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Princeton University Athletics
Alumni Pro Perspective: Amir Bell '18
December 21, 2018 | Men's Basketball
Amir Bell '18 signed with Fortitudo Agrigento in Italy's second division in July. Here, the 2018 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year shares his perspective on his transition to becoming a pro.
What are some of the adjustments you've had to make going from a schedule of a student-athlete to that of a professional player?
The major difference between being a student-athlete and a professional player is the sheer amount of free time. In college, especially at a place like Princeton, you have to be efficient and are always busy. Between the time spent on the floor and the weight room, going to class, studying, hanging out with friends and social events, it barely felt like there was enough time for sleep. Now It's the complete opposite as a professional player. You're constantly trying to figure out what you can do to fill the hours in the day. Normally we have practice in the morning for two hours and one at night for about an hour and a half. You add in extra work, stretching, and lifting and there ends up being six hours of basketball-related obligations for the day. Say I sleep for eight hours a night, that leaves me 10 hours a day where I can pretty much do anything. At first it was kind of weird but I've started taking up some new hobbies and obviously have been watching a lot of Netflix. When I get the chance, I try to explore town and interact with some of the locals.
Have you picked up some Italian there? What are the adjustments like coming from life in the U.S. to Italy?
Slowly but surely, I've started to learn some Italian. I downloaded Duolingo when I got here and try and use that every day. Being around my teammates and coaches, I've naturally picked up a decent amount as well. Most of the guys speak decent English and always want to practice with me. It has made learning Italian a little harder because I don't have to speak it much at all.
One big adjustment coming from the U.S to Italy is the food. Don't get me wrong, I love the food here and love Italian food, but in America there is just so much variety. I also really miss breakfast, which they rarely eat in Italy. Life in Italy is a little slower-paced than it is in America. Growing up in New Jersey and going to school in New Jersey, life has always been go, go, go. In Italy, especially where I am in Sicily, is much slower-paced. For example you may have a dinner that lasts 2-3 hours that doesn't start until 9 p.m. Other than that, things are pretty similar; the only other big difference is everyone's passion for soccer. It's really interesting to see how invested everyone is in their respective club.
What did you learn at Princeton that has helped you in Italy, both basketball-wise and not?
At Princeton, from day one you are forced out of your comfort zone, whether it is academically, socially or in sport. I encountered so many different people, experiences and challenges as a student-athlete that I felt I was ready to adapt to any situation. You're encouraged to try new things, make mistakes and grow in all aspects of your life, so when I first arrived in Agrigento, I was ready to for the opportunity to embrace life playing basketball professionally overseas.
From a basketball standpoint, I think I learned how to prepare and approach the game like a professional. In college, Coach Henderson and staff always stressed to us the attention to detail and making sure we do all the little things correctly. We knew we needed the correct mental approach and to put in extra work in order to become good players and a good team. Whether it is watching extra film or getting up extra shots, at Princeton I learned it was important to be prepared to win every single game. At the pro level the importance of these things only became more amplified.
