warned Jacob polakovich. Who knows how his game might have developed further under a different coaching staff, but being able to play for the same coaches for 4 years had a massive impact on him on and off the court. “I could not put a price on the impact Coach Gouard, Spruance, and Aldridge had on not only my career, but also my development as a young man. They invested so much time and energy into me and dreams, and I can honestly say that I would not be anywhere near the player I am today without them. They taught me that if I had the right commitment and work ethic, I can play at any level and be effective”, warned Jacob Polakovich who remembers beating teammate Nick Hittle in 1-1 battles in practice..

The Michigan native who lists Jimmy king, Jordache Mavunga, Jelani Simmons, Marcus Bingham, and Austin Braun as his 5 best teammates of all-time began his professional career overseas with Moncada Energy Agrigento (Italy-Serie A2) averaging 10.1ppg, Reb-1 (10.8rpg), 1.1apg, FGP: 56.4%, FT: 46.2%. It is never easy making the transition from your comfort zone in school to being on your own overseas and every guy has their own wake up call to being a rookie. “I remember when we went through a stretch early where we lost a handful of games in a row, and I did not play near the level that I know I am capable of. I found myself constantly beating myself up and stressing about how my play would affect my future, instead of being thankful for the position I had put myself in to play professional basketball in the first place. Once I reminded myself that I was living out the dream that I had worked so hard to achieve, I found myself playing better and enjoying myself much more too”, commented Jacob Polakovich. He scored in double figures 20 times and registered 16 double doubles. He had a monster game against Milano Riana of 16/24, but wasn´t totally content with his own effort. “Directly after, I was disappointed in myself after that game for the way I played defensively, and it really felt like a game that we had won until some mistakes at the end. Looking back though I think that that game was a great testament to the style of basketball I play, and the way that I am able to affect the game through my strength and energy”, expressed Jacob Polakovich. Making bonds right away with teammates is always beneficial in helping with the adjustment as he witnessed with fellow big man Mait Peterson. “Mait and I both had a lot of similarities in our playstyles and became good friends off the court as well. The main way we made each other better in practice every day was by playing as physical as possible every single day”, added Jacob Polakovich.

The rebound monster who lists Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Micheal Jordan, Shaquille O´Neal, and Tim Duncan on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore is playing his second professional season with the Bakken Bears Aarhus (Denmark-BasketLigaen). He hasn´t regretted making this decision to move to Denmark. “So far, it has been an amazing experience to play at such a historical club. You can tell that the culture here runs deep from talking to everybody involved with the club at every level; from those that work in the offices, to the coaches and players. The most enjoyable part of playing for Bakken has been competing in European competition through the ENBL, and seeing how we match up with top teams from other countries. I have learned to love how much Denmark, and Aarhus specifically, has felt so similar to home. There are obviously days where I am homesick and missing family, but the people here have been so welcoming that I really do enjoy my time here”, said Jacob Polakovich. The organization has won an incredible 33 titles and they are simply used to winning. “Being a part of such a historical task comes with a lot of pressures to win and perform, however I think what makes Bakken so successful is the ways they are able to truly make it feel like one big family. No player or staff member is treated above another, and we are all a unit working towards the same final goal; two championships. I feel that I have been able to learn a lot about my game since arriving here, and will only learn more from all of the great basketball minds around me before the season comes to an end”, stated Jacob Polakovich. He has amazing teammates especially with veterans Urald King and Skyler Bowlin who could tell him some tales from the German culture and it´s basketball. “Urald has already had a huge impact on me and the way I see the game. He is another person similar to Skyler in the way that they are both great players, but even better people. I try my best to constantly ask both of them questions and try to take the opportunity to learn where I can, because I hope to have similar careers to both of them. Playing with Skyler has been a great opportunity to learn how to be a better leader on and off the court. He has helped me realize just how much your reputation off the court matters to help boost your career, and when you look at the success he has had; it proves that”, stressed Jacob Polakovich. He may only be in his second professional season, but he has enough experience to help young Danish player Andreas Holst with his game. “Andreas is a special young talent. Even in the few months I have been here, I have seen him improve at very fast rate. I think that he has the chance to be an amazing player, especially after a couple more years of development. The main way I try to help him develop is by trying to be physical with him, and teaching him to be more physical with others”, added Jacob Polakovich.

The ex Indianapolis (NCAA) center who lists Lebron James as his GOAT and believes that the classic Coming To America flick with Eddie Murphy should have been left alone is a center that would compare his game to a Domantas Sabonas mainly because of how physical he is and because he plays with a high motor. He has shown no difficulty coming from Italy and being consistent in the Danish league having 11/6 stats in 20 minutes and 11/7 stats in the ENBL. “My role on this team is to be an enforcer on the inside, and to bring a different level of physicality and energy every minute I am on the floor. I think that when I am attacking the glass hard and exploiting mismatches, I am helping the team in the best way I can”, warned Jacob Polakovich. He is so much more than just a scorer and rebounder, but also has that playmaking skills in his game. “I think that I am a much better passer than my Assist numbers show. I am a very confident passer playing out of short rolls and post ups, and feel that I am underrated in that aspect”, stressed Jacob Polakovich. On the defensive end, he is a player that can affect the game in other ways than just registering many steals and blocks. “Defensively I do think that I affect the game positively in different ways. Mainly as a rebounder, but also through my physical presence inside the paint. I think that although I don’t block a lot of shots or make a lot of steals, I play with an energy and intensity that most players do not match”, stated Jacob Polakovich. He is continuing to develop, but at the same time also improving his game at both ends. “ The main thing I am working on this season is my perimeter defense for sure. I want to become a player who can defend all positions, and think that I am slowly improving at that aspect. The other thing that I have been trying to incorporate in my game this season is an outside shot. It is something that I have been working at on my own, and think that I have the ability to be great at”, warned Jacob Polakovich. In the ENBL, he is battling against Bamberg, a team that once belonged to the best clubs in the easyCredit BBL. He is aware of how much respected the BBL is. “The main thing I know about the Bundesliga is that it is one of the most competitive basketball leagues in the world. From the top of the league to the bottom, every team has an extremely high level of talent. I think that it will be a great test not only for the team, but I am excited to also test myself against such a high level team”, said Jacob Polakovich. It will be interesting to see how his game continues to develop. Who knows, he may pull a Skyler Bowlin. Back In the 2015-2016 season, Skyler Bowlin suited up with the Sodertalje Kings (Sweden-Basketligan) and hit Frankfurt with 18 points in a Fiba Europe Cup game. Head coach Denis Wucherer witnessed him and signed him for the next season with Pro A team Giessen. Bowlin was an instrumental part in the team moving up to the BBL a season later. Who knows, maybe one day we will see Jacob Polakovich battling bigs in the easyCredit BBL.