A Hall of Fame journey, Wembanyama’s growth, and the fight for equality in hoops

A little over a year ago, we had a conversation with global trainer Tremaine Dalton. He gave us insight into the international scene, shared his philanthropic work, and spoke about what he saw in Victor Wembanyama years ago. Dalton's work in the NBA community as a behind-the-scenes global ambassador is so revered that he has earned a nomination for the 2025 Naismith Hall of Fame class.

That's reason enough for Air Alamo to spin the block with the dedicated basketball lifer. An added benefit for Spurs fans is that he was in Paris when San Antonio and Indiana played a couple of games, giving him a chance to see Wemby up close again. He'll share what he thinks of Vic's game at this point in his career through the perspective of an experienced trainer.

However, you'll also hear fascinating answers about how the game is taught in America vs. Europe, insight into the Euro League, and Dalton's passion for ensuring opportunities for women. His replies are well thought out and unique, providing the kind of quality Air Alamo readers will love.

You’re up for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this year. First, please let me congratulate you on such a special honor. I hope you’re selected on the first ballot. When you first began playing ball at the University of St. Mary’s in Leavenworth, Kansas in 2007, could you picture yourself traveling the world and carving a path to the Hall this way?

I super appreciate you and your team at FanSided. I hope I’m on the first ballot as well and would love for you guys to come to the awards if I get it. It’s such an honor! Not to mention I could be the youngest ever in my category. The Naismith Hall of Fame has taken new steps toward progression and has given me the opportunity to be one of the faces in the new era of basketball. 

I personally don’t want to be one to say I wasn’t destined for greatness. Coming from St. Mary, I was a bucket averaging nearly 20 ppg a game in 18 min a game and holding a bunch of school records. But I will be honest... Never in a million years would I have thought to be in this position.

Being able to be in the same class as the 2008 Olympic team (specifically Kobe Bryant, my favorite player, Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Sue Bird, and Maya Moore, along with so many other greats) is such a blessing but also a testament to my hard work on and off the court. My ultimate goal from here is to go after a Nobel Peace prize, really to raise the prestige of our great sport of basketball. 

Such an achievement is not an accident. You have been an important figure in the global basketball space—even earning a position as the NBA’s Europe Technical Director. How did that opportunity come about, and why is that position one that you coveted on your journey as a trainer and philanthropist?

Once again, I appreciate the compliment. I really try my best to show the world that world-class training in combination with community service is extremely important. With the top players, having a platform means you have a responsibility to our youth, and I put that first when it comes to training. I make sure players know that development is as much important off the court as it is on.

With the NBA, I want to give a big shoutout to Erik Brunker, who is the head of NBA operations for Europe and Asia. He noticed my work and felt I would be a great liaison for the NBA schools in Europe. My first opportunity was with the NBA school in Portugal last summer, where I was the technical director, working with youth prospects from all over the world.

He felt my curriculum was world-class on and off the court and gave me the opportunity to be front and center with the NBA. Since then, there has been interest from all the schools throughout Europe that have wanted me to be a part of their programs and still use my work to this day on their social media for the youth to use.

I think it’s safe to say that the NBA’s mission to increase the globalization of the sport has been successful. The EuroLeague has been a pathway for players to make it to the NBA for years, but it’s also its own respectable league filled with talented players who make fine careers for themselves. Can you describe your work with the EuroLeague and how it feels to work with such a globally respected organization?

The EuroLeague is actually the backbone of my success. I work with some of the top players in the EuroLeague, and through their success, it shows my work can translate at all levels. Players I’ve worked with like Mathias Lessort (76ers, EuroLeague Champion) Roman Sorkin (Warriors, Winner League MVP), and David Michineau (Clippers), all having NBA opportunities and also dominating in Europe.

Recently, I was invited to one of the EuroLeague's biggest prospect events, the Adidas Next Generation Tournament, by Rok Bizjak, senior competitions manager with the EuroLeague. He gave me the opportunity to watch and evaluate some of the EuroLeague’s next superstars with the potential to work with them in the future.

