Basketball General Manager and Scouting Course
Jobs in professional basketball & collegiate basketball start here:

To earn a spot in the front office of a professional basketball team requires elite scouting and management skills. Our 8-week online Basketball GM and Scouting course, taught by the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Mark Warkentein, will teach you the skills teams need.  

NEXT START DATE: December 27

NEXT START DATE:
December 27

Weekly Live Interactive Zoom Chats With Mark Warkentien
SUNDAYS 10 am PT 1 pm ET 6 pm GMT
Weekly Live Interactive Zoom Chats With Carl Berman
MONDAYS 6 pm PT 9 pm ET TUESDAYS 2 am GMT
8-week online course
Access to SMWW network
Resume enhancement
Ongoing career advice
 Class size limited to 30 students

Mentors

 

Learn What NBA Teams Want in a New Hire

When professional basketball teams post a job opening they are bombarded with people looking to break into the industry. Hundreds of resumes flood into team offices from people with all levels of education and backgrounds.

Sounds depressing, doesn't it? Well, it doesn't have to.

Even with hundreds of people applying, we can help you stand out from the crowd by teaching you the skills NBA teams need, skills most of the other people applying don't understand.

This 8-week online course taught by the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Mark Warkentien will open NBA doors for you by teaching:

  • Video scouting techniques and software
  • Traditional scouting, player evaluation, ratings, and in-depth analysis
  • How to properly craft an NBA scouting report
  • College and International Scouting
  • Collegiate basketball scouting versus high school players
  • Basketball contracts, negotiation, trades and acquisitions
  • Responsibilities of a Basketball GM
  • How to run the front office of a basketball franchise
  • NBA Draft preparation and free agent signings
  • Introduction to Synergy Sports Technology, used by all 30 NBA teams
  • Relationships with those at the highest level of basketball
  • Relationships between the NBA, CBA, NBDL and overseas basketball leagues
  • Opportunity to work as an SMWW Basketball Scout (details below)
  • Opportunity to work with NetScouts Basketball (details below)

Most Importantly

Upon successfully completing the course, you will be able to add Mark Warkentien to your resume as a reference. As the saying goes, 'it's not what you know but who you know'… and you're about to know NBA executive Mark Warkentien!

The online Basketball GM & Scouting course was a great fit for me; I was able to learn and complete my assignments at my own pace and on my own schedule. This course has also been a great tool for networking with individuals across the country that possess the same interests and career goals as I. The information I have obtained and the teachings that this course provides have been invaluable for my growth in the sports world and I strongly recommend it to all those who would like to get a behind the scenes look at how an NBA Front Office functions. 
- Nick Mazzella, Los Angeles D-Fenders General Manager  

Sports Careers Our Basketball GM and Scouting Course Prepares You For

Learning from a respected NBA executive like Mark Warkentien will give you a leg up against the competition for jobs in professional basketball. Basketball management requires a versatile skill set, not just evaluating players and creating a competitive team and not just budgeting, operations and marketing. 

This cutting-edge course will prepare you to enter the world of basketball scouting and management with a diverse array of skills that will qualify you for any of these roles in the NBA, FIBA, International Leagues or NCAA:

  • Basketball Player Personnel
  • Basketball General Manager
  • Basketball Agent
  • Basketball Scout
  • Basketball Management
  • Basketball Front Office
  • Basketball Game Operations
  • Basketball Operations
  • Sports Marketing
  • Basketball Media & Community Relations 
  • Basketball Account Manager
  • Basketball Internships

Learn More About Course Mentor Mark Warkentien

Mark Warkentien Oklahoma City Thunder

With over 35 years' experience working in basketball, including his current position with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Mark Warkentien is one of the most respected executives in the NBA. Prior to the Thunder, Warkentien was Director of Player Personnel with the New York Knicks and General Manager of the Denver Nuggets where he was named NBA Executive of the Year in 2009 for his work helping the Nuggets reach the Western Conference Finals.

Warkentien has held other executive positions with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he was Director of Player Personnel and interim GM for the latter half of the 2004-05 season, and the Portland Trail Blazers, where over a ten year period he was a Scout, Director of Scouting, Assistant GM and Director of Player Personnel. His career in the NBA started as a scout with the Seattle Supersonics in 1991.

Before the jump to the NBA Warkentien had a very successful career in college basketball, coaching several Southern California college basketball teams before joining the staff of UNLV as an assistant coach under the legendary Jerry Tarkanian. During his time with the Running Rebels, the team advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight four times, the Final Four three times and won the 1990 NCAA Championship.

Warkentien graduated with his Sports Leadership Masters degree in May 2014 from Concordia University Chicago, a partnership program with Sports Management Worldwide.

In the Basketball GM & Scouting course, you will speak directly each week with Mark Warkentien. Mark will teach you what you need to know to jump to the front of the NBA hiring line and be a reference on your resume for future employment.

