MESTRE, Italy — Surrounded by a sea of fans, Seneca Knight stands at center court as they shout compliments in a language he can’t quite understand. Before he can blink, a fan's lips share a celebratory kiss with his forehead.
Playing basketball in Europe was never what Knight imagined for his future. Yet he found his place an ocean away from the NBA, focusing his talents on reimagining oversees ball for future basketball players who may not find themselves aligned with the traditional career trajectory.
In a world of multimillion-dollar NIL deals, first-round draft picks and extra years of eligibility, Knight, a former BYU basketball player, chose an untrodden path that redefined success on his own terms.
After transferring from BYU to Illinois State for his senior year in 2021, the 6-foot-6 utility player had seven pre-draft workouts that went well, but his draft hopes didn’t pan out the way he had planned. So in the summer of 2023, Knight decided to take his talents overseas, where they would not only be utilized, but appreciated.
“I went to Latvia, had a good year,” he said, thinking back to his first professional year. “I was the leading scorer in our European competition there in my rookie year.”
With Valmiera Glass ViA in the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League, Knight averaged 14.4 points and 28 minutes per game.
Though he once dreamed of the NBA, Knight highly recommends overseas ball to college players who love the game but may not find themselves selected in the draft.
“If you wanna hoop, then just go out there and hoop. Don’t be all ‘NBA or bust’ and just say that you’re done with basketball,” he said.
He continued: “If you wanna hoop, there’s great opportunities, there’s great cities you can live in here, and at least the teams I’ve been on, they really take care of the player as well. They pay for your housing, you don’t really have taxes, (and) they give you a car most times.”
Following his first season in Europe, Knight signed with the Newcastle Eagles in England, which play in the newly formed professional league Super League Basketball. In the 2024-25 season, Knight averaged 14.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, helping lead his team to a championship.
“Basketball is basketball everywhere, and I just want to leave my impact, my mark, along the way,” he said regarding his career. “So I wouldn’t say [playing overseas] really changed my career goals from if I was in the States. I just want to be the best basketball player I can be and leave my impact. I want people to look back and say, ‘Oh yeah, he was a good player.’”
Knight has certainly left his mark, scoring 35 points in a single game with Pistoia this season, ranking among the top 10 all-time in single-game scoring in Italian basketball.
“To be in the history books is pretty cool, especially being able to do it this young in my career. Records are meant to be broken, so maybe in 10 years somebody will come in here and beat it. I don’t know, I may beat it myself again, you never know,” he said, with just the right mix of confidence and humility. “It is good to have that moment, for sure.”
However, Knight continues to push himself. It’s hard to imagine where to go from winning a championship and breaking records in back-to-back seasons, but he isn’t a one-and-done guy. He sets the bar high with the goal of pushing it even higher.
“I would hope I could score a 40 at some point. I’ve scored 30 every single season that I’ve played here,” he said. “Winning championships is the biggest goal … I won one last year and I just want to add to that.”
He continued: “That’s another way to keep your name in the history books, because nobody can take that away from you. Nobody can beat that record. I just want to leave an impact on everybody I play in front of.”
Despite his success, his acclimation to Europe wasn’t a postcard scene by any means.
“I would say the hardest part was just kinda being that far away from home, and the time zones, talking with the family and stuff,” he said.
“In general, I would say be mentally tough. If you have a good support system, tap into that, make sure you talk to your people, because it can be hard being away,” Knight advised those considering European ball.
“Get out and explore the city, because some of these cities are very unique, so that can make you feel more comfortable. Get to know your teammates — some teammates are really great and really helpful. Some of them know English just as well as you do.”
Throughout his struggles and triumphs, Knight found solace in the very thing that brought him across the Atlantic. Even with a language barrier, the love of the game is enough to bring people together.
“Basketball is basketball everywhere — a good pass is a good pass; a good shot is a good shot; defense is defense," Knight explained the dynamic with his teammates.
Despite not speaking the same language, Knight bonds through his teammates through the game. They know what everyone should be doing, and they celebrate together when things go well.
"If you do something good, that helps build the bond and the camaraderie. They’re really supportive,” Knight said, reflecting on the role his teammates played in his early months.
While basketball is basketball everywhere, fan bases differ from continent to continent.
Knight noted that if the team doesn't win, the fans will boo without hesitation. However, he highlighted that the passion pendulum swings in both directions, sharing an experience with a fan that would never happen on the other side of the Atlantic.
“It just happened last week after we won our game, but a fan kissed me on my forehead like two or three times,” he said. “It kinda caught me off guard, so you know you can’t really react with all the cameras on you, but I would say that was a unique experience for sure.”
The reason for this innate, physical passion is simple — the European league functions much differently than the NBA. In the EuroLeague, 13 shareholder teams are immune from relegation. For the remaining seven teams, their performance directly affects their division placement. Teams that are relegated often have to restructure, leading to coaching, player and overall financial downgrades.
“There’s so much riding on the wins and losses, especially in this league. It’s really competitive, because every single game actually matters. There’s not a game that goes back where it’s like, ‘Oh, we can take this one off," Knight said.
This high-stakes, competitive system is meant to ensure there’s no “tanking,” which is frequently seen in other professional sports near playoff season.
As far as playing goes, Knight had another piece of advice for players considering joining the European league.
“On the court, I would just say be adaptable. Be able to do whatever coach asks you to do — make sure you can play defense, make sure you can rebound. Have fun, that’s the biggest thing. If you’re having fun, things tend to work out,” he said.
Where did he learn to be adaptable? None other than at BYU.
“When I went to BYU, I was playing all different sorts of positions, and that carries over well as a pro, because now I’m playing different positions and just adapting that mindset,” he said. “I’m just thinking of how I just want to be on the court no matter what position I’m playing, and I just think my time [at BYU] helped me there.”
Knight didn’t take the untrodden path because it was easy. He took it because it still led him to a court, a ball and a game he’s loved since he was young. An ocean away from home, with fans shouting in languages he doesn’t always understand, the dream changed. Basketball is still basketball. The court is still 94 feet. The rim is still 10 feet high. The sound of the net, the feel of the ball and the chance to leave his mark.
Wherever the game takes him next, that’s enough.