I will also say one of my biggest feats within the EuroLeague is being a speaker along the side of legendary coach Chut Meteo, ‘23 EuroLeague coach of the year and EuroLeague Champion. He recently congratulated me on my Naismith Hall of Fame nomination, and to even be in the same space with such a great coach is an honor.

Your philanthropy has always been important to you, but I imagine your current responsibilities keep you busy. How much time do you get to dedicate to that part of your life these days?

Honestly, with the philanthropy along with skill training, it’s pretty easy to do both. Anytime I host a camp or train a top player, we do community work no matter what, whether it's a free clinic for kids or one of my players doing mentorship in a session. It’s a top priority, anything that has to do with basketball; it’s always on and off the court.

I want to ask you about Victor. As an independent scout and talent evaluator, you’ve had the privilege of seeing him before any of us. I believe you even got a chance to see him in France last week. What have you seen in the growth of his game from his rookie season to his sophomore year?

I had the privilege to see Wemby while he played in France, and to see what he is doing now is incredible! I attended the annual NBA Paris event and got to see Wemby play on the big stage, and he did not disappoint. I’m sure the pressure of performing back home for him had to be outrageous, but he dominated.

What impressed me the most, though, was his charisma when having to speak in front of the crowd. He really embraced his home country and really showed on and off the court that he is and will be a global talent in the likes of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and company. I truly believe he will go down as one of the best players to ever play the game.  

You have decades of experience as a trainer. So, you may look at the game with a slightly different lens than the average fan. What flaws do you see in his game that you would have him address right away?

So I got to scout and analyze Wemby in France and again his rookie year in the summer league. My concerns then were his intensity and pace. That’s understandable for a rookie in the NBA. But since, it’s clear [that] he’s not afraid of anyone and really wants to prove himself. I was in France for the Olympics as well, and since then, it seems like he really upped himself mentally.

I think in his mind, he feels he is the best. So, if anything, getting a bit stronger and more post-play, which, in time, he will develop. We saw the change in Giannis, especially with his fitness over time. I believe Wemby will have the same transition.

A common conversation in sports media these days is about how European players are trained better than American players because they focus more on the fundamentals. Do you agree with this assessment of the current basketball landscape of young players?

So, I personally think this narrative needs to go away. It creates an internal conflict within our sport when the goal is to raise the prestige and compete with other sports. That’s the only way it will grow. My job is to combine both styles, and I think I have been doing a pretty good job. Euro coaches have a philosophy and teach them in practice through fundamentals.

American coaches teach getting a bucket and playing hard defense. Combined, both complete the game. Recently KD did an interview talking about this narrative of Europe catching up to the U.S. The things he said in the interview were right.

To say the Europeans are better based on five players is a very narrow generalization, especially because at every level, most of the players who are dominant, men and women, around the world, are American. I think the difference in styles is simple: art and war, European being art, American being war—and overall, the American style is winning, and that determines the best.

Could you ever see yourself back in the United States full-time, or are you married to overseas life now?

So I actually go back and forth from the States all throughout the year. Specifically for my women’s program. The women’s game has grown so much over the last few years and I’ve had the honor to be a part of that. I was a big advocate for gender equity and equality in sports before the Caitlin Clark explosion and it’s extremely exciting to see it all come to fruition.

My women’s program (We Play Too) goal is to provide off-the-court opportunities while participating in world-class training for women’s athletes. Last summer, Jayda Curry, a University of Louisville star, got the opportunity to train and do an internship with us. Her major is broadcasting and journalism so we set her up with an exclusive interview with Dawn Staley.

Dawn was literally boarding Air Force 2 with then-President Biden’s wife during the interview, and Jayda was able to write about it on SB Nation, which is major. Imagine your first go having such an interview.

As there aren’t as many opportunities in women’s basketball as there are in men’s, we have created a space for women to prepare for off-the-court opportunities as a backup. I was also a guest speaker for the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the University of Louisville’s basketball team.