Trey Phills: Content Creator & Storyteller

The Ballers Magazine
Oct 17
10 min read

Trey Phills' connection to the game of basketball was evident from a very young age. From his father playing in the NBA to his proximity to basketball greats throughout his time at Charlotte Christian School, Trey's natural path in basketball was carved in his mind for as long as he can remember. "I always saw myself doing something in basketball, ideally playing professionally. When I was a kid, I used to always say: 'Use the game to be a light to others and to be an

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inspiration in the same way that the people before you inspired and challenged you to be great'," he highlights. Little did he know, but over the next few years, he would do just that. He would go on to embark on a journey full of ebbs and flows where he would use the game to share his story, connect with others, foster community, and inspire the next generation along the way. Upon graduating from Yale University, Trey began his professional career in the NBA G League. This was it. This was the opportunity he has been dreaming of since he was a little kid. It wasn't all smooth sailing though. A few months into his professional career, Trey was waived from the team. What now? What should he do? How should he move forward? Was this it? All questions that Trey pondered on as he evaluated what the next step in his career would be; but ones that lead him to the world of content creation. A space where he could share his story, be an inspiration to others, and give a peek into his world. The rest is history! Over the past few years, Trey has fostered a personal brand grounded in intentional and creative storytelling; and has built a community of over 1 million followers across social media platforms through his love for the game of basketball and content creation.

Take us all the way back! How did you get started in the industry?

Growing up, I had a father who played in the NBA so just seeing that and being around basketball greats at school naturally (created this) path that I wanted to follow. I was under-recruited. I did have a decent amount of offers but I wasn't like a “five-star” or “high major” sort of kid. My mom told me that a good way to increase my opportunities was to just lean into education, so that was a big priority for me growing up. I ended up committing to Yale to play basketball in 2015. I had a good career there—two Championships, two NCAA Tournament berths, one upset over Baylor which was fun. I started for three years there, and the whole time that I was in school I knew I didn't want to work a job. I always saw myself doing something in basketball, ideally playing professionally. When I was a kid, I used to always say: “Use the game to be a light to others and to be an inspiration in the same way that the people before you inspired and challenged you to be great.” Back then, there were not as many opportunities in basketball as there are today. That path back then just looked like: “Alright, make it to the NBA. If it’s not the NBA, then have a successful career in Europe or Asia.” My first year after Yale was 2019-2020, and I ran into an agent who honestly believed in me a little bit more than I did (in myself) at the time. I wanted to go to Europe. I didn't have a stellar, draftable career numbers-wise. I knew I was good, but I was like: “Let me go to Europe and get my numbers up.” He was like, “No, you should try out for the NBA G League.”

So I ended up staying in the U.S. for my first pro season and was a part of the Windy City Bulls—the Chicago Bulls Organization—and the Charlotte Hornets organization for 2019-2020. It's worth noting that when I got waived from Chicago—there were a couple of trades that happened and I got sent home—they told me: “We're going to send you on a one-way flight anywhere in the country you want to go. Where do you want to go?” I remember choosing not to go to my hometown of Charlotte because I was embarrassed. I didn’t want all the people that celebrated me to see me in my perceived failure. So I decided to go to Texas to train with my cousin and stay ready to get re-signed; and I just remember how I felt back then. One day it finally hit me like, “Oh no, this is just the beginning of your story. This is really Step #1 on whatever road you want to go. Once I get out of here, I'm going to start sharing my story more. I'm not going to hide from the ups and downs. I'm just going to be more transparent.” Again, still no social media in the picture. When 2020 came around, I was still training. I finally got signed to the Hornets’ G League team and then March 2020 happened. I was playing in the rotation, playing pretty well, and COVID happened. It felt like it all got taken away again. I downloaded TikTok and started off just (doing) fun challenges as a way to be competitive and creative with my friends. I would do trick shots, and three months into my content journey, I just realized: “Ok, I have a chance to really hone in my story and actually share some of the things I learned in Dallas.” I put that out there like: “Hey, I'm Trey. I'm in the G League. I want to play in the NBA. Follow me and I'll share the ups and downs.” That very first video that I made ended up getting posted on Bleacher Report’s main platform on Instagram and TikTok and overnight my platforms grew. People were invested and curious to see what it was really like as a guy trying to make it to the league. I was one of the first players in the NBA G League to have a strong TikTok presence and I started working directly with TikTok to help them define what a good athlete social media presence is. I still do.

That’s awesome! When did you make that all-in transition into the world of digital media and content creation?

I continued to balance being a professional athlete and creating for about two more years. I was kind of doing both—sharing my journey (and) playing. I ended up playing Summer League with the Houston Rockets and ended up playing in Denmark for a season. I got to the point where I was in Europe and I was like: “Alright, some days I'm acting like a creator. Some days I'm acting like an athlete. I can't grow in either direction. I need to choose to get to the next level.” I literally just prayed. I was like: “God, stop getting my video views or get me cut from the team. I don’t care, I like both of them a lot. Help me figure it out.” A week later, I tore my Achilles on the floor in Denmark during a rivalry game in the fourth quarter—literally just as traumatic as (Tyrese) Haliburton’s, except a little less viewership. I was on the floor and I was at peace with it because I knew that meant I was going to just continue to share my story and my journey through social. I’d say maybe a year later, I was on a billboard in Atlanta for Anthony Edwards’ Adidas campaign. So that day, October 23rd, I view it as the start of my content career where I was like: “Alright, I’m going all in on this.”

What were some key takeaways or lessons that you learned from your time as an athlete that you carried with you as you went into the world of content creation and digital media full-time?

That’s a really good question. Both fields require an extreme level of resilience. I think resilience is one of my favorite words because it's like: “Things are going to happen that are not good for you. You’re gonna lose followers. You're gonna have a video that flops. You're gonna not get playing time. Your coach is gonna not see eye-to-eye with you.” But, how I responded to every piece of adversity in my journey, my mindset, and how I overcame it is something that I think being an athlete helped me with. I apply (that) to my content creation (journey). Also, just discipline and patience. Those are two very underrated things nowadays. Everybody wants to be a star overnight and they want to be in the league tomorrow. With social media, they make 10 videos and they want to quit. It’s like: “Ah, it didn't happen. I'm not famous yet.” As athletes, we have more of a natural understanding of what it means to commit to the craft, get 1% better every day, and then down the line it all compounds into the life you're working towards. It’s been nice to apply that mindset to social media; and have probably even higher levels of success in social than sports.