HOW KALIF YOUNG'S TIME OVERSEAS HAS PREPARED HIM FOR SECOND SEASON IN CEBL

Justine Jones • June 2, 2021

By Justine Jones

Kalif Young had one thought when he felt the 6.6 magnitude Aegean Sea Earthquake this October while playing overseas in the Turkish Basketball League (TBL).


“I’m not going to be standing in this building if it goes down.”

 

The disaster struck the Turkish province of Izmir and injured nearly 800 people, caused at least 20 buildings to collapse, and left thousands of individuals homeless.


This year has been unprecedented for many people, and the Honey Badgers forward has navigated these challenges all while playing his first year of professional basketball overseas with Bornova Belediye.


“It was wild, in Europe there are cobblestone roads and there were shops down both sides of the street,” said Young. “My American teammate and I were in this little sunglass place and all of a sudden I just felt the floor shaking. The entire building across the street started to shake and things were falling down on people in the restaurant beside the sunglass place.”

 

“Then I saw a swarm of people just running so I ran. I ran out of there and sprinted over into this little park that was like beside it so nothing could fall on me.”

 

Young was in an area that was not as heavily impacted by the earthquake, but despite this, the fear of aftershocks was ever present. He was able to stay in his apartment building unlike some of his Turkish teammates who had to relocate to the local mall or stay in their cars until it was safe to re-enter their homes.

 

Living through this natural disaster gave Young a greater perspective on life. Later in the season, his team participated in a community outreach initiative involving a young brother and sister who had lost their mother in the earthquake.

 

“It was a crazy experience and obviously it's taught me a lot about being thankful and understanding that this journey is something special and you can't be taking it for granted."


Kalif’s first year of basketball overseas has been eventful, but through it all, he has persevered.

  Student of the game


On the court, Young is averaging nearly a double-double (10.8 points, 9.3 rebounds) in his rookie campaign, and was named to the TBL Foreign Team of the Week four times this season.


What’s the secret to his success?


“I think just continually allowing myself to listen and take what people give you and not be so quick to think that you know everything,” said Young. “That’s probably the biggest reason why I’ve been able to succeed in certain aspects this year.”


Kalif has relished the many learning opportunities he’s been afforded while playing in the highly regarded TBL. The Providence College graduate has adapted to a different style of play overseas citing that footwork is crucial in the European game. 


“Coming from America and coming from college, things that they would never call a travel in college, there’s travels out here,” said Young. “It forces you to understand your footsteps and how you move and how you maneuver, I think that's one of the bigger things I found out here.” 


He’s had the opportunity to work with various coaches to break down and solidify his on-court movements. Because of this, the 6-foot-9 forward is finding tremendous success running the pick and roll, attacking via a hard roll to the basket.


And at the end of the day, no matter where Kalif is in the world, basketball is basketball.


“I think just think being a sponge is the biggest thing,” said Young. “I have teammates here that are 38 [years old], 34 [years old], 33 [years old], that all have years of basketball experience. They all have things that they can share with me, I think that's something that you don't take for granted.”

  

  Embracing the culture


While Young has grown on the court this year, he has also learned Turkish words and sayings off the court. Moving across the world was a transition for the Vaughan, Ont., native but Young has approached the experience with an open mind.


“I think it’s more of a mindset of embracing their culture because one thing that I found is that a lot of my teammates really, really want you to learn about what they enjoy,” said Young. “I’ve definitely tried a lot of different foods and had experiences that most people don’t get the opportunity to and I’m thankful they’re very open with how they live and how they do things.”


The former Interperformances TBL Player of the Week says that among these new foods he has tried is Ayran, a yogurt drink that is often paired with steak. He admits he has yet to try anything too different from North American food, and that yogurt is staple food in Turkey.


Living alone for nine months in a new country has enabled Young to become more independent. While he spent four years playing at Providence College in Rhode Island, Kalif has grown tremendously overseas in a country where he’s had to navigate a language barrier.


“The biggest thing has been the translations and having conversations and basic things that you take for granted when you're in places that obviously all speak the same language,” said Young. 

“When I'm in Toronto, you don't have to worry about having a conversation with a cashier or having a conversation with somebody who you're ordering food from.”


Apart from navigating the language barrier off the court, on the court 10 of Young’s 12 teammates are Turkish. He explains he doesn’t expect his teammates to constantly have to speak English, a language that for most of them is not their first. They do see each other outside of the gym, and Young has accepted that in certain situations he won’t always understand everything they say. 


Through this adventure Kalif has become more self-reflective in learning about what brings him joy outside of basketball. The experience has been a journey and he is excited to translate what he’s learned overseas to his sophomore season in the CEBL.

  A bond beyond basketball

 

During the 2020 CEBL Summer Series, Kalif led the Honey Badgers with a 61 percent field goal percentage. Fans also know they can count on Young to bring energy defensively and to be a strong rebounder.

 

Throughout the 2020 season, Hamilton Honey Badgers head coach Ryan Schmidt encouraged Kalif to roll hard coming off their high pick and rolls. The entire organization is excited about his athletic potential and this year, Kalif is focused on increasing his activity around the rim and attacking the basket on offense.

 

After the Honey Badgers finished second in 2019 and third in 2020, he hopes to help Hamilton win their first CEBL championship this year. Young cherishes the opportunity to play on his home soil and to compete alongside the likes of Duane Notice, JV Mukama, Cody John, and Owen Klassen, players who he has known for years.

 

“You have that connection through just being Canadian and understanding that you're all on that same kind of path so that's a bond that you can't really get when you go overseas in that respect,” said Young.

 

Kalif describes the dynamic as being business-like in Europe. While he has made friendships to last a lifetime with his Turkish teammates, when their game is over, he goes home to his empty apartment whereas his teammates return to their families. This makes Young even more grateful for the opportunity to play on home soil in the CEBL.

 

In all, Kalif is proud to be part of the Canadian basketball scene, a market that is both small and large. It is a small world because the athletes share this undeniable bond through having played together for years, but it is large because basketball is among the most popular sports in Canada.

 

“A lot of times you have to go across the world to get that experience of playing professionally,” said Young. “The fact that you get the opportunity to actually do that at home, it’s big for me, and it’s big for the game itself in Canada. It’s allowing the kids to see that there’s an opportunity represent your home, at home.”


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