When did you start playing sports, and what or who inspired you to do so?

I first picked up a basketball in a training session in 2005, when I was seven years old, under the guidance of István Érsek. That was where my journey began. I was born and raised in Körmend, so I probably don’t need to explain the influence basketball had on me—the small town in Vas County lives and breathes basketball, and as a child, I was naturally drawn into that world. Around the same time, I also started swimming competitively, inspired by my father.

Who do you credit the most for your success so far?

It’s impossible to single out just one person. First and foremost, I would mention my family, who have always stood by me and supported my decisions, as well as all of my former coaches in Hungary, each of whom helped me become a better player.

As for my time in the United States, I owe a great deal to head coach Noel Emenhiser and assistant coach Adam Kerfoot. They believed in me from the other side of the world and helped me tremendously with everything from day one. Of course, the same can be said about the entire coaching staff.

I would also like to give special thanks to the StudyNSport team for their professional work and for helping me achieve my dreams.

What are your future plans and goals, both in sports and outside of sports? In the USA and afterwards?

Competitive sports are already part of the past for me. I graduated both in Michigan and from Corvinus University about a year and a half ago. My graduation ceremony in the United States also marked the end of my college basketball career.

After that, my focus shifted to my professional life. Essentially starting over once again, Florida—and more specifically Miami—became my new home.

I achieved almost all of my goals in basketball. I had the opportunity to wear the Körmend senior team jersey for three years, represent Hungary at youth level at the European Championships, and compete in American college basketball.

The only slightly painful memory is the final game of my career, when we lost our conference championship game on our home court, meaning that chapter ended without a championship ring.

However, I owe it to basketball that I was able to earn an American degree, which helped me find a job in investment banking here in Miami. With only my degree from Corvinus, that opportunity would have been nearly impossible. There is no doubt that sport is the reason I am now living in the place I had dreamed about since childhood.

As for my professional goals, I would say I want to build a successful career in finance and entrepreneurship.

How supportive were your parents and family of your plans to study and compete abroad?

They supported me completely. When the opportunity came up, the idea of turning it down simply because I would be far away from them was never even considered. To be honest, they were probably already tired of hearing me talk about American college basketball since I was a little kid!

What do you like most about America?

I would highlight the overall atmosphere and the friendliness of the people. Even complete strangers smile and greet each other on the street, and I have met countless kind and helpful people.

I also really like the huge variety of options available in practically every area of life. Whatever you are looking for, there are countless possibilities.

There is also a big difference between my college years and my current life. In Michigan, I loved the peaceful, family-like environment, while here in Miami, I enjoy the constant energy and excitement. And of course, I don’t mind the palm trees, twelve months of summer, and being able to go to the beach either.

In your opinion, what are the advantages and challenges of American college life?

I think one of the biggest advantages is getting to experience a completely different mindset and culture. I also gained a lot from the famous American campus lifestyle.

Instead of having to search for an isolated apartment on my own, I lived on campus in the same building as my teammates and other students, which gave the whole experience a unique atmosphere.

It also helped that we were living in a building complex that was only two years old at the time and felt almost like a hotel, so I certainly couldn’t complain about the facilities.

I also considered it an advantage that I had to rely entirely on myself, initially outside my comfort zone. Of course, that felt challenging at the time, but looking back, my personality developed tremendously during that period.

Another challenge was the completely different structure of the curriculum. I majored in Supply Chain Management, but alongside courses related to my major, every semester included general education courses and subjects based on broader interests, some elective and some mandatory.

For example, on an average day, I could leave a business class and immediately find myself sitting in an astronomy lecture. At first, that was a little confusing, but you get used to it relatively quickly—especially if you find the subject interesting.

What did you do outside of school and sports?

I tried to make the most of the little free time I had. I spent time analyzing and trading on the foreign exchange market, went downtown with my teammates, attended NBA and NFL games, or sometimes we would simply get together at someone’s place, have dinner, and talk.

I also tried to read regularly and go on trips whenever possible. And of course, I didn’t completely miss out on the typical college parties either.

What did your everyday routine look like?

My weekdays started early. After breakfast, I would read for a while and then spend some time trading on the foreign exchange market, as I mentioned earlier.

At 9 a.m., we had our daily practice. Afterwards, I would have lunch and then head to my classes in the afternoon. I usually finished everything around 6 or 7 p.m., after which I focused on recovery and relaxation for the rest of the evening.

What is training like in the US compared to Hungary?

Completely different. A training session here could last three and a half to four hours, although it was divided into several different blocks.

