I'm excited to welcome Ben Kil to the show for today's Spotlight Episode. He's a professional basketball player, certified strength & training coach, and the TOP1 Performance/Travel Club owner. 

Ben represents a small number of Asian Americans who have had a basketball career beyond high school. In this episode, we discuss the not-so-known nuances of being Asian American in an African American and Caucasian-American-dominated sport. From fans throwing chopsticks at him during a rivalry game, being underestimated, and having to earn everything because he was different, Ben shares all his trials and tribulations and how he was to find the strength to overcome obstacle after obstacle in this podcast episode. 

In this episode, we discuss the following:

- Growing up in a small town in Michigan and being the only Asian family in the neighborhood

- His father owned the largest Taekwondo business in the midwest

- Lived in LA for a few years and roomed with Disney channel stars

- Being in the gym 8-10 hours a day because all he wanted to do was play basketball

- Taekwondo gave him the edge when it came to basketball

- Being a freshman on the varsity basketball team at an all-black high school

- Getting picked on as a freshman

- Having chopsticks thrown at him during a rivalry game

- Quitting basketball as a freshman in college because he had enough 

- getting an opportunity to play professional basketball 

- tried out for the NBA D-League to play for the Cavalier's sister team

You can follow Ben Kil on Instagram at @bkil10.

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