Trevon Allen, 2020 University of Idaho graduate, arrived in Poland just over a week ago to play for his first professional basketball team. Since then, Allen’s been thinking about the life philosophy he coined for himself, “work in silence.” Living that mantra is a spiritual experience for Allen, hard to describe over a chatroom.
“Working in silence means having a humble attitude, it means you get out what you put into it,” Allen said. “For me, it’s believing in God, because I think a lot of success comes from him.”
Allen, who played as a guard, came up with this motto at the end of his freshman year at UI, although he’d been practicing it since high school. It was one of the best seasons of his career at the time. He played in all 33 games of the season, started in 11, and averaging 5.1 points and 2.1 boards per game. For Allen, this was no surprise.
“I’ve always been thankful for what I have,” Allen said. “But where I come from, what I’ve been able to do, it’s hard to do. It’s hard to get noticed.”
Allen grew up in Lapwai. He said where and how he was raised greatly influenced how he perceives working hard to achieve one’s dreams.
“The Native American community, my deep roots, they don’t even know
what work they are doing,” Allen said. “They have to work so much harder to get anywhere, I don’t even think they notice.”
Allen had dreamed of becoming an NBA player his whole life. After
graduating, offers flew in from teams in the U.S. and abroad, including Italy,
Sweden, Bulgaria, Russia and more. Allen ultimately chose to join Poland’s D1 team, Polpharma Starogard Gdanski.
“It was weird because (the COVID-19 pandemic) happened right at the end of the season and I had just signed with an agent,” Allen said. Allen joined Polpharma Starogard Gdanski because of the competitiveness of the league. He plans to continue using his “work in silence” motto in Poland while he “keeps options open.” Most recently for Allen, the motto has symbolized improving his game and getting closer to playing for the NBA. The next step is going to be to “keep up leaps and bounds in my career,” Allen said.
Allen experienced some culture shock upon arriving in Poland, but he appreciates his teammates and is optimistic for the future.
“The season just started and I just got here, so it’s hard to tell too much,” Allen said.
Rebecca Pratt can be reached at [email protected]