Jake Van Tubbergen reflects on his first year playing overseas
Jake Van Tubbergen plays for Grand Valley State during the 2021-22 season. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).
HOLLAND - Jake Van Tubbergen sat in the stands with a large walking boot on his left foot while he watched an alumni basketball game on Saturday.
The Grand Valley State grad isn’t used to watching basketball games. He’d prefer playing in them.
Van Tubbergen spent last season playing basketball in Portugal for Vitoria Sport Club. But he doesn’t know where he’ll play this season after his ankle heals after surgery.
“I dreamed about playing professionally since I was young,” Van Tubbergen said. “So this has been a dream come true. At the same time, it was a lot of work. It pushed me to work even harder.”
The 6-foot-8 forward played five years at GVSU, where he finished with 2,005 career points, which is fourth on the school’s all-time list. He graduated from West Ottawa High School.
Van Tubbergen averaged 15 points and 5.5 rebounds in 30 games for Vitoria SC. He had eight games of 20 or more points.
“I was playing in the top league in Portugal,” he said. “I learned a little bit of Portuguese, but it’s not good. All my teammates spoke English though.”
How are their fans?
“Their fans are different,” he said with a laugh. “They are really active during the games. They have songs that they sing, kind of like they do with soccer. You get a lot of middle fingers. It’s fun though.”
Van Tubbergen said he and his agent will have to figure out where he will play next season. But he has to get healthy first.
“I’m rehabbing an injury,” he said. “I’ve had reoccuring ankle sprains, so I had surgery to tighten up some ligaments.
I’m hoping to go back in December or January.”
Van Tubbergen was at Holland High School on Saturday to support West Ottawa as the Panthers played Zeeland West in an alumni game called “Return to 2 the Dome.”
Jake Van Tubbergen sits in the stands with a friend as they watch an alumni basketball game at Holland High School on Saturday, July 29, 2023. He has a walking boot on his ankle after having surgery. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).