Another major difference is that there is a specialist for practically every aspect of preparation. Our staff consisted of around six or seven coaches and specialists.

We started with yoga and meditation, where only the specialist responsible for that area worked with us. This was followed by a film session, where we either analyzed our previous game or prepared for our next opponent.

After that, we moved to the weight room, followed by roughly two hours of actual team practice, where we finally had a basketball in our hands.

At the end, we had optional—although often more or less mandatory—recovery and rehabilitation treatments. We had access to various types of massage, cryotherapy, cupping therapy, and numerous recovery machines and treatments.

Naturally, practices were shorter and structured differently on game days, with more emphasis on shooting, video analysis, and simulating the opponent’s plays.

How different was your diet in the US compared to Hungary?

The university dining hall was buffet-style, so I was always able to find healthy options, which has been very important to me for many years.

Sometimes I also cooked in the kitchen in my apartment whenever I was craving Hungarian food. So overall, my diet wasn’t dramatically different from what I was used to back home.

However, I did have to get used to the differences in ingredients. Unfortunately, there is also a much wider selection of unhealthy food here, which sometimes makes it harder to say no.

What has been your best memory or achievement in basketball, and what are you most proud of?

Winning the Hungarian Cup with Körmend in 2016 is definitely one of my greatest memories.

I would also mention the conference semifinal during my final college season in the United States, when we won an away game in double overtime.

And of course, the first time I had the opportunity to wear the Hungarian national team jersey will always remain an unforgettable memory.

What would you recommend to young athletes who are considering taking this opportunity?

They should definitely give it a try. If the opportunity is there, the “worst-case scenario” is that they don’t like it and decide to go home—and you can always go home.

Even in that case, they will learn something new about themselves, and they won’t have to wonder later in life whether they made a mistake by saying no without even trying.

And if they do enjoy it, the experience can change their entire life for the better.

How did you manage with the language at the beginning?

Fortunately, I joined the senior team in Körmend at a young age, when I was only in the 10th grade. We always had around five American players on the team, as well as foreign coaches.

Because of that, when I landed in Detroit in 2020, I had absolutely no problems with English.

What did surprise me was how differently some of my teammates from places like Texas and New York spoke because of their different accents, but you get used to that very quickly.

Did you have the opportunity to work a student job at university? If so, what was your experience like?

During my second year, I worked as a Resident Assistant, which is essentially a student leadership position.

My responsibilities included organizing campus programs, helping students with any problems they might have, assisting first-year students, and handling various tasks related to student life.

My experience was entirely positive. It wasn’t an overwhelming job, and it allowed me to become even more actively involved in campus life.

How easy or difficult was it for you to fit in?

Fortunately, it was very easy. As I mentioned earlier, my coaches helped me with everything.

I also have nothing but good things to say about my teammates. They welcomed me immediately, and I never felt like I was treated differently.

Have you been able to build connections, and how important do you think networking is?

I have built a huge network and met countless amazing people. I consider networking extremely important—in my opinion, strong relationships and connections are among the most valuable things you can have.

In your experience, is there such a thing as the “American way of life,” and if so, how is it different from life back home?

I think there is. However, it is not exclusively positive—there are certain aspects where I prefer the European mindset.

For me, the “American way of life” is most noticeable in how open people are. The overall environment feels much friendlier and more helpful.

Perhaps even more important—and something that initially came as a real surprise to me—is the positivity. Americans generally have a positive outlook on life. They tend to find something good in almost every situation and always seem to find something they can appreciate or be happy about.

How do you think your years in the US have affected your personality?

I believe both my college years and my current everyday life in the United States have shaped—and continue to shape—my personality in a positive way.

For example, I no longer find it unusual to approach situations and challenges with a positive mindset. That attitude has surrounded me for the past four years, and by now, it has practically become part of my personality.

Have you considered staying in the US for a few years—or perhaps even longer—after finishing your studies?

As I mentioned, I now live in Miami, so the answer is probably easy to guess. At the moment, I have no plans to move back home in the near future.

What do you think about the American education system? What do they do better—or at least differently—than in Hungary?

The structure of the curriculum is completely different from what we are used to in Hungary. It is much more practice-oriented, with a strong emphasis on case studies.

For me, American university education actually felt more similar to the Hungarian high school system. Instead of having one major exam at the end of the semester, there are many more weekly assignments and essays, as well as several tests throughout the semester for each course.

This means that your entire semester does not depend on the outcome of one single exam, which was something I particularly liked.