Kent Washington - Author of "Kentomania" & The First American to Play Professional Basketball Behind the Iron Curtain - Episode 931

Kent Washington made history by becoming the first American to play professional basketball behind the Iron Curtain. In his memoir, Kentomania, he recounts his journey from grade school, when he was known as Peanut, to become the first Black American to play professionally in the top league in Poland. Kent began to tap into his talent as a basketball player in junior and senior high school in New Rochelle, New York. His obsessive work ethic started to pay dividends as he elevated his game and became a college player at Southampton College in Long Island. During a basketball tour of communist Poland with his team in May 1976, Kent took the country by storm and became an overnight sensation. After finishing his education, he returned to Poland under contract to play professionally. The Polish press dubbed his popularity “Kentomania,” and fans lined the sidewalks hoping to get into a game to see him play – and to get his autograph. Kent’s athletic and cultural journey is unique as shares insights on his life behind the Iron Curtain. If you’re looking to improve your coaching please consider joining the Hoop Heads Mentorship Program. We believe that having a mentor is the best way to maximize your potential and become a transformational coach. By matching you up with one of our experienced mentors you’ll develop a one on one relationship that will help your coaching, your team, your program, and your mindset.  The Hoop Heads Mentorship Program delivers mentoring services to basketball coaches at all levels through our team of experienced Head Coaches. Find out more at hoopheadspod.com or shoot me an email directly [email protected] Make sure you’re subscribed to the Hoop Heads Pod on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts and while you’re there please leave us a 5 star rating and review.  Your ratings help your friends and coaching colleagues find the show. If you really love what you’re hearing recommend the Hoop Heads Pod to someone and get them to join you as a part of Hoop Heads Nation. Get ready to take some notes as you listen to this episode with Kent Washington, the author of Kentomania. Website - https://www.amazon.ca/Kentomania-Basketball-Virtuoso-Communist-Poland/dp/B09P3ZRN5G Email - [email protected] Visit our Sponsors! Dr. Dish Basketball Our friends at Dr. Dish Basketball are here to help you transform your team’s training efforts this summer with exclusive offers of up to $4,000 OFF their Rebel+, All-Star+, and CT+ shooting machines. Unsure about budget? Dr. Dish offers schools-only financing to make getting new equipment easier than ever. Fast Model Sports FastModel Sports has the most compelling and intuitive basketball software out there! In addition to a great product, they also provide basketball coaching content and resources through their blog and playbank, which features over 8,000 free plays and drills from their online coaching community. For access to these plays and more information, visit <a href="http://fastmodelsports.com" rel="noopener noreferrer"...