Why Were a Bunch of NBA Players Interning at Google Last Week?

Google hosted an unusual group of interns last week at their main campus in Mountain View, California. They weren't computer science majors, or even currently in college; they were seasoned NBA veterans who wanted to spend a day at one of Silicon Valley's most powerful companies.

C.J. Watson, Wilson Chandler, Dahntay Jones, and D-Leaguer Moses Ehambe were among the players who toured Google's headquarters, getting a crash course in how a tech giant operates as part of the NBA's "Career Crossover" program, which the league launched five years ago to help prepare players for life after basketball. The average NBA career lasts less than five years. In 2009, Sports Illustrated reported that 60 percent of basketball players were broke five years into their retirement, and even highly-paid superstars like Allen Iverson, Latrell Sprewell, and Scottie Pippen have run into tremendous financial turmoil after their playing days were over. (The NBA told VICE Sports that SI's findings were "unsubstantiated.")

"One of the top priorities in regards to player development is talking to guys early and often about the importance of thinking about what you are going to do career-wise after the ball stops bouncing and your playing career is over," Greg Taylor, the NBA's senior vice-president of player development, told VICE Sports.

To that end, the league surveys players each year on the careers areas they are interested in learning more about during the offseason. The tech and gaming industries have been the most popular answers so far, leading to the league to partner with the likes of Google and Facebook this summer. Last week also saw the National Basketball Players' Association hold their first-ever Tech Summit in San Francisco, with educational presentations featuring Silicon Valley execs alongside the likes of Andre Iguodala and Stephen Curry as well as networking opportunities for players to connect with industry leaders.

At Google's campus, NBA players learned about how the company builds their products and makes money; there was also a discussion on platform analytics and YouTube. They even got to ride around in the company's self-driving car, which Watson, in particular, enjoyed. "I don't really pay attention when I am driving," he said, joking. "So it would be cool to just to be able to buy one and have it drive you everywhere."

The Mountain View experience was enough for the 32-year-old Orlando Magic point guard to say he wants to work for Google when he's done playing basketball.

"I was just surprised by how lackadaisical it is, but it is such a fun environment," Watson said. "If you think about Google and a lot of tech [companies] you think about a bunch of nerds and guys with glasses and stuff like that, but these guys are just normal people who like sports."

Self-Driving a few ballers! Do not like what — Ryan Gavino Nastor (@RyeGavino)July 23, 2016

Players also learned about Google's hiring process and open positions within the company ranging from software engineers and product managers to account strategists. Many of those jobs, however, require technical coding experience of some kind—a background that most players, at this point, are unlikely to have. Yet Google has long made a point of saying that's not the only attribute they consider.

"We have a lot to learn from each other when it comes to developing great leaders and building successful teams," Kyle Ewing, Google's Director of Global Staffing Programs, said in a statement about partnering with the NBA. "The idea of Google as a next chapter for pro-ballers is proof that talent can play out in multiple environments over the course of a lifetime. Ultimately we want young people to know their dreams are within reach and that fulfillment comes in many forms."

"To me, the chance to engage the guys on what aspects are most appealing to players is always good data [for the companies]," Taylor said. "It's a captive audience, to say they are working with this player and they are interested in this feature or that. On the other side, when the day is done, if there is a player like Dahntay who wants to be prepared to be a staff member at one of these companies, it is a way to grow a workforce."

For now, Dahntay Jones, who's coming off a championship season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, is keeping his career options open.

"I am still in that process of figuring out what I want to do," the 35-year-old Jones said. "I want to learn as much as I can so I can make that decision when the time comes."

Other players who took part in the Crossover program this year included Ryan Hollins and Al-Farouq Aminu, who met with Facebook; Caron Butler and Orlando Johnson, who spent the day at the NBA league office; Steven Adams, Martell Webster, and Elijah Millsap, who visited real-estate brokerage Douglas Elliman; and Hollis Thompson, who stopped by gaming outlet 2K Sports.

"[The program] is very beneficial because you get to see different industries and absorb as much information as you can to see where you fit into this beautiful world that exists," said Jones, who also plans on visiting with Douglas Elliman.

And while tech companies have been the top choice from players in career discussions—a trend that doesn't look to change anytime soon—there was another popular answer league executives weren't expecting.

"A lot listed the outdoor and fishing industry as something that would be interesting to them," said Taylor. "I was surprised by that. So we will have to follow up on that one."

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