By: Isaiah S. Showell, Follow South Jersey Multimedia Journalist/’What’s Good’ Host
JERSEY CITY, NJ – Eugene Campbell was in Lebanon playing basketball when the league abruptly ended due to bombings in Beirut. Campbell was ready to return to America when he received a call from his agent about an opportunity to play basketball in Jordan that turned out to be the beginning of a horrible trip.
After saying yes, Campbell was flown to Jordan and upon landing was told he had four hours to prepare for a game that very same night.
“To land from a flight jetlagged and having to play the same night is crazy,” Campbell said. Campbell scored 23 points that night with nine rebounds, five assists, and zero turnovers. The team won the game, but, surprisingly, Campbell was cut from the team the following day.
Two weeks went by after being cut from the team and Campbell remained in Jordan with no indication of how soon he would be returning home, and he began to worry.
“I’m talking with my family, daily checkups, and they’re asking when are you coming home?’ said Campbell. Social media became Campbell’s saving grace and he reached out to Kevin Owens, founder of OverseasX, an ecosystem built for overseas athletes by former pros, and Owens quickly began to help out.
Owens is the author of the book, Overseas Famous, that tells about his experience as an athlete who became famous abroad while back home in America it was the opposite. He says that what happened to Campbell is very common with athletes overseas.
“Because it’s not happening in front of the American eye, they think they can do what they want,” said Owens. “The power that players have right now is through social media.”
Once the word of Campbell’s situation was spreading, he was made aware of his flight details and sent home.
Campbell says the take away from this experience was to speak up and advocate for yourself and Owens says Campbell’s story reminds him that the work he’s doing with Overseas X is purposeful work.
See the full story in the latest episode of What’s Good below.
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