It seems that for international basketball star Marek Klassen, becoming a professional basketball player was always an aspiration – if not always in the cards.
Growing up with a father that was the national director of Athletes in Action, Klassen spent most of his summers attending multiple sports camps and developing the skills that have made him a prominent player in some of the top professional leagues across the globe.
When he reached high school, Klassen started noticing all the professional players that he was exposed to thanks to his father’s network.
Players like Malcolm Campbell, Steve Janzen and Louis Hurd III influenced his desire to play professionally overseas in Europe. Hearing how their careers allowed them to support their families while continuing to play the sport they loved was a key cog in influencing how Klassen moved forward in his own career.
With a dream in mind, Klassen went the extra mile during his time at Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU). It’s not an easy feat to work towards and graduate with an MBA while being one of the nation’s top point guards and three-point shooters in the NAIA, but Klassen accomplished that and more. He made himself known in the PacWest Conference by being named to the PacWest all-academic team, receiving an all-PacWest honorable mention and winning PacWest Conference Freshman of the Year.
Now in the prime of his professional career, Klassen has had the unique opportunity to pursue his dream of playing overseas while also representing his hometown in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL).
Klassen believes his younger self would be proud of his current career, which has seen the well-travelled point guard star in England, Turkey, Ukraine and now Sweden. This past season, Klassen played a key role with Borås Basket, a team in the Swedish Basketball League.
Even with his busy schedule, Klassen jumped at the idea of playing with Fraser Valley during its inaugural 2019 season and said that he loves being able to come home to play in the town that raised him.
“After watching a few of the games and coming back home and playing in a few of the games, I was really excited and pleasantly surprised by the level of basketball as well as the brand of basketball,” Klassen said. “High-paced, energetic, great for fans, great for people watching.”
As an Abbotsford native and a new father, playing back home means even more. Klassen wants his son, Kingston, to meet and know his family and hometown community. Klassen also said that having his family at his games is incredible.
“They wheeled my grandmother out to the court to watch the game. My mom and grandma sat courtside to watch me play in the inaugural season and that kind of stuff is priceless,” Klassen said. “You can never take that back.”
Now that he’s entering his third season with Fraser Valley, Klassen is looking for ways to better his community.
“This is an opportunity for me to build the brand of basketball, build the grassroots and be a professional that kids can look up to in their area,” Klassen said.