How Corey Cilia Found Professional Basketball in Vietnam

3.5 minute read

By Andrea Aruino

UPBasketball’s Player Development Coach, Corey Cilia, went overseas and played for the Ho Chi Minh City Wings in the Vietnam Basketball Association (VBA), the Saigon Heat in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL), and the Vietnam National Team at the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games). Throughout his professional basketball career overseas, Cilia competed against some of Southeast Asia's top talent, traveled across multiple countries, and achieved one of the accomplishments he is most proud of: representing Vietnam on the international stage. While his professional career eventually took him around the world, his journey to overseas basketball began years earlier through an unexpected opportunity during a family trip to Vietnam.

Like many young athletes growing up in the United States, Cilia's dream was to play in the NBA. Overseas basketball wasn't initially part of the plan, but that changed when he traveled to Vietnam with his family as a sophomore in high school.

"It was actually sort of by coincidence that I was found by pro teams in Vietnam. The players weren't in town because it was the offseason, but the coaches were still around and offered to put me through a workout. After the workout, I guess they thought I was good enough because they wanted to keep in touch from there,” Cilia said.

The relationship remained strong throughout Cilia's high school and college years. As he continued developing his game, he stayed connected with coaches in Vietnam and updated them on his basketball journey. Eventually, those connections led to an opportunity to enter the professional ranks, where he was drafted into the VBA by the Ho Chi Minh City Wings.

While reaching the professional level was a major accomplishment, adjusting to life overseas presented challenges that extended far beyond basketball. For Cilia, one of the most difficult aspects of playing abroad was learning how to navigate everyday life in a country where he didn't speak the language fluently.

"It was honestly pretty difficult at times. The hardest part was the communication barrier because I don't speak Vietnamese and most of the players spoke limited English. But on the court, basketball is basketball. That's what united us," Cilia said.

Despite the challenges, Cilia embraced the experience and continued earning opportunities at higher levels of competition. He eventually joined the Saigon Heat in the ABL, one of Southeast Asia's premier professional leagues. The opportunity allowed him to travel throughout the region and compete against talented players from multiple countries while learning under experienced coaches.

"When I played for the Saigon Heat, I was really happy because that league was very competitive and we got to travel all over Southeast Asia. My main role was off the ball, a three-and-D type of guy. Over the course of the season, I solidified myself into that role because I played good defense and did what the coaches asked," Cilia said.

Beyond the competition itself, one of the aspects of Vietnamese basketball that stood out most to Cilia was the passion of the fans. Although basketball is still growing in popularity compared to soccer, the energy inside arenas left a lasting impression.

Following his professional career and time with the Vietnam National Team, Cilia began shifting his focus toward coaching and sports psychology. However, the lessons he learned overseas continue to influence the way he develops athletes today as a Player Development Coach at UPBasketball.

Today, Cilia brings those experiences directly into the gym. His coaching philosophy is rooted in consistency, repetition, and mastering the fundamentals—the same approach that helped him reach the professional level.

"My training regimen wasn't really anything fancy," Cilia said. "The things I worked on in high school, college, and professionally didn't really change. I just kept doing them over and over and over. The way I coach is very much the same approach."

From an unexpected workout during a family vacation to representing Vietnam on the international stage, Cilia's basketball journey demonstrates how preparation and persistence can create opportunities in unexpected places. Although he does not plan on returning to overseas basketball anytime soon, he uses those experiences to help the next generation of athletes develop both the skills and mindset needed to pursue their own basketball goals.