Celebrating Asian Americans in the sports world.
March 28, 2023

Playing Pac-12 Basketball at Colorado, Experiencing March Madness, and Life as a Pro Hooper in Taiwan with Sabatino Chen

Playing Pac-12 Basketball at Colorado, Experiencing March Madness, and Life as a Pro Hooper in Taiwan with Sabatino Chen

In this episode, host Justin Hong interviews former pro basketball player and coach Sabatino Chen about his athletic journey. 

During the interview, Sabatino shares his backstory, family background, and when he started playing basketball (2:43), his high school basketball experience at Monarch High School in Colorado and how he elevated his game by playing with more experienced players (5:10), when he started thinking that playing college basketball was a possibility (7:42), and his recruiting experiences with colleges (10:57).

He talks about playing at the University of Denver for his freshman and sophomore seasons (13:58), transferring to the University of Colorado (17:22), playing in the Pac-12 (19:55), playing at big-time venues and in front of raucous crowds (20:50), what it’s like to play in the NCAA Tournament and helping CU win the Pac-12 Tournament his junior season (23:23), and highlights from his senior season, including a wild game against an undefeated Arizona team (25:19).

He also gives us an inside look at the process of becoming a professional basketball player overseas (29:12), working with an agent who helped connect him with a pro team in Taiwan (30:55), what it’s like to be a professional basketball player (33:12), his favorite memories from playing in Taiwan (35:32), coaching pro basketball (37:03), his experience as an Asian American athlete (42:58), and much more. 

Sabatino Chen Player Page - University of Colorado

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