Every player dreams of the NBA, but those lucky enough to make it only represent “The 1%” when it comes to professional basketball. Eight Nations shines a light on compelling stories from the far reaches of this unique profession. Players scraping at what they can to make money and keep their dreams alive.

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Their strong motivations to play hit much closer to home than championship rings: A March Madness darling who sold his Final Four ring to bolster his mother’s cancer fund, an unlikely achiever who’s vowed to be the father he never had, and an undersized guard hoping to inspire neighborhood kids on the Southside of Chicago.

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To these players, victory has a different meaning; and through Team World Vision, each of them has an outside chance. Led by the team’s founder, Daimon Beathea, the team represents the USA at the Eight Nations Tournament in Suzhou, China to compete against national teams from around the globe.

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Every summer, Beathea must mold a new band of former high-level college players into a cohesive, working unit. This 2018 team has the added pressure of Beathea’s recent failures at this event, as its organizers grow old of fourth and fifth place finishes from their American representatives. Tournament victory means global exposure and lucrative contracts, while defeat means the end of Beathea’s baby, World Vision.

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Over the next 120 minutes, these profiles blend together using unprecedented access of Team World Vision’s journey. From intimate film sessions, to heart pounding game footage, to reflective one- on-one interviews, Eight Nations illustrates the lengths players will go to chase their dreams.