In the last six years, my duffle bag has been the only constant in my life. I’ve taken it all around the globe with me. It’s just small enough to lug around easily, but big enough to fit the necessities.

Toothbrush. Toothpaste. Soap. Shampoo. Razor. Deodorant.

iPod and headphones. (Gotta have the jams.)

And whatever clothes could fit after that.

And that’s honestly it. I never put anything more in that bag than what I thought I absolutely needed.

When I went undrafted out of Duke in 2010, I became a basketball nomad. From Tobacco Road to southern China to New York City — with plenty of stops in between — I packed that duffle bag, hit the road and tried out for anybody willing to give me a look.

I love the game and my passion took me to interesting locations, but at that time it didn’t feel like much of an adventure. In my mind, I was an unemployed college graduate looking for work in one of the most cutthroat job markets out there.

At times, it was hard not to internalize the critics — including my own friends — when they questioned my journey.”