EP#85 | Life After Pro Basketball: James Gist on Retirement, Mentorship & the Next Generation
Mon Feb 02 2026
Former EuroLeague standout James Gist joins The Benas Podcast to talk honestly about life after pro basketball, chasing the NBA dream, and preparing for basketball retirement.
Drafted by the San Antonio Spurs and stashed in Europe, James built a high-level career with elite clubs like Partizan and Panathinaikos, winning titles across Europe. He shares what it was like balancing NBA aspirations while fully committing to a professional career overseas — and why mentorship played a key role in his development.
James also opens up about his transition into coaching high school players, passing on lessons from his career, and helping the next generation prepare for life both on and off the court. This episode offers valuable insight for players and coaches thinking about retirement and what comes next after basketball.
Topics:
00:00 Intro
1:00 Rookie in Europe & mentorship
9:55 NBA dreams
19:10 Fan bases & Cultures
33:20 Euro coaching vs US coaching
40:20 ProBallers.com
45:15 Retirement Process & Identity
52:15 Next Generation Mindset
1:01:40 Unlearning habits
1:05:15 New realizations as a coach
1:16:10 ATOs
📢 Subscribe to my YouTube channel The Benas Podcast, if you want to stay updated! You'll find this podcast on all audio platforms as well.
👍 Press „Like“ ir and share this podcast to your network!
#JamesGist #Panathinaikos #LifeAfterBasketball #BasketballRetirement #ProBasketball #EuroLeague #Mentorship
Finding “The Benas Podcast”:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast
…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.
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Former EuroLeague standout James Gist joins The Benas Podcast to talk honestly about life after pro basketball, chasing the NBA dream, and preparing for basketball retirement. Drafted by the San Antonio Spurs and stashed in Europe, James built a high-level career with elite clubs like Partizan and Panathinaikos, winning titles across Europe. He shares what it was like balancing NBA aspirations while fully committing to a professional career overseas — and why mentorship played a key role in his development. James also opens up about his transition into coaching high school players, passing on lessons from his career, and helping the next generation prepare for life both on and off the court. This episode offers valuable insight for players and coaches thinking about retirement and what comes next after basketball. Topics: 00:00 Intro 1:00 Rookie in Europe & mentorship 9:55 NBA dreams 19:10 Fan bases & Cultures 33:20 Euro coaching vs US coaching 40:20 ProBallers.com 45:15 Retirement Process & Identity 52:15 Next Generation Mindset 1:01:40 Unlearning habits 1:05:15 New realizations as a coach 1:16:10 ATOs 📢 Subscribe to my YouTube channel The Benas Podcast, if you want to stay updated! You'll find this podcast on all audio platforms as well. 👍 Press „Like“ ir and share this podcast to your network! #JamesGist #Panathinaikos #LifeAfterBasketball #BasketballRetirement #ProBasketball #EuroLeague #Mentorship Finding “The Benas Podcast”: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast …or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info. Comment, Like & Share here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3 www.bmatke.com