Columbus North graduate and pro basketball player Imani Guy speaks to campers July 13 at Foundation For Youth.
Ted Schultz | The Republic
The next stop on the basketball journey of Imani Guy is headed for the continent of Europe.
The 2017 Columbus North graduate, who has played the past two years in Australia, signed last week to further her career in Spain. She will play with the team Iraugie in the LF2 league in the city of Azpeitia.
“It was the team that made me want to go there and the location with where I’ll be staying,” Guy said. “It’s in a really good league, and I think that I can shine there and win. It’s a really good opportunity for it being my first time playing in Europe.“
The 6-foot-4 Guy, who played collegiately at University of Southern Indiana and Marian, has spent the past three professional basketball seasons in Australia. She played for a team in Perth, then Adelaide, then back in Perth again.
“Australia was great,” Guy said. “The people there are friendly. The beaches are nice. I was really blessed with the opportunity to play there the last two years.”
Guy was honored one week this past season with a Player of the Week honor while playing for the Willetton Tigers in Australia’s NBL1 West league.
“We competed hard, and I competed hard for my team,” Guy said. “We didn’t win a championship, but we had our final spot locked in, so I competed for one.”
This summer, Guy is back in Columbus working on her game and giving clinics to youth basketball players. Earlier this month, she spoke at a Legendz Academy camp and 3-on-3 tournament at Foundation For Youth hosted by Calisha Clark, who played at Columbus East and professionally in Europe, and Clark’s husband Stephen.
“I’m staying busy, staying in the gym and giving back with camps like this and training,” Guy said.
Guy, who hosted her own camps while in Australia, currently is doing speaking events and hosting training sessions at Nexus Park. The sessions are catered to all ages and skill levels and are focused on building fundamentals, shooting technique, decision making, pick-and-roll reads, finishing around the rim, footwork and ballhandling. Players can arrange a session by contacting Guy at [email protected]
“I really like coaching,” Guy said. “I think I explain the game pretty well, and I have experience playing inside, as well as outside. I think I can teach them the fundamentals of basketball and advance their skills. I feel like I know a lot about the game, and I like to give back because basketball has given me so many different opportunities.”
But the coaching could be put on hold for a few years, with Guy just getting started with her pro playing career.
“I have dreams of playing for awhile and developing a basketball business while I’m playing — training camps, motivational speaking and just giving insight on what it is to be an overseas basketball player,” Guy said. “We’re working on making the most out of your time and trying to get better.”
Guy plans to leave for Spain near the end of August. Her season starts Sept. 1.
“I’m really excited,” Guy said. “It will be a brand new opportunity to get a chance to learn how they play over there and learn some new things. The competition should just keep growing.”
