Crusaders Alumni Newsletter

Chase Thompson

Omaha Westside — Crusader Grad 2019

Professional Basketball · MK Breakers, England

Describe your experience playing with the Crusaders. Any significant moments stand out?

I had a super successful career with the Crusaders. My team had NBA talent on it, and we went on a run in several Adidas events that put Nebraska basketball on the map. We went to the Adidas Championships and only lost to the Compton Magic, the number one team in the entire country. It was exciting to beat draft picks along the way and find a way to have a really big impact on the game. Those moments gave me confidence that I could play pro and play with anyone. I also remember our team before every single game in those runs singing the 2016 XXL Cipher in the back of the cars or the bus to get ourselves hyped — ready to beat the odds like we always did.

What advice could you give to student athletes about the recruiting process?

I would say focus on getting better — no matter what. Especially with the transfer portal now, there are good players and even great players at every single level. Go where you are wanted the most. If you want to find other opportunities afterwards, those opportunities will be there. I had the most success at the schools that actually showed me they wanted me the most — the ones that wanted to get me on campus ASAP and offered me right away. Coaches will lie and they will exaggerate a team situation, so nothing is ever better or worse than what it seems. The answers are somewhere in the middle. Go where you have the best connection to the staff and where they really want you — and not just because their big recruit chose somewhere else. Go somewhere they've always wanted you.

How has grassroots basketball changed since your days with the Crusaders?

Grassroots as a whole has gotten worse. It's cool for the players to see that there are so many opportunities for them to be seen on camera and get put in front of coaches. However, even a few years ago it was more about winning, and to be seen by good coaches you had to win games. That's why we were so motivated and together — because we knew we had enough talent to get it done. Sometimes it seemed like we were given very tough games early with the expectation that we would be knocked out of the tournament. We won anyway, and opportunities came because we were able to get so far in these tournaments. Now it doesn't matter as much because most of these tournaments are like showcases and there's not really a winner. As a player, I would say make sure you are the guy in those games that plays well with your teammates and isn't just trying to score every time you touch the ball. The impacts are good and bad — just make sure you're on the side that takes advantage of the good.

Tell us about your life now — a day in the life of Chase Thompson!

It's crazy to think about now, but I am a professional basketball player in England near London. I wake up every day and get to go to the gym and do what I love. Every now and then I get to teach the young kids around here — who haven't been exposed to basketball as much — how amazing this game is and where it can take you. Every day I go to bed knowing that I'm living part of my dream, but that I'm just at the first level of it and I have so much more work to go. My days are full of workouts, lifts, and engaging with media, but I've made sure to still enjoy it — I try to hit the driving range and the golf course every day when I can, though the weather out here in London sometimes hinders that!

My family has gotten to come out to see me. It's really cool getting to see them explore a part of the world they never thought they'd be in. It was really nice seeing how proud they are of me, and that I wasn't lying when I told them back in third and fourth grade that I was always going to be a pro. Every day — even though there's a long way to go — I think about how far I've come. I woke up in London having coffee in front of Big Ben a few weeks ago and thought about those years from 2016 to 2019 and the journey since.