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A lot of professional athletes started out their lives as multi-sport athletes. It doesn’t come as a surprise when you hear about some of the most gifted athletes in the world having previous success in other sports.
That’s why it’s also not uncommon to hear about NFL teams that have recruiters that are looking at collegiate basketball and soccer players or even track stars and other sports to see if they can find a diamond in the rough.
One example of this is Utah Jazz two-way player Oscar Tshiebwe, who was the 2022 National Player of the Year at Kentucky. Tshiebwe decided to leave school and enter the NBA draft but unfortunately went undrafted in 2023.
After the draft Tshiebwe got a number of Summer League offers from NBA teams, which is usually a path that can lead to a rostered spot or a two-way contract. But he also got a couple calls from NFL teams.
The Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns both reached out to offer Tshiebwe a training camp contract with the NFL squads. Tshiebwe told me that he had meetings with the front offices for the teams and that they were looking at him as a potential tight end.
Ultimately, he said that it was his dream to continue playing basketball so he’d regret if he didn’t give that dream every opportunity to work.
“I don’t know if it’s surprising or not, Oscar is pretty strong,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “Oscar is a really good athlete. It would be silly for me to say there’s no way that would work. It’s also hard to imagine someone as nice as Oscar playing football.”
Oscar was offered a two-way deal with the Indiana Pacers, who he played Summer League with, and then eventually won G League Rookie of the Year before signing another two-way deal with the Jazz.
“It worked out because I got a two-way,” Tshiebwe said. “So, I made the right decision. I’m playing basketball and doing what I love.”
Tshiebwe joked that being someone from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there’s no way he would have survived playing a game in the snow, that the cold would have been impossible to bear. At the end of the day, he said he likes rebounds a lot more than taking hits.
New with the Jazz
Quote of the week
“I honestly didn’t watch the game this year because of the format. I didn’t think it made much sense, to put it nicely. — John Collins on the All-Star Game.
From the archives
Extra points
- Will Hardy dishes on NBA routines, handshakes and attention to detail (Deseret News)
- Jazz still searching for young players who can be a part of their future core (Deseret News)
- Keyonte George, Rising Stars outshined by NBA All-Stars (Deseret News)
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- Joel Embiid admits his ailing left knee is failing him.
- Bucks' Bobby Portis suspended 25 games for failing drug test.
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