Waterloo’s Murphy Burnatowski inks deal in Switzerland
WATERLOO — Murphy Burnatowski is still in the game.
The Waterloo native is headed back to Europe to play professional basketball for his fourth consecutive season since finishing university.
Next up are some alley-oops in the Alps.
The recently-turned 26-year-old inked a one-year deal with Fribourg Olympic in Switzerland’s top hoops circuit on Wednesday.
“I love living there,” said Burnatowski, who has already passed through the Swiss league for one season during his career. “It’s not too different than Canada. The people are friendly. It’s an opportunity to go back to a contending team.”
Fribourg won the league title last year, so the former Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School student jumped at the chance to join the squad.
It’ll be Burnatowski’s fifth team in four years. Since leaving Colgate University he has played in Poland, the Czech Republic, Cyprus and Switzerland twice.
For globe-trotting basketball players, you take work when it pops up.
“It’s not as glamorous as one would think,” said Burnatowski, who has spent Christmas abroad the past four years. “But it’s something I wouldn’t trade for the world.
“Just being able to play basketball for a living is something I never thought would be possible. My job doesn’t feel like a job.”
There are perks to life on the road.
Burnatowski’s deal in Fribourg comes with a steady paycheque, an apartment, car and, essentially, all the fondue he can eat, thanks to an arrangement with a restaurant that sponsor’s the club.
And then there is the travel — mountains, lakes, cobblestone streets and picturesque villages.
“It’s such a beautiful country,” he said. “Every city is like something out of a painting.”
Burnatowski has been on the move since helping the Highlanders finish fourth at the all-Ontario high school finals back in 2007.
The six-foot-seven forward was recruited by Canada Basketball to join its national elite development academy in Hamilton and then headed south on a scholarship to the University of Maine before transferring to Colgate.
Along the way he had stops with the national program and, earlier this summer, was invited to the Toronto Raptors’ free agent camp.
But it’s pro ball in Europe that has paid the bills and shown him the world.
And what a journey it has been — from his first tip-off in Poland where his family has roots, to the Czech Republic where he discovered his new favourite city of Prague, to the serene scenes of Switzerland.
Island life in Cyprus had its charm, too, and one crazy finish to a post-season game.
“We were down 10 points and about to be eliminated from the playoffs,” he recalled. “We were at home and fans threw flares and fireworks on the floor. We had to run off the court and chill in the locker-room. The riot police came and they had to clear out the fans. It was a wild experience. I’ll never forget that.”
Burnatowski has delivered at every stop by averaging double digits in scoring with his past three pro teams.
“The style (in Europe) is different,” he said.
“It’s not freestyle like it can be here. There is a system to stick to and you know when you’re going to get your chances and you just have to take advantage of it,” he added.
And, so far, Burnatowski is doing just that.
There is talk of suiting up for the K-W Titans of the National Basketball League of Canada before his playing days are done, but that’s down the road.
For now, he’s happy to go yearto-year in Europe. “I’m loving what I’m doing,” he said. “I’m going to go until the wheels fall off or until it makes sense to move on to something else.”