Greg Foster Strikes Balance Between Fatherhood and Chasing A TBL Championship With The California Sea-Kings

Entering the second round of the TBL Playoffs, the veteran point guard is showing his valuable versatility by wearing a lot of different hats on the hardwood and at home

San Jose, California –  The next generation of point guards in the Foster household are in extremely good hands. That’s what happens when you’re raised on a steady diet of watching pro games, soaking up the sounds of gyms overseas and at home, and having a strong role model to learn from. 

All one needs to do to catch a sneak peak of the future of the game is watch the patriarch of the family run the floor for the California Sea-Kings to see how a sincere love of basketball is carefully being passed down with each passing game, practice, and “we” time available during a hectic season in The Basketball League. 

A devout Dad and a veteran of the game, every day is Father’s Day for Greg Foster.  

Just as he’s worn a number of different international uniforms since turning professional over the last decade out of Division 2 Saginaw Valley State University, Greg now wears a lot of different hats in life: a husband, a dad, a son, a leader, TBL All-Star, and one of the best point guards to earn top billing as a TBL stats leader in both scoring (3rd in the league at 26.6 points per game) and assists (2nd in the league at 9 per game). Talk about “Mr. Versatility”. When the California Sea-Kings open their postseason on Wednesday night in the second round of the TBL Playoffs by traveling up to Salem, Oregon to take on the Capitals, it won’t be just another quarterfinals contest. It will be the chance for Greg Foster to keep showing his own son – 2-year old, Kareem – what it really looks like to chase down a championship. 

Somewhere during the daily grind of juggling fatherhood and preparing to get back on the floor for the second round against Salem, Greg hit pause just long enough to discuss what makes this season with the Sea-Kings so special, the dance of balancing parenthood with being a pro, and what he really wants from the TBL Playoffs…

How has the bye week been going thus far? Do you take a different approach heading into the postseason and the second round now that it’s actually here? 

I think the bye week has been going well with a couple days of rest, but we approach the postseason with a little bit more seriousness. We know we have a really good chance of doing something great. 

You have been on a number of pro teams over the years from the Dominican Republic, to Libya, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Mexico, and Venezuela. Could you feel this was going to be a good team from the start? Or when did you see everyone really come together and click? 

From the beginning of the season, I saw potential with this team. I believe all of the guys on the team saw it too. We didn’t know how good it would be but we kept saying, we have something special here. 

What do you feel makes this team more special than others you’ve been a part of? 

Well, I’ve been out of the country the last few years and actually the last time I played in the States was for the Sea-Kings back when they were an ABA team. It’s special for me to be able to stay state bound with some extremely great players and a good coach. 

This time around with the Sea-Kings is like the story coming full circle for you in some ways then. What do you appreciate the most about playing internationally and being able to gain that experience coming out of Saginaw Valley State University over the last 10 years?  

I appreciate life experiences the most. I’ve learned some Arabic and I’m pretty good at Spanish. Germany is a pretty cool place. I didn’t get to experience it as much as COVID really had the city shut down. I love to embrace different cultures. Coming out of SVSU was just part of the journey. Everyone’s journey is different. 

What's it like to balance being both a professional athlete and a dad these days and making it all work? 

The toughest thing about being a father and playing professionally, is watching your child grow and you’re not there but it makes you question your work ethic. I believe it helps me, because now every moment that I spend away from my son matters. Every workout, practice, and game are very serious because I’m taking time away. 

Did your family travel with you when you went to play overseas? How difficult was that?

They got to travel with me to the Dominican Republic which was pretty difficult at that period of time. The COVID restrictions were fairly new and strict, but it was a very cool experience overall. 

I just saw your little man has his own IG page…that’s awesome (and has damn near more followers than me). Does he get what “Dad” does for a job? Is he a future guard as well?

We have to continue to grow his Instagram! He definitely understands the job. He watches all my games and when we FaceTime, he says, ‘Da Da, look!’ and then he goes and shoots or dunks on his Fisher Price court hoop. I believe God willing, he’ll be a future ball guard as well. 

Are you a stats/numbers guy? What does it mean to you knowing you rank among a league leader in points and assists? 

I’m not really a stats/numbers kind of guy. Now I will say, the assist thing is pretty cool. Scoring wise, I’m just playing the game and whatever happens, happens. I believe our team has such great scorers that it allows me to score as well. Nigel Jones and Jaylon Smith are amazing scorers. Along with other players. Last game alone Jaylon had 44 points, Nigel had 34 points, Akil Douglass had 29 points and Lewis Hayes finished with 18 points. I had 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 19 assists. I call that fun. 

If you’re not a stats/numbers guy, are you an MVP kind of guy? You’re certainly a candidate with the kind of season you’ve had…

I want to win the Finals. I play this game to win! If I win the MVP in the pursuit of chasing that Finals championship. That’s a blessing and I’ll be forever thankful. I want the Finals.

The Around The Basketball League newsletter brings you the latest news, updates, insight, and interviews on the TBL. Follow ATBL on Twitter.

Wendell Maxey has covered and written about professional basketball and sports for 19 years including eight years reporting on the NBA in New York and Portland where his work appeared on ESPN.com, NBA.com, USA Today, FOX Sports, YAHOO Sports!, SLAM Magazine, and The Oregonian among other publications and outlets. Connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn or read through his archive on Linktree.