Newly-qualified FIBA licensed agents make the grade in Mies

MIES - There was delight at the FIBA House of Basketball for a total of 26 applicants on Tuesday, who successfully met the standards required to become FIBA licensed agents.

As usual, those who passed the Agents' Test were quickly turning their heads towards a potential new chapter in their respective careers.

They included Weber State University (WSU) Hall of Famer, Stan Mayhew. In one of the most famous games in WSU men’s basketball history, he erupted for 45 points and 20 rebounds in a victory over in-state rival Utah State. Those 45 points are still a single-game record for WSU and the eighth-best mark in Big Sky history.

Mayhew also spent 15 seasons playing professional basketball in Europe, with stops in Belgium, Italy, Spain, France and Israel. Now he is looking forward to a new challenge.

"With my basketball background for many years in Europe, I think I will be an asset to young players who are also trying to get themselves jobs around the world," he said. “I went into business after my career for many years, but I have been around basketball all my life and I wanted to step back into the scene.

“I want to make young people aware there are other opportunities to play elsewhere and make them aware that they have to plan to do something after basketball. There are many college players who have the NBA dream and I had that very same dream. But, the percentage that make it is very small, so with different leagues elsewhere, I think it shows you can still make a very nice living and also see some of the world. Those different cultures and languages gave me a new perspective on life."

Avneet Bhullar, Tanveer Bullar and Stan Mayhew

Meanwhile there was also excitement for the Indian-Canadian pair of Avneet Bhullar and Tanveer Bullar, the older sister of and younger brother of Sim Bhullar - the first player of Indian descent to play in the NBA.

"You will be familiar with the fact my brother is playing professional basketball and my younger brother has just finished his college career and was deciding what to do, and he decided to go the agent route," said Avneet Bhullar. “This is just the first step of many and we still have to go home and regroup as I think we see each of us joining another agency and developing further. The goal is to create a client base and then make sure they get the best deals for their playing careers.

“We will keep our connection to Canada and the States but also honoring our roots in India. We want to help develop the level of basketball in India and help the kids get better. This is another avenue we have now to help athletes realize their potential."

Tanveer Bhullar added: "I was getting ready to play professionally after college but I spoke about it with my family and friends and decided my health is more important to me. It means I prefer to be around basketball but in another way and so I have decided to be an agent.

"Watching my brother go through it, you experience bad agents. I think I can show that I can be a person that can be trusted and have a connection with the clients."

This latest tranche of FIBA Qualified Agents was the second of the calendar year, with a number also making the grade back in April.

FIBA