Author: Gal Sharon is a first-year MBA candidate at NYU Stern School of Business, Class of 2027, specializing in Strategy and Finance. He brings several years of experience as a transaction lawyer, with a focus on M&A and advising venture-backed technology companies, having built his career in Israel.
Gal is interested in the intersection of technology innovation, sports, and investments, and in how strategic capital allocation supports company growth. He is actively involved in the Stern community through the Graduate Finance Association, the Jewish Student Association, and as a leader in the Israel Trek initiative.
From the Hardwood to Washington Square: My Journey from Professional Athlete to Stern MBA
When I close my eyes and think about where this journey started, I do not see a classroom. I see a basketball gym in Herzliya, bright lights, a worn wooden floor and a kid who was sure his future would be written on that court. For most of my life, basketball was not a hobby. It was the plan.
Today I am a first year MBA student at NYU Stern, living a very different dream on a very different kind of court. The path from professional athlete to business school was not linear,, but it is the story that brought me to NYC.
Growing up with one goal
I grew up in Herzliya in Israel, and from age ten I played for Bnei Herzliya, my hometown club. By middle school I switched to a special sports class in another city so I could invest more in basketball. It meant leaving my friends and my comfort zone, but at that stage everything revolved around the game.
At fourteen I joined Israel’s youth national teams. By sixteen I was practicing eight to ten times a week, learning to treat my schedule like a professional. My teammates became my second family. The locker room was where I learned to communicate, handle pressure, and put the team’s needs ahead of my own.
At eighteen, when most Israelis were preparing to join the military, I was fortunate to receive a special athlete status in the army that allowed me to keep competing. I became a professional player for Bnei Herzliya in Israel’s Premier League. Wearing that jersey and hearing my name in the lineup was the first big dream I ever had, and I achieved it.
When the game stops
In my first season as a professional, everything changed. I tore my ACL, one of the injuries every basketball player fears. Overnight I went from playing in front of crowds to learning how to walk properly again.
Rehab was a full time job. For a year I worked to come back. I did come back, and for a short time I was again on the court where I felt I belonged.
Then I tore the same ACL again.
The second injury was different. Physically it was painful. Mentally it was a turning point. I understood that my path as a professional player was probably over. For someone who had always introduced himself as “a basketball player,” it felt like losing a part of my identity.
What helped me was treating this moment like the end of a season, not the end of the story. I knew how to reset, watch the film, understand what happened and design a new game plan.
Rewriting the playbook: law, business and a new kind of team
I enrolled in a dual degree in Business Administration and Law and quickly saw that the discipline and teamwork I had built in sports could power my studies.
My study group became my new roster as we prepared together, shared materials and handled pressure around exams.
After graduation I joined a leading law firm in Tel Aviv, advising high tech companies, investors and startups, and gradually shifted from being only “the lawyer in the room” to a partner in thinking through strategy, risk and deal dynamics. The same mindset from basketball guided me in complex transactions: know your role, trust your team, manage the clock and stay calm when the game becomes messy.
Why Stern: reaching the “NBA” of business and academics
After several years in practice, I felt it was time for another step. I had shifted from the court to the conference room, but I wanted to play at a higher level in the business world. I was drawn to roles that sit closer to decision making, particularly at the intersection of finance, technology and, eventually, sports.
For me, NYU Stern represented something close to the ‘NBA’ of business education. It was not only the rankings or the brand. It was the combination of New York City, access to top firms and a culture that takes both IQ and EQ seriously.
When I spoke with current students, what I heard consistently was that Stern is a community of people who are ambitious and supportive at the same time. That felt very familiar. It sounded like a strong locker room.
Finding a new locker room at Stern
From my first week on campus, Stern reminded me of joining a new team.
Orientation felt like training camp. You meet people from all over the world, each with a different background and position, all here for the same reason. Group projects started almost immediately. Suddenly I was again in a setting where my success depended on my ability to work with others.
In class, I see clear parallels to my playing days. The professor sets the game plan. Cold calls feel like being passed the ball in the final seconds of the shot clock. Outside the classroom, Stern offers endless ways to build a team around you. I joined clubs, including those connected to finance, tech, and the Jewish and Israeli communities on campus. Planning events, coordinating treks, and balancing recruiting with academics all require the same skills as running a complicated play. Communication, preparation and trust.
One of my favorite moments so far was sitting in a study room late at night with classmates from three different continents, practicing technical questions for recruiting. Everyone was tired. Everyone had their own stress. Yet people stayed, explained another concept, shared their notes and made sure no one walked out feeling lost. It felt exactly like teammates staying in the gym after practice to get a few more shots up together.
Bringing the athlete mindset into the classroom and beyond
Being a former professional athlete does not make corporate finance easier, and it does not guarantee a perfect recruiting outcome. What it does give me is a clear toolkit.
Resilience. I know how it feels to have something important taken away and to build myself back. Business school comes with setbacks, from tough feedback to internship rejections. I try to treat each as a film session, not a final judgment.
Coachability. Throughout my career I had coaches who demanded more from me than I thought I could give. At Stern I approach professors, mentors, and classmates in the same way. If someone is willing to push me and give honest feedback, that is a gift, even if it is not always comfortable at the moment.
Team orientation. In basketball, a good assist is as valuable as a highlight dunk. At Stern I try to bring that mindset into group work and recruiting. Sharing a spreadsheet template, running mock interviews with friends, or simply listening when someone needs to vent can change the experience for the entire group.
Competitive drive with perspective. I am competitive by nature. I care about grades and job outcomes. At the same time, my injuries taught me that your value is not defined by a single game or a single line on your resume.
A note to future students and fellow athletes
When Stern Admissions invited me to write this blog, they asked for something personal and honest.
If you are reading this as a prospective student, especially if you come from a non-traditional background like professional sports, I want to share one main message.
You do not need to leave your past life at the door when you start an MBA. The skills you built, whether on a court, in the military, on stage or in a family business, are not separate from your business identity. They are the foundation of it.
I once dreamed of running out of the tunnel for a big game. Today I walk through Washington Square Park on my way to class, surrounded by teammates in suits instead of jerseys. The arena is different, but the goal is the same. Show up, work hard, support your team and keep pushing for that next level.
