Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Darius Bazley, who famously earned a million dollars for being an intern at New Balance, shared some of the important life lessons he learned during his stint with the company.
The 19-year-old forward said that his three-month stint with New Balance helped him mature as a person. He noted that just being around middle-aged people allowed him to learn how to act professional and communicate well.
“The biggest thing I took from New Balance was that I matured,” Bazley said, per Thunder reporter Nick Gallo.
“I was 18 years old, living on my own, working and working out. So when you’re in an office space with a bunch of middle aged people, you can be intimidated, scared, not knowing what to do,” Bazley noted. “For me I just matured, learned how to be professional, communicate with different people… It was the stuff that does not really have to do with shoes, but just little stuff like holding myself accountable.”
Bazley entered the spotlight when he hired Rich Paul of Klutch Sports to be his representative. In an unprecedented move, Bazley — a high school standout — opted to skip college and embark on a different route to the NBA.
While training by himself, he served as an intern at New Balance. The move paid off as Bazley was selected 23rd overall in the 2019 NBA Draft.
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