submitted photo
Mr. Kyle playing in Tunisia.There has never been any denying how smart North Myrtle Beach High School graduate Matthew Kyle is. His college basketball experience was at Yale (enough said). One mention to former Myrtle Beach assistant coach Clifford Butler resulted in him saying "It's crazy how smart he is." But there's much, much more. Kyle is a heck of a basketball player. And after a stint in the Ivy League, Kyle decided to go pro overseas despite having a degree from one of the world's most prestigious universities. He landed in Africa this past season.
More on what he's been up to, in his own words:
Q | Just give me a little background of how you went from finishing up at Yale and ending up overseas playing ball? Was that the original plan? Or were you planning on stopping playing and getting another kind of job?
Matthew | When [Yale coach James] Jones first came into my home when I was a senior at North Myrtle Beach High School, he told me that I would have a chance to play basketball at the highest level as well as a chance to play after school. So the answer is yes, I always wanted to play professionally after Yale, that was the original plan. I went to Yale because you never know what life will throw at you and if I was injured I would be able to use my education to set me up for the rest of my life.
Q | Why Tunisia? And what is it like there? Any personal experiences you remember that stick out?
Matthew| Honestly, Tunisia was not my choice. I had fired my agent last summer after the season because I felt like going to a bigger agency would help my credibility. I signed on with Court Side, but last summer was the most terrible year for overseas basketball and even after going to their camp in Las Vegas - nothing really was coming through. I told them I couldn't wait for them anymore and I went back to my old agent. In the final days of summer he found me a job in Tunisia and I wanted to keep playing so I took it. The experience there was overall good but rocky in the end because of managerial problems with the team that trickled down to the players. [I] made some lifelong friends and will go back to Tunisia again ... just not to play basketball. One experience that sticks out in my mind was when I was invited to my friend's house for a celebration they called Eid Al-Adha or "The Festival of Celebration" where I witnessed the sacrifice of a sheep ... it blew my mind but was as natural as colored eggs on Easter.
Q | Reflect a little bit on your season. What were some memorable moments or any that you learned a lot from moving forward?
Matthew | The season started off with a bang because I got over there and we were already five or so games into the season. I was on a 10-day tryout and my first game was within that tryout period. It was against the only undefeated team in Tunisia and [we] ended up winning. I swear if we lost that game I would have been sent home. I learned more about how to protect yourself when things go awry. Complications with the contract are always a big deal with players but I feel I know enough now to do all I can do to protect myself from being ripped off. The team gave me what I expected them to give me but not all they owed me.
Q | How did your prep playing on the Grand Strand prepare you for this? I know playing AAU ball with some great players and a great coaching staff probably made an impact. Tell me a little about that.
Matthew | Well I was coached in the summer by a coach who put us in the position to succeed doing what we do best. Not a strict structure of play, just more like a professional team would be run. In college we were much more controlled in terms of what we could do and now that I am playing professionally it's back to pushing the boundaries and doing more. It's more like [longtime Socastee coach and current New York Knicks assistant] coach D'Antoni ran things back in high school. Playing with my AAU team was a tremendous honor and a great experience ... It is crazy how many of us are still playing.
Q | What's next for you?
Matthew | I will be here in North Myrtle Beach for the summer, training and playing ball. I hope to get into a much better league and get a hefty raise next season ... maybe Japan. Tunisia as a country just isn't as developed as I would like ... I need a change.
More on what he's been up to, in his own words:
Q | Just give me a little background of how you went from finishing up at Yale and ending up overseas playing ball? Was that the original plan? Or were you planning on stopping playing and getting another kind of job?
Matthew | When [Yale coach James] Jones first came into my home when I was a senior at North Myrtle Beach High School, he told me that I would have a chance to play basketball at the highest level as well as a chance to play after school. So the answer is yes, I always wanted to play professionally after Yale, that was the original plan. I went to Yale because you never know what life will throw at you and if I was injured I would be able to use my education to set me up for the rest of my life.
Q | Why Tunisia? And what is it like there? Any personal experiences you remember that stick out?
Matthew| Honestly, Tunisia was not my choice. I had fired my agent last summer after the season because I felt like going to a bigger agency would help my credibility. I signed on with Court Side, but last summer was the most terrible year for overseas basketball and even after going to their camp in Las Vegas - nothing really was coming through. I told them I couldn't wait for them anymore and I went back to my old agent. In the final days of summer he found me a job in Tunisia and I wanted to keep playing so I took it. The experience there was overall good but rocky in the end because of managerial problems with the team that trickled down to the players. [I] made some lifelong friends and will go back to Tunisia again ... just not to play basketball. One experience that sticks out in my mind was when I was invited to my friend's house for a celebration they called Eid Al-Adha or "The Festival of Celebration" where I witnessed the sacrifice of a sheep ... it blew my mind but was as natural as colored eggs on Easter.
Q | Reflect a little bit on your season. What were some memorable moments or any that you learned a lot from moving forward?
Matthew | The season started off with a bang because I got over there and we were already five or so games into the season. I was on a 10-day tryout and my first game was within that tryout period. It was against the only undefeated team in Tunisia and [we] ended up winning. I swear if we lost that game I would have been sent home. I learned more about how to protect yourself when things go awry. Complications with the contract are always a big deal with players but I feel I know enough now to do all I can do to protect myself from being ripped off. The team gave me what I expected them to give me but not all they owed me.
Q | How did your prep playing on the Grand Strand prepare you for this? I know playing AAU ball with some great players and a great coaching staff probably made an impact. Tell me a little about that.
Matthew | Well I was coached in the summer by a coach who put us in the position to succeed doing what we do best. Not a strict structure of play, just more like a professional team would be run. In college we were much more controlled in terms of what we could do and now that I am playing professionally it's back to pushing the boundaries and doing more. It's more like [longtime Socastee coach and current New York Knicks assistant] coach D'Antoni ran things back in high school. Playing with my AAU team was a tremendous honor and a great experience ... It is crazy how many of us are still playing.
Q | What's next for you?
Matthew | I will be here in North Myrtle Beach for the summer, training and playing ball. I hope to get into a much better league and get a hefty raise next season ... maybe Japan. Tunisia as a country just isn't as developed as I would like ... I need a change.
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