 
 

Carl Berman, NetScouts Basketball Managing Partner

Carl Berman is Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball, an industry leader in International Basketball and one of the largest basketball scouting companies in the world. With scouts all over the world, NetScouts Basketball recruiting services are utilized by NCAA when recruiting college basketball players around the globe. In addition, NetScouts are consultants for professional teams internationally and domestically. Carl has studied and analyzed players, coaches and situations from the grassroots level to the highest tiers of NBA basketball. 

Carl has over 30 years of business, financial and operational management experience as well as significant experience in the basketball industry. In addition to finance, he has long-term experience in contract administration, negotiation, and marketing. He holds degrees from the University of Rhode Island and the University of Southern California and earned an MBA certificate from the Tuck Business School at Dartmouth College.

Carl oversees all media and business operations for NetScouts Basketball. He scouts college basketball extensively on the west coast, mainly the Pac-12, and takes several scouting trips to the east coast each season that includes coverage of prep school events and high school All-Star events. Carl is NetScouts Basketball’s representative in our partnership with Universal Hoops LLC, in organizing and managing the National Prep School Invitational, the oldest prep school tournament in the nation, held each February in Rhode Island.

Carl is one of the top experts on International Basketball in the country and has been a featured columnist for over a decade on International Basketball for Basketball Times. He has coordinated all the international NBA draft profiles for Turner Broadcasting on NBA.com. NetScouts Basketball’s NBA Mock Drafts are featured among the best mock drafts in the world on NBA.com.  Carl is excellent in talent evaluation and has worked representing overseas teams. He is a member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) and has had his work featured in a host of publications and websites. Prior to starting NetScouts, Carl was the General Manager as well as Interim Head Coach and Assistant Coach for the Eugene Chargers of the International Basketball League.

 

Our Basketball GM & Scouting Course Is For You

To the untrained eye, basketball can appear as a series of random movements where the best overall athletes prevail. To the trained eye, the game appears as an orchestra, where each individual step, movement, and angle is perfectly planned and executed for a positive team result.

At SMWW, we'll teach you how to see the game through a trained eye, able to analyze skills and weaknesses, project player development, build a team, organize a draft and much more

This course is perfect for those who wish to pursue a career as a:

  • NBA Player Personnel
  • NBA Operations
  • NBA Scout
  • NBA Management
  • NBA Front Office
  • NBA Agent
  • NBA Game Operations
  • NBA Sports Marketing
  • NBA Account manager
  • NBA Media & Community Relations
  • FIBA Jobs
  • NBADL Jobs
  • Basketball Internships

Why our Basketball GM and Scouting Course is Your Perfect Match

The journey to the front office of your favorite NBA team starts with mastering the process of player evaluation. Scouting basketball is an art form, meshing statistical and video analysis with a deep understanding of the game to evaluate an athlete’s true professional impact.

At SMWW, we’ll teach you the skills NBA teams want in a new hire!

Led by Oklahoma City Thunder executive and 2008-09 NBA Executive of the Year Mark Warkentien, this 8-week online course delivers a targeted basketball education, focused on scouting, team management, and basketball operations.

Unlike most online classes, our 8-week course focuses on interactive zoom video chats directly with your course mentor, Mark Warkentien, allowing you the opportunity to build a personal relationship with a veteran NBA executive. After completing our Basketball GM & Scouting course, we will help you redesign your resume to highlight your new skills and include that you have been taught first-hand by Mark Warkentien. Now that is powerful!

With graduates currently working in the NBA, NBADL, FIBA, NCAA and USA Basketball, the proof is out there, hard at work!

The Future of Basketball Scouting & Sports Video Editing

Synergy Sports is the video scouting technology used by all 30 teams in the NBA and many college basketball programs and high-level international leagues. Students enrolled in our Basketball GM and Scouting course will be provided access to Synergy Sports Technology and complete video editing exercises.

Synergy captures every NBA game logging each possession into a searchable database allowing NBA teams to recall specific plays based on situations and/or player attributes. With a few mouse clicks, a team could see every example of Steph Curry running a pick and roll on the left side of the formation and taking a mid-range jumper.

Powerful stuff!

Familiarizing yourself with video scouting using the latest technology is your front door into the industry, as many SMWW students have been hired by Synergy upon graduation.

"The Synergy program is your ticket into the game," says Warkentien. "The older NBA guys aren't interested in the video side, the technology scares them. Video is where a mere mortal can get into the game. Knowing Synergy inside and out will more than help you with your first job."

If you discover you have a real passion for video scouting, we offer a Digital Video and Editing course where Synergy is covered in even greater depth.

