June 9, 2006
FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Everything in life has a purpose, and it's that philosophy that former men's basketball player Rob Thomson holds to as he continues his hardwood career. The center just returned to the United States after spending a few months playing professionally in Greece.
"I played the five (center) during my time there," Thomson said. "I joined the team for the final seven games of the season, but that should help me pick up a spot here in the States."
The Pennsylvania native hopes his time with the pro team Makedonikos will land him a spot in the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Summer League. Thomson has gained the interest of the Toronto Raptors and the Seattle Supersonics.
He has spent most of his basketball career overseas since leaving the Fairfield University campus. He's gained offers from teams in Turkey, Hungary, Italy, Poland, and Israel. Thomson stays on the go, traveling between countries with the hopes of finding the ideal situation that will allow him to return and play in the United States.
Most recently, Thomson went to Turkey where he hooked up with a pro team. He played there for 10 days and earned time in a couple of exhibition games before leaving for a better opportunity in Hungary. He played a full season there, staying in the country for just over nine months.
"I really enjoyed my time in Hungary," Thomson said. "It was exciting to meet so many different people from different cultures. The team had a lot of people from different countries, but most of them spoke English. I made a lot of great friends in Hungary. They really treated me well while I was there."
He had an opportunity to play in Italy after the Hungarian season. But, a couple nagging injuries forced him out of the lineup.
"There were some openings in Italy because of the European championships," Thomson said. "So, the teams look for players to come in and fill those spots while their players are at the Championships. The good thing is that they help place you with another team when those players return."
Thomson's placement opportunities included chances to play in Poland and Israel. But the injuries kept him off the court, and Thomson decided to return home.
He earned a spot on the Newark Express in the American Basketball Association, playing for former NBA standout Darryl Dawkins. Thomson enjoyed a great deal of success with the team, averaging a team-high 9.9 rebounds per game and placing second on the squad with 14.5 points per outing.
"I was really playing well with Newark," Thomson said. "It was a tremendous opportunity to play under Darryl Dawkins. I really liked it there, but decided to move on when the opportunity to play in Greece came along."
Thomson adapted well to the Greek team and quickly made contributions, even though the transition from the American style of play to the European style was a little daunting at first.
"Most of the shots in Europe come off the offensive sets," Thomson said. "There really aren't many fast-break opportunities there. In fact, some teams will automatically foul during a fast break just to stop the play and set up the defense."
With a great deal of hard work and determination, Thomson has put himself in position to make a run professionally in the United States. He is waiting to hear about the possibility of hooking up with Toronto or Seattle for this summer. Regardless of the venue, Thomson just wants to continue playing basketball. With his size and talent, that goal certainly looks within in reach.
