EuroChallenge Pro Basketball Tryouts kicks off in Las Vegas

Court Side’s EuroChallenge Pro Tryouts kicked off in Las Vegas on Saturday. The annual overseas basketball showcase returns to Las Vegas for the 11th time in a row. The basketball camp has a long history that dates back to the late ’90s of the last century when the camp was held in Europe, first in Hungary and later in Germany.

In the very beginning, the Pro Basketball Tryouts served as an unofficial pre-draft camp for international players. As a result, a handful of NBA teams sent personnel over to scout the event. Later on, Benetton Treviso adopted the idea and further developed it into an NBA-sanctioned “EuroCamp” in Northern Italy. The name was later changed to “NBA Elite International Camp” and “NBA Global Camp.”

Court Side’s EuroChallenge moved to Las Vegas in 2010 and shifted the focus from European players to US players and from established high-profile players to lesser-known players and the search for diamonds in the ruff.

Some US players don’t have good enough grades to play at NCAA 1 level, or they are hampered by injuries or other misfortunes. As a result, they may not have the type of resume necessary to draw the attention of professional teams and agents.

The purpose of Court Side’s basketball camp is to give those players a chance to get exposure. A platform where they can showcase their skills, and get official stats, measurements, and game footage. The camp is all about improving the odds, and many players have used the opportunity to jumpstart their professional careers.