I had an amazing experience taking the Basketball GM and Scouting Course with SMWW. My dream and passion has always been to work in the NBA and be a GM but I did not know the steps to take to get there. With this course, I was able to learn, make contacts in the industry and receive the necessary encouragement and motivation to pursue my dream. I am now working for the Portland Trailblazers!!! 
- John Ross, Portland Trail Blazers Assistant Video Coordinator  

Course Details

Weekly Interactive Zoom Video Chats: A unique aspect of each 8-week course is the opportunity for students to participate in weekly, live interactive zoom video chats with fellow students, NBA Executive of the Year Mark Warkentien, NetScouts Managing Director Carl Berman, SMWW President Dr. Lynn Lashbrook and renowned guest speakers. This is a tremendous opportunity to network within the professional and collegiate basketball industry by getting to know your instructor Mark and fellow students personally via the internet. This is available via any online computer.

Online Education: This innovative academic course is facilitated through a web-based educational delivery system. You will enjoy the online discussion boards, weekly readings, weekly quizzes, course projects, and interaction amongst fellow sports business-minded students and faculty. All course materials and textbooks are included in the course fee.

Global Participation: SMWW students participate from over 162 countries. Courses have an international influence and instructors will cater assignments to specific countries or leagues. Countries with economic challenges are eligible for economic discounts.

Military Discount: For those individuals who represent their country in military service, (active, reserve, or retired) we offer a discount. Thank you for serving your country! For more information on the Military Discount please Click Here.

Tax Write Off (For USA Citizens): SMWW course tuition, books, and supplies can be used for education tax credits. Save your receipts and consult with your tax advisor on how this applies to you.

Optional Annual Basketball Conferences: All SMWW students are invited to attend the annual Summer League Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada and/or the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament Conference in Virginia. All SMWW Students receive a huge discount and are encouraged to attend to utilize their skills and network within the industry.

Advanced Certificates: Want to take your career to the next level? Our Advanced Certificates have been hand-selected by our team of sports industry experts to put you on a path to success. These bundles allow you to take advantage of our biggest discount available, by bundling multiple courses and becoming an expert in that field. Learn more about our Advanced Certificates here.

What Happens After I Complete the Course?

Upon successful graduation of the Basketball GM & Scouting Course you'll have many options:

Become an SMWW Scout

Graduates will be invited to join SMWWscouts.com, our network of professional scouts working across all sports and in all countries

You will advertise yourself as a certified scout and trained evaluator. Teams, coaches and agents use this service to find qualified talent evaluators in areas they need them.

We become your match-makers!

The site will include your own webpage with your picture and biography and samples of your best scouting reports. As a graduate of the Basketball GM and Scouting course you are eligible to apply for acceptance as an SMWW scout and be featured on this website

Work for a Team

Our goal is to see all Basketball GM & Scouting graduates gainfully employed in basketball worldwide. SMWW will customize a basketball portfolio to assist you with your career, and Mark Warkentien will be a reference on your resume.

Through our extensive network of professional basketball teams and organizations worldwide, basketball departments, and basketball non-profits, our objective is to prepare you for when the right job opportunities become available. Numerous people that have gone through our programs are now employed in great positions and you could do the same. We want to help you launch your basketball career and help you find a position where you can be the most successful and satisfied.

Scout with the Best

As a Sports Management Worldwide's graduate of the Basketball General Manager and Scouting course, you will have the opportunity to be trained in NetScouts Basketball's scouting process and given on the job training. This training will allow graduates to be credentialed for college games and will give you experience providing scouting reports on several players from each team. These scouting reports will be critiqued by NetScouts Basketball's Managing Partners. 

NetScouts Basketball, "The International Basketball Connection"™, provides consulting and scouting to basketball teams worldwide. They have the largest database of collegiate and International U20 scouting reports and are the expert on International Basketball. 

Resume Redesign Service

Acquiring the skills necessary for your dream sports career is only one part of the employment journey. Even with the required skill set, you still have to market yourself properly to attract the attention of sports industry employers. 

At SMWW, we’ll teach you the skills you need to thrive AND help you redesign your resume for optimal impact in the sports industry. We’ll help you craft a resume to include your new skills in Basketball Scouting and Management, include a reference from Mark Warkentien and Dr. Lynn Lashbrook while optimizing it to reach hiring managers searching online. 

We want you to become the next SMWW success story and will go to great lengths to help you get there!

Course Certificate & Resume Reference:

Successful graduates of the Sports Management Worldwide courses will be sent an SMWW Certificate of Accomplishment. This certificate represents not only your achievements in the course but also demonstrates your personal commitment to self-improvement and the ability to "self-train" yourself for higher positions within the sports business industry.

 

THREE MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $650

Or a single payment of $1,950

Includes all course textbooks and access to a web-based classroom. Shipping is additional.

PRICE IN  
APPROXIMATELY $1950

If we offer an economic discount in your country, it is included in the estimate above. Exact pricing including the discount is shown before you complete checkout. Payment plan options are provided during checkout.

PAYMENT METHODS:
Prerequisites: Must be 18 or older to participate and have a passion for sports.
CALL TODAY: 1-877-SMWW-NOW
(In the UK: 087 12884799)

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