Playing in the NBA, along with everything that comes with it around and off the court, can be wildly different from playing in other parts of the world. European basketball has its own set of rules and systems, South American basketball follows a different logic and Asian basketball is a universe for itself.
Coming from the NBA, adapting to a new country and a different mentality can be a pretty big challenge. The players who understand that the best are the ones who have spent a significant amount of time in all of those systems, so they got a good enough sample to compare all the similarities and differences between them.
One of those players is definitely Kenneth Faried , the Denver Nuggets ' long-time energetic rebounding machine who spent eight seasons in the NBA. After the league and the style of play started changing and the focal point shifted outside the three-point line, Faried's role started to become less and less usable.
The teams no longer needed undersized big men without a reliable shot, so despite his aggressiveness and energy, Faried was no longer an advantage on the NBA court.
He made a logical step of going overseas, where he's been playing for the last seven seasons. In an interview with Basketball Network's Harvey Vujanic and Bruno Feliks, he explained how he adapted.
Faried played in China, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Europe where he still currently plays for the Greek team Panathinaikos. Every country and their people are different, he says.
"Everything is a culture shock to me. Especially when you go to different countries, different languages, different people," he explained.
The biggest difference is the mentality of people:
"Some people are very open, nice and very welcoming. Some people can be very shut off and kinda mean. But I always try to come in with a smile and be respectful and nice," he said.
He went on to describe specific differences between the people from countries where he had played:
"In Russia, I guess people are kinda angrier… I guess because they're cold, they had a bit more scowls on their face," he said with a smile. "Whereas in Greece, people are nicer, they smile at anyone, they take pictures and stuff like that."
He compared his stints in Puerto Rico and Mexico to one big party: "A mariachi band may come out of nowhere just to make noise," he joked.
A lot of players can't accept when their time in the NBA comes to an end, so they would rather retire than go overseas. Some of the players who do go can't adapt to new countries, mentalities and people. But that wasn't the case for Faried, who looked at that opportunity with gratitude.
"I've been to many places and had many beautiful experiences and I cherish them all because they made me who I am today," he admitted.
Faried's willingness to try and adapt and continue playing in different countries prolonged his career for almost the same period he was in the NBA. And he is aware of that:
"To me playing basketball and being able to travel around the world and meet different people and have different interviews, and meet different cultures and religions, it is a beautiful thing to me," Kenneth explained.
Faried is 36 years old and signed a short-term deal with Panathinaikos this season to help the team after their three centers suffered injuries. He's averaging seven points and 5.6 rebounds in 17 minutes per game. There is a strong possibility he could stay in Europe next season, too. If not, there's no doubt he will assimilate wherever he lands, just like every time before.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
