By Zack Cziryak
Desi Rodriguez has been building his career from the ground up.
From an unranked high school player with zero Division I offers as a rising senior, to an All-Big East player and champion, to working his way up the European league tiers and becoming a French league all star, the journey has been an incremental and ever-upward build, so it makes sense that his first efforts to give back would include renovating the basketball courts at his old elementary school.
The new court required a ground-up renovation, including leveling and repaving of the court itself followed by new rims, backboards, etc., Rodriguez said.
"The idea came from me wanting to be active in my community. It's a tough place to come from and I just want to give kids hope or something to look forward to. It was something I always wanted to do. It was a long process. Speaking with my principal that I graduated with (Luis Torres), he's been working with me, and we've been trying to put this together for a few years and finally brought it to light. It's something that I cherish because I never really had this growing up, you know? This is my first big thing that I'm able to give back to my community and my school."
The ribbon cutting for the new courts at Community School 55 in the Bronx, N.Y. will take place on Aug. 5, a day before Rodriguez leaves to resume his career overseas, this year with Nanterre 92. The 2023-2024 season will mark his fourth consecutive season overseas and second straight in France after stops at Limoges CSP, Oliver Baskets and Riesen Ludwigsburg.
The pace and physicality of the French league differs significantly from the German league, according to Rodriguez, who said games finishing in the 70s are not unusual.
"In France you never know what to expect and every team from 1 through 18 was good. There's no night off, the last team in the league will give you a run for your money on a good night,” he said.
Rodriguez also played in the Israeli league, which he described as a “scoring league,” for a stint that was sandwiched between two runs with the Agua Caliente Clippers, the G League affiliate of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers. The G League experience is one focused on individual showcases and not the team-oriented approach he’s come to expect in Europe.
"I wouldn't say everyone, but in the G League I feel like it's more selfish, it's more guys that just want to showcase to get a call-up or an NBA look instead of playing together and wanting to win,” he said. “Overseas, or in Europe, it's more team-oriented where everybody has a goal, everybody has a role for the team to try to win, and that's the most important part. In Europe, winning is the most important thing. It makes everyone look good. It helps everyone get to the next level, wherever that is."
Learning the different leagues and what it takes to fit into each team and what is expected of him in each role is a lesson Rodriguez has been happy to take on and has likely made his acclimation and ascent easier for him than potentially some others looking to succeed overseas.
"I've just kind of been myself, you know? And that's been my whole thing since I was in high school and since I got to college has been [to be] myself. For me, why I've been so successful in Europe is because I can play every position. I can guard every position, I can play every position, offense and defense. So, it kind of makes it easier for teams to just throw me out there ... I do a little of everything. That's been my thing and that's been my role for each team that I've played for, it's just being myself. I do a lot of different things to help the team win. If that’s rebounding, guarding the best player, scoring the basketball, being a hustle guy/energy guy, I bring all that to the table."
Rodriguez has also continued to grow his game both in skills and in understanding as his career has progressed.
"I feel like my patience and knowing when to score. Defense has picked up for me a lot. I'm not the biggest guy on defense, I have size and I'm very strong. I play mostly the four in Europe, so I’m usually playing guys that are bigger than me. So being able to use my body and my strength to guard [bigger] guys and using my ability and quickness on offense to get around those [same] guys ... As a player I'm more patient, more aware of what to do and definitely more experienced in the game,” he said.
The COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down and, like many other basketball players and people in general, Rodriguez saw his livelihood taken away.
"That was a tough day for any basketball player because something that you do every day is taken away from you and you don't know what's next," said Rodriguez, who was finishing up his second stint with Agua Caliente when the season was cut short. "It was a hard learning experience."
There weren’t many options available to Rodriguez after the initial months of the pandemic, where he waited things out with his girlfriend and her family in Florida. He was between two clubs in the German league, ultimately signing with Ludwigsburg based on the experience of his former Pirate teammate Khadeen Carrington, who had played for that club the year prior.
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